Devolving the Monopoly on Violence: the Security Implications of the Transfer of State Functions to Traditional Institutions

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Alexander De Juan
• Subject Area: Political Science
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 532401382

For many people around the globe, the promises of the ‘Weberian state’ have not materialized. They live in contexts in which the state is unable to uphold a monopoly on violence – because formal state institutions are absent, corrupt or a source of insecurity themselves. Nonetheless, academic and policy debates on “fragile” contexts remain largely state-centric, seeing the absence of the state as a source of violence and its expansion as the most promising remedy. In some of the most insecure areas, states and citizens have turned to alternative solutions: in Somalia, clan-based systems of conflict management have assumed responsibility for maintaining order. In the light of the weakness of the central Afghan state, traditional councils and tribal militias have been providing security in rural areas. Confronted with excessive criminal violence, communities in southern Mexico have made use of their right to replace formal state institutions with customary systems of governance and security provision. These conflict-affected states have been trying to establish security not through the expansion of state institutions but through their selective retreat. They devolve core functions in justice and security to communal institutions that draw on tradition and local customs for legitimation (in the following simply: “traditional institutions”). This process entails a fundamental reconfiguration of the tripartite relationships between the state, traditional institutions and citizens. Thus far, however, we lack a clear understanding of the consequences of this process: How does the devolution of state functions affect citizens’ security in areas governed by customary arrangements? What are the conditions, features and mechanisms of successful devolution? Our project aims to contribute to addressing these gaps. Our qualitative and quantitative analyses focus on the case of Mexico, leveraging a unique opportunity to investigate an ongoing process of devolution of state functions to traditional institutions. Substantive spatio-temporal variation in structural conditions and legal provisions allows us to investigate the role of contexts and features of devolution. Observing this process as it unfolds, allows us to trace the mechanisms driving its effects. Our analyses build on an international cooperation with Stanford University and four “Intercultural Universities” in Mexico. The results promise to advance our understanding of the dynamics and effects of varying institutional configurations in contexts of insecurity. Moreover, they can inform peacebuilding strategies beyond the dominant state-centred paradigm.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Alberto Diaz-Cayeros, Ph.D.; Professorin Beatriz Magaloni Kerpel, Ph.D.