Development and the State in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive analysis of the state's role in contemporary development. The book examines the challenges that states face in the developing world - from lasting poverty and political instability to disease and natural disasters - and explores the ways in which states can build capacity to surmount these challenges. It takes seriously the role that state institutions can play in development while also looking at what institutional reform entails and why this reform is critical for policy recommendations to work. This analysis is set in the context of the evolution of both development practice and development theory. Chapters are organized around the key issues in the field and deploy a wide range of examples from different countries. A range of case studies throughout the text demonstrate the variety of problems development practitioners face and the key theoretical debates surrounding the subject. This text will be particularly useful to students of development and politics who wish to understand how governance and state-building can improve countries' economic performance and end cycles of poverty.

What do we mean by failed states and why is this concept important to study? The "failed states" literature is important because it aims to understand how state institutions (or lack thereof) impact conflict, crime, coups, terrorism and economic performance. In spite of this objective, the "failed state" literature has not focused enough on how institutions operate in the developing world. This book unpacks the state, by examining the administrative, security, judicial and political institutions separately. By doing so, the book offers a more comprehensive and clear picture of how the state functions or does not function in the developing world, merging the failed state and institutionalist literatures. Rather than merely describing states in crisis, this book explains how and why different types of institutions deteriorate. Moreover, the book illustrates the impact that institutional decay has on political instability and poverty using examples not only from Africa but from all around the world.

What do we mean by failed states and why is this concept important to study? The "failed states" literature is important because it aims to understand how state institutions (or lack thereof) impact conflict, crime, coups, terrorism and economic performance. In spite of this objective, the "failed state" literature has not focused enough on how institutions operate in the developing world. This book unpacks the state, by examining the administrative, security, judicial and political institutions separately. By doing so, the book offers a more comprehensive and clear picture of how the state functions or does not function in the developing world, merging the failed state and institutionalist literatures. Rather than merely describing states in crisis, this book explains how and why different types of institutions deteriorate. Moreover, the book illustrates the impact that institutional decay has on political instability and poverty using examples not only from Africa but from all around the world.

"Dictators and Dictatorships" is a qualitative enquiry into the politics of authoritarian regimes. It argues that political outcomes in dictatorships are largely a product of leader-elite relations. Differences in the internal structure of dictatorships affect the dynamics of this relationship. This book shows how dictatorships differ from one another and the implications of these differences for political outcomes. In particular, it examines political processes in personalist, military, single-party, monarchic, and hybrid regimes.The aim of the book is to provide a clear definition of what dictatorship means, how authoritarian politics works, and what the political consequences of dictatorship are. It discusses how authoritarianism influences a range of political outcomes, such as economic performance, international conflict, and leader and regime durability.Numerous case studies from around the world support the theory and research presented to foster a better understanding of the inner workings of authoritarian regimes. By combining theory with concrete political situations, the book will appeal to undergraduate students in comparative politics, international relations, authoritarian politics, and democratization.