Afghanistan: State-Building on Shaky Grounds

Why did Afghanistan’s state-building efforts after 2001 fail to establish stable and inclusive institutions? This study examines how historical legacies shaped and interacted with the institutional design of the 2004 constitution. Focusing on presidentialism, centralized governance and the SNTV electoral system, it combines constitutional analysis, historical institutionalism, comparative theory and original qualitative research. It argues that these arrangements were insufficiently attuned to Afghanistan’s plural and divided society and contributed to the weakening of political legitimacy and democratic stability. The investigation draws broader lessons for constitutional design and state-building in divided and post-conflict societies.