Policymakers worry that “ungoverned spaces” pose dangers to security and development. Why do such spaces exist beyond the authority of the state? In a new book, Melissa M. Lee argues that foreign subversion undermines state authority and promotes ungoverned space.

In this episode, Lee discusses the findings from her book, “Crippling Leviathan: How Foreign Subversion Weakens the State,” published by Cornell University Press. Lee is an assistant professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. She specializes in the international and domestic politics of statebuilding and state capacity.

Endnotes is a series produced by WooCast, the podcast enterprise of the Woodrow Wilson School. You can subscribe here and listen on SoundCloud.