2014/10/09 by Lise Morjé Howard · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Peacebuilding and International Security #Global Peace and Security Dynamics #Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics #Timor leste #State (computer science) #Language change #Political science #Enforcement #Political economy #Unemployment #Development economics #Economic growth #Sociology #Law #Economics
paper · doi:10.1177/0002716214545308
openalex publication_date 2014/10/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Why do some states transition, with foreign assistance, from “fragile” to “robust”? Scholars in state-building have argued that neotrusteeship is an effective strategy by which external organizations might build postconflict states. This article tests this hypothesis, and two related propositions, in a paired comparison of Kosovo and Timor-Leste. The two states are similar in many respects and both experienced regional peace enforcement operations to end violent conflict, followed by massive neotrusteeship operations. They have had divergent results, however, in postconflict state-building: while the state and economy are gradually becoming stronger in Timor-Leste, the same cannot be said of Kosovo, which continues to be plagued by high unemployment, low growth, corruption, and organized crime. I argue that many of Kosovo’s problems can be traced back to the strategy of dividing international responsibility for neotrusteeship operations.