Prerequisites for a
            development-oriented state in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This paper analyzes the enormous
            obstacles that the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces in
            forming a stable, development-oriented state. No government
            could design, implement, and finance a development program
            for the country without coordinated analytical and financial
            support from the international community. And such support
            can be successful only if a powerful post reform coalition
            emerges that has a stake in maintaining the reforms. Torn by
            civil war for years, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
            (formerly Zaire) has been in severe economic and political
            crisis. It lacks the prerequisites for a stable,
            development-oriented state: a sound fiscal base,
            revenue-generating ability, administrative capabilities, a
            monopoly over the means of coercion, and representative
            institutions that facilitate bargaining and decisionmaking
            about development strategies, policies, and programs. The
            authors examine the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the
            Congo in light of the growing literature on the formation of
            states. They show that the country has many material
            features that have characterized coercion-intensive
            societies stuck in adverse policy traps. These include low
            population density, poor infrastructure, dominance of the
            mining sector, and an underdeveloped private sector and
            capitalist class. There are no truly national pressure
            groups with common economic interests. The administrative
            and bureaucratic apparatus is patrimonial, centralized, and
            poorly qualified. The prerequisites of stable,
            development-oriented decision-making-bargaining among
            equally powerful groups can therefore not emerge. Any
            coalition wanting to promote the emergence of a
            development-oriented state would therefore be dependent on
            continual, coordinated, long-term financial and policy
            support from the international community to build the
            central preconditions for a stable, growth-oriented state.
            Such a strategy, the authors say, must be based on social
            peace, the development of free markets (both urban and
            rural), a capitalist class, decentralization of government,
            and the strengthening of countervailing civic organizations
            at all levels. Institutions for representation and
            mechanisms for accountability will not function unless
            independent pressure groups emerge to counterbalance
            coercive state tendencies, as well as one another's
            tendencies to build and abuse power. These include labor
            unions, farmers organizations, and other national interest
            groups that can cut across regional and tribal affiliations.
            The authors use the framework they develop to propose
            priorities for a future government and the associated
            external support.