Afghanistan is facing the daunting challenge of creating a stable, all inclusive and democratically based government that will be viewed as legitimate among all ethnic, social and religious groups. This will be a great trial for Afghans, who for decades have faced the realities of ethnic fragmentation and its impact on politics, culture and society of Afghanistan. The focus of this thesis will be on ethnic fragmentation, nationalism, and social structure, as they relate to state formation and democratic development. This thesis assumes these concepts are critical for democratic development in societies with multiple ethnic enclaves and multiple ethnic identities. Four former Afghan regimes are examined and used as case studies in this effort. Specifically, these regimes are analyzed in order to determine how each attempted to overcome cleavages within society during the process of state formation. The case study findings are then used prognostically to assess the current attempt to build a democratic Afghanistan. The thesis concludes with an assessment for success of the current Afghan government and presents recommendations for increasing the overall probability for Afghan democratic development and national cohesion.

Thesis Advisor(s): Johnson, Thomas H. ; Second Reader: Doorey, Timothy J. March 2006. Author(s) subject terms: Afghanistan, Afghan, Amanullah Khan, Amir Habibullah Khan, China, Democracy, Democratic Development, Ethnic, Ethnic Conflict, Ethnic Fragmentation, Ethnic Identity, Hamid Karzai, Hazara, Iran, Islam, Jihad, Kabul, Loya Jirga, Muhammad Zahir Shah, Muhammad Daoud Khan, Nation, Nation-State, Nationalism, Pakistan, Pashtun, Pashtunwali, Religion, Russia, Tajik, Taliban, Tribal, Tribe, State, State Formation, Ulema, United State, Uzbek. DTIC Descriptor(s): Societies, Democracy, Afghanistan, Nations, Government (Foreign), Theses, Ethnic Groups, Sociology, Cohesion, Iran, Case Studies, Fragmentation, Islam. DTIC Identifier(s): Taliban, State Formation. US Navy (USN) author.