Investigating the Reasons for the Failure of the Afghan Government’s Economic Policies to Combat Poverty and Inequality during the Republic Period (2001–2021)

Abstract

This study, entitled “Investigating the Reasons for the Failure of the Afghan Government’s Economic Policies to Combat Poverty and Inequality during the Republic Period (2001–2021),” was conducted with the aim of analyzing the factors contributing to the failure of Afghanistan’s economic policies in reducing poverty and inequality. Following 2001, the Afghan government, with extensive support from the international community, implemented numerous programs in the areas of economic reconstruction, infrastructure development, fiscal and monetary reforms, employment generation, and poverty reduction. However, despite the large-scale utilization of foreign assistance, poverty, unemployment, and social inequality remained widespread throughout the country. The central research question is why the Afghan government’s economic policies during the Republic period failed to achieve meaningful success in reducing poverty and inequality. The main hypothesis of the study is that weak governmental institutions, administrative corruption, security challenges, and dependence on foreign aid were among the most significant factors behind the failure of these policies. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining library-based and field-based methods. In the theoretical section, data were collected from scholarly sources, books, academic articles, and reliable documents. In the field section, information was gathered through questionnaires and interviews with master’s degree students and faculty members of the Police Academy. The field data were analyzed using SPSS software. The findings indicate that limited institutional capacity, the expansion of administrative corruption, insecurity, and the structural dependence of the economy on foreign aid significantly reduced the effectiveness of economic policies and contributed to the persistence of poverty and inequality in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the lack of coordination among implementing institutions and weaknesses in economic governance hindered the achievement of sustainable development and the equitable distribution of economic opportunities.