In this commentary on the Failed States Index (FSI), I will briefly examine the political and economic decline in Yemen that threatens the very foundations of the state.
Consider, Yemen's ranking on the FSI from 2007, when the Fund for Peace (http://www.fundforpeace.org) settled on scoring 177 countries. The FSI ranks countries based on several indicators, including demographic pressure, economic distribution between groups, and ability to provide basic government services.
|
Year |
Rank (out of 177 countries) |
|
2007 |
24th |
|
2008 |
21st |
|
2009 |
18th |
|
2010 |
15th |
Since 2007, Yemen's institutions have demonstrably declined in their ability to function properly. Unlike some countries that fell in the ranking as a result of the consolidation and (at least partial) improvement in governance, Yemen continues to plummet in the ranking. It's hard to imagine Yemen falling much further, though it's important to consider its neighbour to the South, across the Gulf of Aden: Somalia.
So why has Yemen declined? In large part, I think state neglect has played a large role, though Yemen never had much a central state to begin with. I think four possible factors merit mention:
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