Recent events around the world, marked by the undermining of democracy, restriction of civil liberties, suppression of public opinion and denial of basic rights guaranteed by the United Nations and Geneva Conventions, have raised global concern. This calls for a closer examination of why some nations fail and remain perpetually poor and politically unstable. Signs of failing or falling states include weak central governments unable to control territory or provide services, economic decline, mass corruption, internal conflict, human rights abuses, displacement of populations, loss of public trust and breakdowns in infrastructure and trade—all eroding state legitimacy and security. A failed state is one that cannot fulfill fundamental security and development functions or maintain effective control over its territory, often resulting in corruption, criminality, population displacement and external interventions.

The term “failed state” originated in the 1990s, particularly in the context of Somalia’s turmoil after the overthrow of its dictator Siad Barre in 1991. The phrase gained prominence during the American-led intervention in Somalia in 1992. It was used to express concerns about the potential collapse of poor states into chaotic anarchy after the end of the Cold War, as highlighted by Robert Kaplan’s depiction of chaos in Liberia and Sierra Leone and his warning of a “coming anarchy” in various global regions.

According to the political theories of Max Weber, a state is defined as........

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