Why Do “Failed States” Exist?

Abstract

The concept of a “failed state” presents theoretical and empirical problems due to definitional complexity and the insufficient precision given to identifying a failed state. Moreover, the political ramifications of the term threaten countries labeled this way. Such propositions guide The Ideology of Failed States, an in-depth investigation into the role that labels play in the relationship between states and institutions. In this book, Woodward criticizes international institutions and the interventionist model of “failed states” they employ for sustaining the existing ideology surrounding the term.