The Challenges of State-building: A study of the state-building process in Kosovo

Sammanfattning: After four years of independence, Kosovo continues to face severe social, political and economic challenges that pose several threats to the development and legitimacy of the new state. A field study was carried out in Kosovo in January–March 2012 with the purpose of creating a deeper understanding of the state-building process and test Alan Whaites’s theory of responsive and unresponsive state-building. The theory suggests that there are three dimensions of responsive state-building; political settlements, survival functions and expected functions. To understand whether the state-building in Kosovo can be characterized as responsive or unresponsive, the thesis looks at five distinct areas of the process; the political landscape, democracy and rule of law, economic and social rights, civil society, and the role of the international community. Semi-structured interviews made it possible to study how the state-building is proceeding and the challenges it is facing. Additionally to the empirical findings, various reports and articles have been used to support the outcome of the research.