State’s response to uprising: comparative analysis of state strategies to govern internal crises

Abstract

This qualitative research identifies the patterns of crisis governance in states having crises and conflicting situations. It explores the responses to political uprisings in the states under consideration and what lessons can be drawn from cross-case comparative experiences. This study analyses the American Civil war (1861-65), Tiananmen Square incident (1989) and Ridda Wars (632 A.D.) in Early Islamic Caliphate governance to devise framework that includes the legitimacy and leadership in decision making, narrative building, institutional resilience and other learning outcomes. Findings reveal that crisis governance is more than just using coercion, it requires a balance in decision making that is adapted and taken step by step to create sustainable peace while keeping the state legitimacy intact. This paper offers context specific recommendations for Pakistan and a synthetic framework that will provide a blue print to study crisis administration and public administration resilience in South Asia for future researches.