ABSTRACT
While Iraq is a country with ample oil, water, and fertile land, it has also had the worst governance in the region. The most obvious sign is the never-ending series of wars: civil war with Kurds 1961–1975; war with Iran 1980–1988; invasion of Kuwait and sanctions 1990–2002; and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and insurgency-cum-civil-war. In addition, for decades, Iraq has been plagued even during peacetime by administrative inefficiency, overambitious plans, and political disputes that stand in the way of development projects—and these same factors continue to hold back growth post–Saddam Hussein. The story of Iraq is a lesson in how little can be accomplished in the face of ineffective governance.
