Intrastate Conflict

Question 1

What is intrastate conflict and why is it important?

Answer 1

• Intra more prevalent than interstate war after WWII.
• Can occur between ethnic, social, and economic groups
• no single theory, but relevant variables

Question 2

How does Barry Posen explain intrastate war?

Answer 2

Posen wrote that security dilemma can apply to internal conflict.
“Imperial collapse” –> offensive and defensive weapons are indistinguishable
–> *need nationalist rabble rousing
-wrote of “ethnic islands” and encirclement –> preventive war
-lots of weapons in collapsing states –> power differential

Question 3

How do Collier et al explain ethnic conflict?

Answer 3

• Civil war persists 10x longer than interstate wars. More common. –Where rebellion is feasible, likely to occur”
• factors like terrain, french security guarantee, proportion of young males, mountainous terrain,
• “Rebellion as a quasi-criminal activity”
• rich societies face less risk/income inequality *a main cause/natural resources/criminals adopt discourse of grievances

Question 4

How do Fearon and Laitin explain civil war?

Answer 4

Prevalence of war not just post-Cold War, but ongoing since decolonization left states w/weak inst/mil/econ

• indicators of insurgency are state weakness marked by poverty, large populations, political instability.
• better than ethnic/religious diversity, grievances like economic inequality, lack of democracy or civ liberties, or discrimination against minority religions or languages

Question 5

Apply the three images to intrastate conflict

Answer 5

3rd: instigated by int’l actors (such as intervention); theory it resulted from end of Cold War system; led to US intervening as sole superpower
2nd: ethnicity/nationalism etc used by politicians for support; promoting democracy –> short term instability
1st: leaders manipulate/instill fear into populations

Question 6

How does Kalyvas explain ethnic conflict?

Answer 6

Center v periphery dynamics.

Local actors exploit the master narrative. Violence not tied to the master cleavage. Lots of local violence done in the name of the cause but for local reasons.

Alliance between center and periphery. Local cleavages neglected b/c hard to study

Question 7

How does Esteban et al explain intrastate conflict?

Answer 7

Fractionalization reflects ethnic diversity, but polarization is what is important!

The more groups, the less polarization.

If the sought after goal is public, more polarization. Private, fractionalization.

Question 8

What do Gershenshon and Grossman say about conflict?

Answer 8

Changes in technology of revolution (guns, IEDs, propaganda) make it more feasible.

Lower entry cost for rebels. Cost of violence low.

Question 10

How does Mueller explain ethnic conflict?

Answer 10

Individuals, sadists, and criminals exploit the situation for own ends
—nationalism is overrated/ethnic conflict invented: all opportunism
Claim the cause. 4 step process:
-Takeover
-Carnival
-Revenge
-Occupation/desertion

Question 11

What is the survival and entry constraints?

Answer 11

Paul Collier wrote in “Rebellion as a Quasi-Criminal Activity” that the occurrence of war depends on rebel and government labor forces.

• —–govt always has army, size depends on taxes/threat of rebellion
• survival constraint: if rebel forces cannot organize and finance
• entry threshold: war actually occurs, exceed threshold
• critical threshold: rebels can meet government challenge