Justice Provision and Legitimacy: Evidence from Taliban Courts in Afghanistan

• In Event: The Implications of Rebel Governance

Abstract

From 2011 to 2013 the Afghan Taliban extended mobile courts throughout a substantial portion of southern Afghanistan, directly competing with the Afghan government's formal justice system. Anecdotal evidence from scholars and journalists suggest that these courts are viewed by the populace as more efficient and less corrupt than the formal alternative, leading to improved perceptions of legitimacy of Taliban governance. In this paper we use new data on the expansion and operation of these informal courts to investigate how the Taliban strategically deployed public goods provision to undermine foreign forces and the Afghan government. We then explore to what extent this kind of service provision changes public attitudes about the Taliban, the Afghan government and prospects for peace.

Authors

• Austin L. Wright, University of Chicago

• Renard J Sexton, Emory University