Whether the reason is out of their control, in the hands of another, or a combination of both, failed states are caused by a magnitude of different circumstances. Throughout history countries have failed, overcame, and then failed again. This cycle has happened to every country at least once in existence. The problem is when the state is failing and cannot seem to bring themselves out of it.
Failed states are defined as an area that has not met the expectations or the responsibilities of a country and their needs. The criteria for a failed state are: Loss of control over the country's land, lack of legitimate authority, not being able to provide standard public services, and or the inability to interact with other states. Over 1 billion people live in countries that meet these standards and are considered failing or nearly failing.
There are multiple reasons why a state is failing or nearly failing. Often it is caused by something that even the people in power have no control over. This could be a difficult climate or terrain that makes producing crops and resources difficult. If the country is land locked they may have difficulty trading with other countries and there for cannot create a substantial amount of revenue. On occasion a natural disaster may put a country on track for failing. It takes years to come back from the destruction caused by a major natural disaster, such as the earthquake in Haiti. A lack of resources also leads to a lack of jobs and spending which hurts the economy of a country. Often the government is the problem with country's that are failing. If the government is unstable, it leads to uncertainty for the entire community. It promotes gangs, anarchy, terrorism, and political radicals. Another problem is if the government is too secure in their position and refuse to help their citizens. Too much or too little of any one aspect has the potential to throw a country out of control. For instance, even if a country has a large amount of one resource they may have the potential to fail. If that resource runs out or countries no longer have a use for it than that country's economic back bone has just collapsed. In order to have a stable country you need a wide span of resources and a government that is stable enough to provide for its people.
Somalia has topped the failed states list for the past two years. Five countries in Africa have also made this list. The important thing to remember is just because a country is on the failing list does not mean it is down for the count. Also, just because a country is struggling does not mean it has failed. Even America, one of the biggest powerhouses of the world, was built on war and unstable government. Had this list been around during the time of the American Revolution, it is very likely America would have made the top ten. The important thing is for countries to pull themselves together and overcome whatever obstacle is in their way. It is possible. We are one of the largest examples of this.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/09/failing-nations/draper-text/1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_state
Comments
Excellent job Haley!