Can International Interventions Build States? Evidence from the United Nations Development Programme

"Can International Interventions Build States? Evidence from the United Nations Development Programme" by Annamaria Prati (Washington University in St. Louis)

Abstract:

"Are international interventions successful at state-building? Existing research is inconclusive and presents contradictory arguments about the effectiveness of state-building projects. I take a fresh look at this debate by focusing on one of the largest but under-studied state-building organization in the world: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP provides a crucial test for the power of international interventions: its work with long time horizons, deep financial resources, and broad global presence better situates its projects for success than any organization. Using a new dataset of geolocated UNDP state-building projects and expenditures, I find that UNDP's state-building work is associated with a statistically significant decrease in violence -- overall, by state actors, and by non-state actors. This is consistent with the most optimistic arguments in support of state-building, suggesting that with the right approach international organizations can successfully build states."

Discussants:

Sabrina Karim (Cornell University)

Cyrus Samii (New York University)

OPSC Coordinator:

Chelsea Estancona (University of South Carolina)