Working Paper Number
137
Publication Date
2007
Abstract
The need to build legitimate and capable states in wartorn societies is now widely recognized. The Principles for Good International Engagement in Fragile States, adopted by the development ministers of major donor countries in march 2005, declares that statebuilding is ‘the central objective.’ This represents a striking break from the prevailing wisdom in the closing decades of the 20th century, when the state was widely regarded as the problem. The state has been rediscovered: it is now invoked as the solution. The policy rhetoric has changed from downsizing states to building state capacity. Yet little systematic work has been done on what the international community can and should do to strengthen the capacities of post-war states to mobilize, allocate, and spend public resources. This policy paper series, jointly published by the Center on International Cooperation (CIC) at new York University and the political economy research Institute (perI) at the University of massachusetts, amherst, seeks to redress this gap by presenting innovative policy proposals targeting critical issues in postwar public finance.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/1282723