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Foreign Affairs LIVE: The Future of State Building

By Bronwyn Bruton, James Dobbins, Clare Lockhart, and Gideon Rose
March 15, 2010
Article Summary and Author Biography

A discussion on the the theory and practice of state building. Can and should the United States commit to building up institutions in weak states?

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Reading List
What to Read on State Building
Hillel Soifer

An annotated Foreign Affairs syllabus on state building.

 
Essay
In the Quicksands of Somalia
Bronwyn Bruton

Washington's repeated attempts to bring peace to Somalia with state-building initiatives have failed, even backfired. It should renounce political intervention and encourage local development without trying to improve governance.
Snapshot
Our Man in Kabul
James Dobbins

With the cancellation of Afghanistan's runoff election, Washington is left with Hamid Karzai as its partner in Kabul. How did Karzai come to power in the first place, and what might that say about his ability to rule?

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