Legacy of Brutality: How Low-Level Political Violence Evolves into Civil War

• In Event: Growth of Militant Groups and Escalation into Civil Wars

Brief Overview

Why do some contentious interactions evolve into civil war while others do not? I argue that the decision-making for both belligerents reside in a focus on survival. Dissidents look to regime repression while regimes focus on institutional survival.

Author

• Jeremy R. Backstrom, Widener University