The main goal of the book is to establish a theory that helps explain the most effective way for state building and peace building in a state post-conflict. Sisk achieves this by focusing on three main subtexts: authority, capacity, and legitimacy. Sisk theorizes that a state that is strong in all three categories has a higher chance of being successful and also has a higher chance of becoming a democracy. He also theorizes that states that are weak in these categories are classified as fragile states and have a higher chance of relapsing back into another conflict. To Sisk, state building must be done through democratic processes to be truly effective. An example would be his emphasis on the importance of elections. This democratic process, to Sisk, helps a state establish strong legitimacy. He also discusses how organizations like the United Nations need to spend more time in developing states post-conflict to help with capacity. He mentions how if a state can’t achieve capacity in their governments, thy are likely to backslide into another conflict. It is during this time that Sisk also talks about not rushing the electoral process as it needs to be established legitimately and will most likely take a long time due to division among conflict lines.

Sisk also brings up fragile states and how each state is categorized on a case-by-case basis. While a state may be weak on the three categories Sisk presents, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it does not have a chance to rebuild. To Sisk, each state has their own path, and when outside entities like the UN and NGO’s come to help, it is important not to assume that one size fits all when it comes to state building. Sisk’s three categories are guidelines when it comes to state and peace building, but they are broad topics that can be adjusted depending on the state.