Dissertation
PATHWAYS TO COOPERATION: A RELATIONAL THEORY OF REBEL ALLIANCE FORMATION
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
05/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006540
Abstract
Why do some rebel organizations initiate a united front while others confine themselves to a loose partnership? Existing research on armed movements suggests that insurgents should quickly leave cooperative agreements when doing so will provide particular advantages in a post-conflict setting. Still, rebels often build diverse alliances, ranging from joint attacks to shared command structures. If rebel groups are indeed purely pragmatic entities, why would they tie themselves to a partnership that hinders their ability to defect quickly? In this dissertation, I argue that three relational factors shape how insurgents cooperate: a) rebel-civilian relations (overlapping civilian support), b) inter-rebel relations (shared allies), and c) rebel-sponsor relations (common external patrons). Militant groups connected through these social networks will more likely facilitate united armed opposition thanks to shared channels of trust and reciprocity. Developing a new dyadic dataset, I find support that sharing allies or civilian support is positively correlated with forming a united front. Yet, state sponsorship does not produce similar results.
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Details
- Title
- PATHWAYS TO COOPERATION
- Creators
- Sedef Asli Topal
- Contributors
- Jacob S. Lewis (Chair)Thomas Preston (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School ofAnthony C. Lopez (Committee Member)Tricia Bacon (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 186
- Identifiers
- 99901121437101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation