Countries where the government is no longer in control become failed states. Failed state status indicates the lowest possible condition a state can fall into. That status, however, is not necessarily a death sentence for a country or state, as it can be reversed with considerable effort from the governing body. Any country can become a failed state, although it usually does not happen overnight and its decline can be clearly seen.
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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenCountries where the government is no longer in control become failed states. Failed state status indicates the lowest possible condition a state can fall into. That status, however, is not necessarily a death sentence for a country or state, as it can be reversed with considerable effort from the governing body. Any country can become a failed state, although it usually does not happen overnight and its decline can be clearly seen.
A territory is organised under a government. However, sometimes this political and/or economic structure becomes so weak that the government is no longer in control. This will result in what we call a 'failed state'. Such a failed state can no longer function, certainly not with its people's best interest at heart.
There are several characteristics of a failed state:
There are several reasons why a state would fail, such as predatory and corrupt government, civil wars, genocide, and ethnic violence.
Other contributing factors for a state to fail are:
Failed states tend to suffer from civil violence, crime, internal corruption, poverty, illiteracy, and a crumbling infrastructure.
It is worth remembering that a failed state is reversible, although it takes enormous effort from the governing body in question. This principle goes for any country, as a stable country can become a failed state.
Each year, the Fund for Peace will release the 'Fragile States Index' (FSI), previously called the 'Failed States Index, showing the fragility of 179 countries. They look at 12 metrics to determine the fragility of a state.
Fragile State Index 12 metrics | |
---|---|
Metric | Explanation |
"Security Apparatus | considers security threats to a state, such as bombings, coups, and terrorism |
Factionalised Elites | considers the fragmentation of state institutions along ethnic, class, clan, racial or religious lines, the brinkmanship and gridlock between ruling elites, and the use of nationalistic political rhetoric by the ruling elite, such as nationalism |
Group Grievance | focuses on divisions and schisms between different groups in society, particularly political divisions |
Economic Decline | considers the economic decline and possibly related poverty of a state |
Uneven Economic Development | considers economic inequality, regardless of the actual performance of an economy |
Human Flight and Brain Drain | considers the economic impact of human displacement and its consequences on a state's development |
State Legitimacy | considers the representativeness and openness of government and its relationship with its citizens |
Public Services | an indicator that refers to the presence of basic state functions that serve the people |
Human Rights and the Rule of Law | considers the relationship between the state and its population insofar as fundamental human rights are protected, and freedoms are observed and respected |
Demographic Pressures | considerers the pressure upon the state deriving from the population itself or the government around it |
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) | measures the pressure upon states caused by the forced displacement of large communities as a result of social, political, environmental or other causes |
External Intervention | considers the influence and impact of external factors in the functioning, particularly security and economic, of a state." |
Table 1: 12 metrics of the Fragile State Index(1) |
179 countries are reviewed each year; however, only recognised sovereign states based on UN membership are included in this review. The exception is Palestine, as it is included in the assessment of Israel.
The higher the score, the worse the state of that country is, and each indicator counts for 10 points.
The status of 179 countries is reviewed every year by the Fragile States Index.
Several countries have been considered the worst of the failed states over the last few years.
Here are a few examples.
This is a small country in the Horn of Africa. Ever since it gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, dictators have ruled it. Many Eritreans have suffered due to military clashes and failed governments over the years. This country scores poorly on human rights, demographic pressures, and the state's legitimacy.
more than 100,000 lives have been lost during 2 years of civil wars, and there is no end in sight yet. Syria has a near-bottom score for Security Apparatus.
this country suffered massively when ruled by one of the world's worst dictators, Robert Mugabe. Though he helped decolonise the country, he was accused of serious human rights abuses and corruption. Zimbabwe has more than 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, and the inflation is terrible.
There is a very high prevalence of AIDS, as well as horrible malnutrition, pollution and disease. Congo got the worst score for Demographic Pressure. Several hundreds of thousands of people are killed in internal conflicts every year, and an estimated 400,000 women were raped during the civil war 2006-2007.
The map below shows more examples of failed states over the last few years.
Remember that a failed state can recover. While these are some extreme examples of failed states, some may recover soon.
To determine the failed states of 2020, we will be looking at the data from the FSI from 2020. Considering that there is no specific answer to what score constitutes a failed state, we will list the countries that fall under 'alert'. The map below shows 9 countries that fall under 'alert'.
Apart from failed states, there are also fragile states, sometimes also called 'vulnerable states'. States classified as fragile would need to undertake action otherwise, they will become a failed state. The map below will show all the countries listed as 'fragile' as of 2021 based on the FSI of 2021.
No specific indicator, score, or rank defines when a fragile state becomes a failed state.
Once again, remember that the status of any country can change for better or worse. Sometimes countries that we perceive as powerful can become fragile states. China is an example. When you look at the map in figure 1, you can see that China is yellow, indicating a warning. While China may not be a full-on fragile state, if it does not take the necessary precautions, it will certainly become a fragile state.
While there are statistics when it comes to indicating a failed or fragile state, some caution is needed as there is no official consensus on the definition of a 'failed state'. The nature of the indicators is subjective.
The Fragile States Index does receive criticism for the following reasons:
So, while the FSI is a good indicator of failed or fragile states, it is worth remembering that it still has its limitations.
While China may not be a full-on fragile state yet, it is certainly on its way to becoming one if it does not take active measures.
A failed state is a state or country that is no longer working in its political structure. Failed states have lost its people's trust and the population tends to suffer from civil violence, crime, internal corruption, poverty, illiteracy, and a crumbling infrastructure.
Examples of failed states include Eritrea, Syria, Zimbabwe, and Congo
A state that is fragile is a state/country that is not a failed state yet. However, any bad changes to the state/country in question can lead to a country to become a failed state.
In 2020, the following countries can be defined as failed states:
What is the definition of a failed state?
When political and/or economic structure becomes so weak that the government is no longer in control. This will result in what we call a 'failed state'. Such a failed state can no longer function.
What are the characteristics of a failed state?
The FSI is an index that is released every year by the Fund For Peace organisation showing the fragility of 179 countries. These fragilities are based on 12 metrics, each worth 10 points. The higher the score, the worse off a country is.
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