The GOVERNANCE blog

Why has the project of statebuilding in Afghanistan proved to be such a failure?  Because of a misguided preoccupation with the build-up of “power-deploying institutions,” and the neglect of mechanisms for holding power-holders accountable.  So says Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili in the current issue of Governance. “Afghanistan illustrates how a fragile state requires enough capacity to defeat insurgents, but enough constraints to discourage officials from predation and abuse. Unfortunately, well-crafted constraints often seem like an afterthought, as state-building efforts obsess with building quick capacity.”  Free access to the commentary.