The Iraqi state's legitimacy deficit
Input, output and identity‐based legitimacy challenges
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21793100 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jacob Eriksson (0000-0003-0124-7219, University of York, corresponding author), Isaac Grief (0000-0002-6831-9195, University of York) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 363-372 |
| Publication date | 2023-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Global Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1758-5880 • E-ISSN: 1758-5899 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1758-5899.13208 |
| OpenAlex | W4377157381 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
This article analyses the nature of the legitimacy deficits of the post‐2003 Iraqi state and the grounds upon which alternative political orders have been proposed. The theoretical framework groups possible changes into three types: redistribution, regime change and secession. Empirically, the article illustrates these dynamics through two contemporary challenges to the Iraqi state: the Islamic State of Iraq and al‐Sham (ISIS), and the Tishreen protest movement. The intention is not to compare and contrast the two, as they are widely divergent types of alternative orders, but rather to reflect on the nature of their grievances against the Iraqi state, and the role of identity in shaping their alternative visions. The article argues that identity is key to understanding both the perceived legitimacy failures of the state and the political alternatives proposed, but also efforts by the political elite to delegitimise these challenges to the state. Finally, the Iraqi case demonstrates that the role of identity in legitimation is fluid and contingent rather than static and deterministic, with the salience of different identities shifting over time and being affected by other forms of legitimacy
Economics · Elite · Law and economics · Legitimacy · Legitimation · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics · Psychology
The Theory of Multi-level Governance
Warlord Politics and African States
Navigating Inclusion in Transitions from Conflict
Understanding 'Sectarianism'
The Origins of Isis
Peacebuilding in Postconflict Societies
The Isis apocalypse
Ethnicity without groups
Exploring Takfir, Its Origins and Contemporary Use
Isis
Isis in Their Own Words
The Failure of Peacebuilding in Iraq
When the Virtuous Circle Unravels
Virtuous or Vicious Circle? Governance Effectiveness and Legitimacy in Areas of Limited Statehood
Ethnicity, federalism and the idea of sectarian citizenship in Iraq
Peace and the Formation of Political Order
The fallacy of constructing hybrid political orders
Sectarian Relations in Arab Iraq
Mosul Under Isis
Building a Republican Peace
The Unraveling of Iraq
Degrees of legitimacy
The Fallacy of the 'Failed State
State and society in Iraq ten years after regime change
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |