Deinstitutionalization of the State and Privatization of Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper critically examines the neo-institutional approach to development, focusing on the historical processes of state formation and colonization in Africa. It argues that the neo-institutionalist perspective, which attributes violence as a deterrent to development and links conflict with state collapse, is overly simplistic. International organizations, influenced by this literature, support state-building initiatives without considering the important interactions between modes of production, institutions, and the configuration of the State on the continent. By applying post-colonial theory and Foucault's concept of governmentality, this study analyzes key elements such as sovereignty, taxation, and violence in the institutionalization of the State. The paper concludes with a discussion on the recent trends of state deinstitutionalization and privatization of coercive means, echoing the global trends of market deregulation and capital movement.