South Asia's Weak States

by Paul, T. V.

• ISBN13: 9780804762212
• ISBN10: 080476221X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-09
• Publisher: Stanford Security Studies

Summary

South Asia, which consists of eight states of different sizes and capabilities, is characterized by high levels of insecurity at the inter-state, intra-state, and human level: insecurity that is manifest in both traditional and non-traditional security problems--especially transnational terrorism fuelled by militant religious ideologies. To explain what has caused and contributed to the perpetual insecurity and human suffering in the region, this book engages scholars of international relations, comparative politics, historical sociology, and economic development, among others, to reveal and analyze the key underlying and proximate drivers. It argues that the problems are driven largely by two critical variables: the presence ofweak statesandweak cooperative interstate norms. Based on this analysis and the conclusions drawn, the book recommends specific policies for making the region secure and for developing the long lasting inter- and intra-state cooperative mechanisms necessary for the perpetuation of that security.

Author Biography

T. V. Paul is Director of the McGill University/Université de Montreal Centre for International Peace and Security Studies (CIPSS) and James McGill Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction
State Capacity and South Asia's Perennial Insecurity Problems	p. 3
State Capacity
State Failure and States Poised to Fail: South Asia and Developing Nations	p. 31
State Formation, Consolidation, and the Security Challenge: Exploring the Causes of State Incapacity in South Asia	p. 51
State, Nations, and the Regional Security Order of South Asia	p. 74
Economic Globalization and State Capacity in South Asia	p. 98
Symbiosis and Fracture: Civil Society and Weak States in South Asia	p. 122
The Regional States
Polity, Security, and Foreign Policy in Contemporary India	p. 147
Weak State, Failed State, Garrison State: The Pakistan Saga	p. 170
Afghanistan: A Weak State in the Path of Power Rivalries	p. 195
Sri Lanka: Challenges in State Consolidation and Minority Integration	p. 220
Bangladesh: "A Weak State" with Multiple Security Challenges	p. 241
Rebellion and State Formation in Nepal: Implications for South Asian Security	p. 265
Conclusions
Transforming South Asia: Is a Pluralistic Security Community Feasible?	p. 293
Author Biographies	p. 313
Index	p. 317
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