Establishing Favorable Political Conditions

An important objective of stabilization and reconstruction (S&R) is to support the formation of an effective government that is responsive to the concerns of its citizens. Generically, a government is a system of social control for establishing and enforcing laws. A country’s government usually has national, regional, and local layers. Huge variations exist across countries with regard to what functions are performed by which layer(s) of government. Governments also vary in terms of their structure, character, and basis of legitimacy. And, of course, they vary in their competence. Modern country-level governments (national governments) are typically expected to provide security from