CIAO DATE: 04/2013
December 2012
Institute for Development and Peace
Political Science research on collapsed, failed and fragile states has some clear priorities and blind spots. The lack of a systematic inquiry into the causes of these phenomena is particularly evident. Hence, there are many causal hypotheses that have never been subjected to empirical scrutiny. This INEF Report presents issues in the definition of state fragility before giving an overview of the research field. It then discusses present research into the causes of state fragility and collapse and summarizes those hypotheses that are most widely enunciated. It concludes with implications for causal research designs.
Resource link: Ursachen von Staatskollaps und fragiler Staatlichkeit: Eine Übersicht über den Forschungsstand [PDF]