2.3 state auth

Introduction to State Authority Gaps
- The discussion focuses on the prevalence and measurement of state authority across different regions and time periods, utilizing census data error rates, specifically the Myers Index.

Île-de-France Example (1982)
- Figure 1.2 Analysis
- Two sharp discontinuities in the age distribution observed:
  - Discontinuity (ages 60–65): Represents the loss of young men due to World War II.
  - Men in their 20s during the war who would have been in their 60s by 1982.
  - Discontinuity (around age 37): Reflects the postwar baby boom; individuals born in 1945 reaching late 30s to early 40s in 1982.
- Myers Index for Île-de-France: 0.64, indicating minimal age inaccuracy and high degree of state authority.
  - Suggests that existing curves or their discontinuities are not indicators of weak statehood, but rather the noise or dispersion around the distribution implies weaknesses.

Spatial Extent of State Authority
- Proposes examining spatial patterns in state authority among different countries over time.
- Figures 1.3 and 1.4 show state weakness in the Asia-Pacific (1980-89) and Africa (2000-2009) regions measured by census data accuracy (Myers scores).
- Measurement of State Weakness:
  - Greater inaccuracy signifies higher state weakness.
  - Countries with missing data depicted in white, and logged Myers scores used to manage cross-country skew.

Vast differences in state authority levels observed between countries.
Example countries:
- India identified as having worse levels of state authority than China.
- Ethiopia noted to have weaker state authority compared to South Africa.

Myers Index’s Subnational Coverage:
- Allows for examination of within-country governance patterns which broad cross-country comparisons might obscure.
Philippines (1960) as a Case Study:
- Figure 1.5 illustrates state authority across provinces with darker areas indicating higher levels of state weakness.
- Significant clusters of light-colored areas around Manila and other surrounding provinces.
- Dark-colored areas in the south including Sulu and Basilan show low state authority.
  - The southern Mindanao region portrays particular difficulties due to geographic isolation from the main government.

Temporal Variation of State Authority
- Incomplete state consolidation is a persistent issue not limited to specific geopolitical periods.
- Turkey Case Studies:
- Figure 1.6 shows state authority snapshots in Turkey (1975, 1985, 1990, and 2000) indicating progress in state authority.
  - Uneven state authority persists in southeastern Turkey despite overall improvements.
Indonesia’s Governance Evolution (1971-2010):
- Figure 1.7 measures state weakness over time with significant improvements from 1971 (high weakness) to 2010 (expanded governance across the archipelago).
- Unlike Turkey, Indonesia managed to overcome challenges tied to its geographic diversity.

Importance of Governmental Authority:
- Lack of government authority directly correlates with negative human welfare outcomes in several domains: security, health, and education.
- Individuals in ungoverned spaces experience the lack of state authority as a tangible impact on their day-to-day lives.
State's Monopoly of Force:
- Fundamental to a state’s identity.
- States are expected to maintain order by monopolizing the use of force.
- The absence of this monopoly leads to challenges such as competing authorities, highlighting state inefficacy.
- Examples:
  - 1990s Kashmir violence as a rival claims to authority.
  - East African corridor (from Somalia through Mozambique) plagued by conflicts.
Violent Contestation of Authority:
- Areas of incomplete governance often become sites of conflict between state and non-state actors, posing dangers to civilians caught in violence.