After enduring years of conflict and destruction, Timor-Leste has risen from the ashes and, within a short span of time, made remarkable strides toward recovery and reconstruction. It is today a nation well on its way to peace and prosperity, creating an example to be followed by other fragile...

Why do some states, with foreign assistance, transition from 'fragile' to 'robust?' Scholars in state-building have argued that neotrusteeship is an effective strategy by which external organizations might build post-conflict states. This working paper tests this hypothesis, and two related...