TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2002//
TI  - State fragmentation: toward a theoretical understanding of the territorial power of the state
JO  - Sociological theory
A1  - Li, Jieli
SP  - 139
EP  - 156
VL  - 20
IS  - 2
N2  - In existing theories of revolution, the state is narrowly defined as an administrative entity, and state breakdown simply refers to the disintegration of a given political regime. But this narrow definition cannot deal with this question: Why, in a revolutionary situation, do some states become fragmented and others remain unified? I would therefore argue for the broadening of the concept of state breakdown to include the territorial power of the state and to treat the latter as a key analytical dimension in the study of state fragmentation. The dynamics of territorial state power involve the control of critical territories and valuable resources associated with the spatial position of a given state in the interstate system. A strong territorial state is able to maintain its organizational coerciveness and territorial integrity, whereas a weak territorial state is vulnerable to fragmentation. The overall state crisis derives from the accumulated effects of geopolitical strain by which territorial fragmentation unfolds.<p /> <p>Language: en</p> 
LA  - en
SN  - 0735-2751
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9558.00156
ID  - ref1
ER  -