Early research on wartime violence against civilians highlighted a distinction between macro-
and micro-level approaches. Macro-level approaches, grounded in the international …

Theories of civil war usually theorize the choices of civilians and combatants without
considering the institutional context in which they interact. Despite common depictions of …

In informal urban areas throughout the developing world, and even in some US and UK
neighborhoods, tens if not hundreds of millions of people live under some form of criminal …

" In the most widely-accepted minimalist definition, democracy is conceived as a governance
system in which citizens select their representatives through competitive elections and …

What are the different political institutions rebels create to engage captive civilian
populations, and how do they arrive at distinct political arrangements? Rebel-controlled …

Over the last decade, organized criminal violence has reached unprecedented levels and
has caused as much violent death globally as direct armed conflict. Nonetheless, the study …

How important is ideology for the analysis of civil war? In contrast to literature that neglects
ideology in its emphasis on structural variables or situational incentives, this article argues …

Criminal groups govern millions worldwide. Even in strong states, gangs resolve disputes
and provide security. Why do these duopolies of coercion emerge? Often, gangs fill …

To leverage the full range of observed variation in patterns of violence toward the
development and testing of theories of political violence, scholars need adequate …

Democracy and Displacement in Colombia's Civil War is one of few books available in
English to provide an overview of the Colombian civil war and drug war. Abbey Steele draws …