Conflict, Cooperation and Statebuilding in Fragile Countries

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

Abstract: How does stability emerge in fragile, conflict-affected countries? What are mechanisms for creating trust between citizens and state authorities in these contexts? And how can foreign powers transition out of war-torn nations in a way that improves stability and state-citizen trust? This panel presents cutting-edge research on the links between armed conflict, the establishment of cooperation between governments and populations, and the provision of security and basic services. The participants analyze diverse contexts of state fragility, specifically within Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, and Somalia. Collectively, they employ multiple methods, including field experiments, analysis of microlevel event and administrative data, and qualitative interviews. The panel contributes to our understanding of conflict dynamics and state formation in the most challenging contemporary locations: fragile countries.

Sub Unit

• Division 19: International Security

Cosponsor

• Division 20: Foreign Policy

Individual Presentations

• Islands of Stability: Evidence from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - Michael F. Harsch, National Defense University

• Security Transitions - Austin L. Wright, University of Chicago; Oliver Vanden Eynde, Princeton

Chair

• James D. Fearon Stanford University

Discussants

• Leonardo R. Arriola University of California, Berkeley

• Dorothy Kronick University of Pennsylvania