The discourse on poor state performers has suffered from widely varying definitions on what distinguishes certain weak states from others. Indices that rank states from strong to weak conceal important distinctions that can adversely affect intervention policy. This deficiency is addressed by grouping states according to their performance on three dimensions of statehood: authority, legitimacy, and capacity. The resultant categorization identifies brittle states that are susceptible to regime change, impoverished states often considered as aid darlings, and fragile states that experience disproportionately high levels of violent internal conflict. It also provides a quantifiable means to analyze transitions from one state type to another for more insightful intervention policy.

中文翻译：

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超越强弱状态的分类

关于表现不佳的国家的讨论在区分某些弱国家与其他国家的定义上存在很大差异。将国家从强到弱排列的指数掩盖了可能对干预政策产生不利影响的重要区别。通过根据国家在三个维度上的表现（权威、合法性和能力）对国家进行分组，可以解决这一缺陷。由此产生的分类确定了容易受到政权更迭影响的脆弱国家、通常被视为援助宠儿的贫困国家以及经历不成比例的高度暴力内部冲突的脆弱国家。它还提供了一种可量化的方法来分析从一种状态类型到另一种状态类型的转变，以获得更有洞察力的干预政策。