State formation as it happens: insights from a repeated cross-sectional study in Afghanistan, 2007–2015

Jan Boehnke, Jan Koehler, Christoph Zurcher

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    14 Citations (Scopus)
    446 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    This paper contributes to an empirical understanding of state formation. Based on an original household-level data set, we provide a detailed picture of the process of state formation in Afghanistan over the last decade. State formation happens when state and society engage in reciprocal relations. Central to this relationship is an exchange of services for the acceptance of authority and increased legitimacy. Our data allows us to assess state-society relations across different dimensions. We focus on the provision of services, on the responsiveness of the state, on conflict regulation and on taxation. As a result we find more evidence of state formation than expected, but also see this as a contested process that unfolds unevenly and with different speed across different sectors.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)91-116
    Number of pages26
    JournalConflict, Security and Development
    Volume17
    Issue number2
    Early online date21 Mar 2017
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 21 Mar 2017

    Keywords

    • State formation
    • state-building
    • international development
    • Afghanistan

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