Paper short abstract:

This paper argues that public authority emerges out of a complex set of practices and material engagements. It draws from case study material of local governance in five Districts of Nepal to show that new state forms are emerging.

Paper long abstract:

This paper argues that public authority emerges out of a complex set of practices and material engagements. It draws from case study material of local governance in five Districts of Nepal and places these findings within an analysis of national political processes. The so-called political 'transition' in Nepal following the end of violent civil war ('Maoist People's War' 1996-2006) has been fraught with political infighting and a vacuum of power at the local level. While many have decried the 'state un-building' occurring as a result of messy transitional politics, we argue that a new state is emerging precisely from these dynamics. Rather than dismantling the Nepali state, present practices are legitimating relationships and a logic of rule that are based on compromise, patronage, intimidation, violence and entitlement. While none of these practices are new, a wider set of actors is claiming the right for representation through patronage and violence. By focusing on local level governance in five districts in Nepal and how governance articulates with various development efforts and wider changes in the political economy, we show that new state forms are emerging. These forms of public authority are unlikely to be significantly unsettled by the long awaited elections and approval of a new Constitution.