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4 - The Historicity of State Formation

Welfare Services in Uganda and Cameroon

from Part I - The Imperial Past and Present in International Politics and IR

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2023

By
Joël Glasman  and
Klaus Schlichte
Edited by
Klaus Schlichte  and
Stephan Stetter
Klaus Schlichte
Affiliation:
Universität Bremen
Stephan Stetter
Affiliation:
Universität der Bundeswehr München
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Summary

This chapter argues against mainstream IR, which tend to only identify deficit of governance in ‘areas of limited statehood’. It presents the results of a structured comparison between Uganda and Cameroon. Taking the historicity of state seriously, the authors argue, brings to the fore that what is usually considered to be recent crisis, has it long roots in the past of how states have been formed. The four features that are highlighted are as follows. First, both Uganda and Cameroon are highly internationalized structures of domination. Second, both polities present a bifurcation inherited form the colonial regime between ‘citizens’ from ‘subjects’ (Mamdani). Third, both states make intensive use of the strategy of ‘discharge – i.e.the delegation of functions to private or semi-private agencies without giving up final control of them’ (Hibou). Fourth ‘power without knowledge’ (Breckenridge) is a central feature of state politics. The chapter ultimately argues against conventional narratives on modern statehood that ignore such important historical imprints.

Keywords

statehoodUgandaCameroonwelfarehistoricity
Type
Chapter
Information
The Historicity of International Politics
Imperialism and the Presence of the Past
 , pp. 84 - 103
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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