Although long a component of U.S. foreign policy, strengthening weak and failing states has increasingly emerged as a high-priority U.S. national security goal since the end of the Cold War. Numerous U.S. government documents point to several threats emanating from states that are variously described as weak, fragile, vulnerable, failing, precarious, failed, in crisis, or collapsed. This book provides the definitions of weak states and describes the links between weak states, U.S. national security, and development challenges. Also explored are the recent key U.S. programs and initiatives designed to address threats emanating from weak states and the relevant issues that U.S. policy toward these states that Congress may consider.