GSDRC. (2008). Political economy methodologies for fragile states (Helpdesk Research Report). Birmingham: GSDRC.
This report identifies various political economy approaches and methodologies, including new political economy; institutional economics; drivers of change/politics of development; sustainable livelihoods; and early warning models and conflict analysis.
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Di John, J. (2008). Conceptualising the causes and consequences of failed states: A critical review of the literature (Working Paper No. 25). London: Crisis States Research Centre.
This paper suggests several lenses might be used to develop a sophisticated political economy of conflict in fragile states. These include: (1) Institutional multiplicity: a situation in which different sets of rules of the game coexist in the same territory, putting citizens and economic agents in complex, often unsolvable, situations, but offering them the possibility of switching strategically from one institutional universe to another; (2) State capacity and capability: the abilities and skills of personnel and the organisational culture within the subsystems of the state; (3) ‘Influencing’ or rent-seeking: legal and institutional influencing activities, informal patron-client networks, or corruption; (4) Coalitional analysis: according attention to the shifting constellations of power that underpin formal and informal institutional arrangements; and (5) Divisibility and boundary activation: the creation and activation of boundaries contribute to the escalation of political conflict and violence.
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Collinson, S. (2003). Introduction. In S. Collinson (Ed.) Power, livelihoods and conflict: Case studies in political economy analysis for humanitarian action (ch. 1). London: Overseas Development Institute.
What can political economy analysis contribute to humanitarian aid interventions? How can agencies undertake such analysis in difficult environments? This chapter introduces the findings of a study (2001-2002) of four cases: Afghanistan, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone and the Casamance in Senegal. Political economy analysis is best conducted alongside existing humanitarian operational activities via integration into existing analytical tools.
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Cliffe, L., & Luckham, R. (2000). What happens to the state in conflict? Political analysis as a tool for planning humanitarian assistance. Disasters, 24(4), 291-313.
Peacemaking and humanitarian assistance in complex political emergencies (CPEs) based on a lack of understanding of their political dimensions often result in unintended and even counterproductive outcomes. What is required is analysis grounded in humanitarian principles but based on political realities. This article uses information derived from the COPE programme to illustrate how policy and practice benefit from an awareness of political context. It does so by considering how the problematisation of the state generates violent conflict; how this reshapes or destroys society; the legacies of these conflicts; and suggests that a strategic approach is required for peacebuilding.
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Mezzera, M., & Aftab, S. (2009). Pakistan state-society analysis. Brussels: Initiative for Peacebuilding.
What is the impact of deep structures, formal and informal institutions, and current events on the nature of the state in Pakistan and its relations with society? This report analyses the causes of weak state-society relations in Pakistan and explores the complex power dynamics that underpin them. Despite the bleak picture that emerges, a better understanding of the context can help the international community to engage with Pakistan on a constructive and long-term basis, with the overall objective of supporting genuine democratisation and building substantive citizenship.
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