Toward Building Somalia's Social Contract : State Affordability, Revenue Mobilization, and Service Delivery in a Nascent Federal State (English)

State building and state legitimacy in the states emerging from fragility are inseparable from the notion of social contract. Social contract is a dynamic agreement between the state and society, delineating mutual roles and responsibilities that are continuously renegotiated based on changing capacities and expectations. It is also understood as an implicit agreement where the state provides security and public goods in exchange for citizens' compliance and support. This concept serves as a framework for understanding how states gain legitimacy, maintain social order, and deliver public goods such as justice, security, and development - supporting an understanding local context and the need for tailored approaches to strengthening the social contract in different contexts. While this volume examines the dynamics of building Somalia's social contract, it does not delve into the nature of the bargaining interfaces but rather explores the outcomes of the social contract, including the state's capacity for revenue mobilization and service delivery through its multiple administrative units. Importantly, it provides information on how the alignment of expectations between the state and society and outcomes has evolved over the past few years.