The Fall of Kabul: A Public Value Perspective

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine Fall of Kabul (2021) through the tools of public value (PV) theory, particularly in terms of PV disvalue and the strategic triangle. It looks at socioeconomic and governance flaws in the public administration of the Ashraf Ghani government, including ethnic underrepresentation, class violence, and rampant corruption; and to frame these through the PV strategic triangle. It then compares this with the challenges faced by the new Taliban regime using the same strategic triangle approach, which sheds light on a different set of PV challenges. The findings of the paper suggest that public disvalue will persist in Afghanistan until the full range of underlying PV problems is addressed by an administration that will represent the values of the public, while also creating value for the public as a whole.