State-Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century (Messenger Lectures) - Hardcover

Francis Fukuyama

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801442923 ISBN 13: 9780801442926

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 2004

Synopsis

Francis Fukuyama famously predicted "the end of history" with the ascendancy of liberal democracy and global capitalism. The topic of his latest book is, therefore, surprising: the building of new nation-states. The end of history was never an automatic procedure, Fukuyama argues, and the well-governed polity was always its necessary precondition. "Weak or failed states are the source of many of the world's most serious problems," he believes. He traces what we know―and more often don't know―about how to transfer functioning public institutions to developing countries in ways that will leave something of permanent benefit to the citizens of the countries concerned. These are important lessons, especially as the United States wrestles with its responsibilities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond.

Fukuyama begins State-Building with an account of the broad importance of "stateness." He rejects the notion that there can be a science of public administration, and discusses the causes of contemporary state weakness. He ends the book with a discussion of the consequences of weak states for international order, and the grounds on which the international community may legitimately intervene to prop them up.

About this title

From the Publisher

"This is a brilliant, sober, insightful look at a difficult issue which happens to be the central issue of our time. For the Bush administration and for its critics, and for leaders and policy-makers across the globe, Francis Fukuyama’s analysis should be required reading."—Robert Kagan, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

From the Inside Flap

"It's not often that the words ‘visionary’ and ‘practical’ can be applied to the same work. Here they're perfect descriptions. For an era where state building has come to the top of the global agenda, this book provides expert guidance about why it's important and how it might be catalyzed."—Robert Klitgaard, Dean and Ford Distinguished Professor of International Development and Security, The Pardee RAND Graduate School, and author of Controlling Corruption and Tropical Gangsters

"State-Building explores with brutal frankness the greatest challenge of our age: how to cope with failed or failing states. Francis Fukuyama’s cross-cultural analysis takes the reader on an enlightened journey into the dilemmas of institution-building in weak polities. Fukuyama masterfully highlights the need for America to engage in the arts of state-building to avoid making things worse."—Chester Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

"This is a brilliant, sober, insightful look at a difficult issue which happens to be the central issue of our time. For the Bush administration and for its critics, and for leaders and policy-makers across the globe, Francis Fukuyama’s analysis should be required reading."—Robert Kagan, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

"This book is truly superb. It is exciting to read and has a message of great importance: The current knowledge about the state and nation-building is lacking on several crucial points, some of which can be amended. In particular, it is crucial to draw a sharp line between the scope and the strength of a state. I predict that this book will turn out to be even more important than Francis Fukuyama’s other writings."—Richard Swedberg, Cornell University

"Francis Fukuyama is a leading analyst of contemporary affairs who has made insightful and distinctive contributions to our understanding of the social and political complexities of today's world."—Samuel P. Huntington, Chairman, Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, and Albert J. Weatherhead III University Professor, Harvard University

Edition details

• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0801442923
• ISBN 13: 9780801442926
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 160