Topic

Governance

The balance of power between strong states was for decades the focal point in discussions about international security. But the end of the Cold War brought more attention to fragile states that were seen by many as posing potentially greater threats to global order.

Weak infrastructures, internal conflict, and lack of economic development provide fertile ground for trafficking, piracy, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, disease pandemics, regional tensions, and even genocide. But today, there is a growing awareness that economic superpowers and long-standing democracies are facing their own set of challenges to stable governance. 

As a result, it has become imperative to find comprehensive ways strengthen fragile states and find more effective solutions to help those that are already on the brink of failure, while at the same time discouraging the authoritarian tendencies and disruptive behaviors of powerful states. 

In Governance, you'll find reporting from around the world—from East Timor to Haiti, from Guinea Bissau to Afghanistan, and from China to the United States. The reporting looks at the dangers both weak states and powerful ones pose to global order.