Martin Malek

Historically, states were wiped off the map by military conquest, by splitting into several new states, or, conversely, by merging with other states. But in the second half of the 20th century, a distinctive phenomenon emerged: the extensive destruction of state institutions (as well as that of society in general) resulting from incessant internal disruption (e.g., secession movements), commonly referred to as “state failure.” Malek Martin has developed 13 categories for analysing this extremely significant phenomenon. At the core, as the basis for all the others, is the state monopoly on the use of physical force, as outlined by the German sociologist Max Weber. The other categories are: the sovereignty of the state; the quality of its democracy; the legitimacy of the state and its citizens’ loyalty; security; state control of the territory; state control of its borders; the effectiveness of institutions, infrastructure, and bureaucracy; access to means of physical violence; corruption/crime; legal order; economy; demographic changes. Malek compares former Soviet republics using statistics from respected institutions (from the World Bank to Transparency International and Reporters Without Borders). In addition, this project conducts case studies of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan—all countries which have been affected by state weakness and separatism.