How is a failed state different from secession?

Answer 1

A 'failed state' is a nation that is unable to survive on its own. It generally refers to a country that collapses economically and politically. A failed state will have little or no central government control over most of its territory, have widespread corruption and poverty, have little internal stability and have little or no basic services provided by the government.

The countries usually terms as failed states include Zimbabwe, Somalia, Chad, Sudan, and Afghanistan, among a few others.

Secession simply means that an area or region has attempted to break away from the central government. This may be successful or unsuccessful depending on how fiercely the mother country tries to keep the breakaway. Secession in America did not work, but the Confederacy was not a 'failed state' in the modern sense, as the central government retained authority to the end and basic governmental functions continued to operate. Secession in Eritrea worked after a nasty war, and Eritrea is on some lists of failed states.