States: Strong-Weak-Failed-Collapsed

What factors cause a state to be considered failed?

          - The term failed state is often used by political commentators and journalists to describe a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government. In order to make this definition more precise, the following attributes are often used to characterize a failed state:

1) loss of control of its territory, or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical                      force therein,

2) erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions,

3) not able to provide public services,

4) not able to interact with other states as a full member of the international community.

The failed nation is characterized by social, political, and/or economic failure.

How does a collapsed state look like?
          - Rwanda, as the example of collapsed state, wasn't controlled by the government. The Ghost of Rwanda, the documentary that shows the total collision of the government shows the international community's shameful reaction to the genocide. The film is a complete historical and political issues in Rwanda, but especially the video shows extreme collision of the government. The president of Rwanda cannot control the state, whereas the physical force flourish in the village which led to the genocide. The president lost his legitimacy of controlling the state, so the external force, the United Nations, should've interrupt the case of Rwanda. However, it was even harder for the UN to control the chaos of Rwanda, the complete collapsed state.

JJ's Awesome Homework

News - North Korean defector stands for South Korean election
Link -  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/10/world/asia/north-korea-defector/index.html?hpt=hp_c1   

News Summary - Cho Myung Chul, the defector hopes to become first North Korean in South Korean parliament. He also defects from the North and wants to help the South form a better Pyongyang policy. South Koreans head to the polls on Wednesday for parliamentary elections.

What type of legitimacy does the leadership of this country represent? Explain.

           - North Korea has the legitimacy type of traditional legitimacy. Traditional legitimacy is built by habit and custom over time, stressing history and usually it is highly institutionalized. However, in modern days in North Korea, citizens started distrust the leadership. However, they couldn't show their mind because the citizens are not allowed to say out loud about their opinion towards the leadership.

Is this state considered a strong state or a weak state? Why?

           - Even though North Korea contains a traditional legitimacy and should be highly institutionalized, North Korea is concerned as weak state. This is because state officials themselves, having little faith in their office or responsibilities, use their jobs simply to fill their own pockets through corruption and theft. In turn, economic  development is much lower as a result of this unstable political environment. In general, a weak state is not well institutionalized and lacks authority and legitimacy, which is like the modern days in North Korea.

Is the power in this state centralized or decentralized? Why?

           - North Korea is definitely a highly centralized state and it is because of the previous leaders that were control the country by their own beliefs and ideas, not considering the other branches of the state.

What type of capacity does this state have? Explain your answer.

           - North Korea has high capacity with high autonomy. This is because North Korea is able to fulfill basic tasks, and also the power is highly centralized.