Welcome to Democracy & Society, a publication of the Center for Democracy and Civil Society. This publication is intended to be a venue for the exchange of ideas about crucial issues relating to democracy and civil society, and an outlet for contributions from faculty and students both at Georgetown and from other institutions.

Download the current issue: Spring, 2008

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Call for Submissions

Democracy & Society
Volume 6, Issue 1
"Fragile States, U.S. Foreign Policy, and the Next Administration"

We are seeking well-written, interesting submissions of 800-2,000 words on the themes below. Submissions for the issue are due Friday, September 28, 2008.

From Africa, to the Middle East, to Asia, problems of state fragility have become an increasing focus of U.S. foreign policy. Fragile states can become the sources and sanctuaries for terrorists. These states are also vulnerable to civil conflicts which typically cause death, displacement, and destruction of national assets. Such conflicts often spread to neighboring countries, creating regional security and humanitarian crises.

Thus far, the response to state fragility and failure has been through post-conflict stabilization and “nation building” efforts on the part of foreign governments and international organizations to reconstitute the institutions of the state, usually beginning with democratic elections. The U.S. government, in particular, has begun to organize itself to engage more systematically in nation building with the creation of offices and programs in the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and, to a lesser extent, the Agency for International Development. The perceived failure of U.S. attempts at nation building in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, has made the concept controversial. At the same time, many of these countries are strategically important to the U.S. because they possess natural resources (e.g., Nigeria), hold nuclear weapons (e.g., Pakistan), and/or are located in regions that are strategically important to the U.S. (e.g., Lebanon). Consequently, the important question for the next administration is not whether to engage these countries but which ones and how.

This issue of Democracy and Society will analyze U.S. policy options in addressing the challenges of state fragility. We are interested in examining these subjects from the point of view of the U.S. and its allies as well as from the perspective of fragile states. We also welcome submissions that explore how international governmental organizations can influence these policies. Further, we are interested in writings that examine the mistakes and successes of previous attempts by the U.S. and other countries to strengthen failed states.

Please email submissions (MS Word preferred) to cdats06@ gmail.com. APSA-formatted endnotes preferred. Please include your name, department or organization, title, and contact information.

For additional information, please contact us at cdats06@gmail.com.