shadow state
A system of governance in which a form of parallel government is established by a coalition of domestic leaders, local intermediaries, and foreign companies, such that the formal apparatus of the state is not where real power lies. The shadow state is characterized by the presence of private armies, the corrupt distribution of state contracts, and the centrality of private personal networks. The term was popularized in the African context by William Reno, who used it in his book ... ...
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