Avoiding Praetorian Societies: Focusing U.S. Strategy on Political Development - Arab Spring, Polyarchy, Closed Hegemonies, Kleptocracy, Social Capital, Political Stability Model

The impact of fragile states upon global peace and stability has perhaps never been more apparent than during the early 21st century. The initial limited campaigns of Afghanistan and Iraq became the largest American stability and reconstruction campaigns since World War II, and led directly to the resurgence of counterinsurgency (COIN), stability and reconstruction operations as key facets of American strategy, impacting every dimension of the military's DOTMLPF. With American withdrawal from Iraq, the ongoing ramp down in Afghanistan, and the constrained fiscal environment, many strategic leaders and policy makers believe that the United States should curtail its involvement in such activities. The Defense Strategic Guidance of January, 2012 reflects this by stating, "U.S. forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability operations." However, threats and challenges associated with fragile states and ungoverned spaces remain. In Avoiding Praetorian Societies, LTC Bruce Ferrell proposes a new lens for viewing the challenges of fragile states and offers innovative adjustments to U.S. doctrine, strategic approaches and operational/tactical methods that can be feasibly executed in the contemporary constrained strategic environment.