Migdal- Theory

Migdal seeks to answer why some third world countries have developed more successfully than others and does so by using the structuralist approach. When looking at the structure of the state, Migdal hypothesizes that there is a causal relationship between the strength of a state and how social control in exercised in the state.

One main topic Migdal mentions when discussing the strength of a state is what the state’s capabilities are. This describes a state’s ability to penetrate society, regulate social relationships, extract resources, and appropriate resources effectively. States with higher social control have better capabilities and make them stronger states. On the other hand, states with fragmentized social control have weaker capabilities and are weaker states.

Migdal also believes that colonialism plays a factor into how strong a state is. He states that colonialism introduced fragmentized social control when these states became independent. This is because the British favored the strongmen rather than indigenous leaders. However, he also states that colonialism is not a necessary factor for fragmentized social control. Other factors, including mass migration, can play a role as well.

For weaker states that have fragmented social control, they go through the politics of survival and have to balance power with strongmen to maintain peace and stability. Migdal does mention that if weaker states can gain more social control, they can move towards becoming a stronger state. This means increasing social participation, compliance, and legitimization. The redistribution of power can only occur when a state is weakened.