The Empty State
Governing the Voids in a Projected Conflict‐Torn Yemen
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6445481 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Moosa Elayah (0000-0002-8396-677X, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Politics & Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1555-5623 • E-ISSN: 1747-1346 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/polp.70088 |
| OpenAlex | W4415386140 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 35 |
This study introduces the concept of the “Empty State” to explain a form of state dysfunction in Yemen, where state institutions exist but are stripped of their governance authority. While frameworks on fragile or failed states emphasize the weakness or collapse of state capacity, the Empty State highlights the persistence of symbolic institutions that project authority but are run by informal networks, ideology, and external actors. Unlike the “institutional void” or “shadow state” models, the Empty State captures the coexistence of institutional form and functional absence. Institutions are hollow and strategically preserved to simulate legitimacy and sovereignty. This framework is grounded in a qualitative study of 40 interviews with government, civil society, and tribal leaders. Findings reveal two governance patterns: centralized yet ideologically hollow rule in the North, and fragmented, externally influenced administration in the South. These patterns exemplify the Empty State and challenge linear models of fragility and collapse. Related Articles Aboelwafa, Tarek, and Abdulfattah Yaghi. 2024. “Parliamentary Questions, Institutional Change, and Legislative Oversight in a Non‐Western Context.” Politics and Policy 52(2): 365–383. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12593 . Jouini, Nizar, and Manel Ben Akal. 2022. “Political Consensus, Economic Reforms, and Democratic Transitions in the Middle East: Evidence From Voting on Tunisian Reform Bills.” Politics and Policy 50(4): 851–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12489 . Ali, Hamid E., and Shahjahan Bhuiyan. 2022. “Governance, Natural Resources Rent, and Infrastructure Development: Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa.” Politics and Policy 50(2): 408–440. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12451
International Law and Human Rights · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts
Violence, Fragmented Sovereignty, and Declining State Capacity
In the Shadow of Power
Irregular Armed Forces and their Role in Politics and State Formation
Understanding Institutional Weakness
Informal Institutions and Comparative Politics
Yemen's humanitarian collaboration during conflict
National dialogues as an interruption of civil war – the case of Yemen
Failed States’ and ‘State Failure’
Failed states or a failed paradigm? State capacity and the limits of institutionalism
Differential citizenship in the shadow state
The shadow banning controversy
Policy without polity? Policy analysis and the institutional void
State-building
Memories of State
Fragile and failed states
Governance
The Strength of Weak States? Non-State Security Forces and Hybrid Governance in Africa
Debating the Yemen conflict
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |