International Dimensions of Civil War

<p>Although conflict researchers have tended to regard interstate and civil wars as separate phenomena, many internal conflicts display clear international dimensions. The study of civil war has traditionally considered these conflicts domestic phenomena to be explained by the attributes of the country in which the conflict is taking place. However, if civil wars display international dimensions, then attributes of the individual nation state alone may not be sufficient to account for why civil wars break out and how conflicts evolve. Thus, studying civil war without consideration of transnational dimensions may overlook key factors driving behavior. This research project goes beyond what the investigators believe is an overstated distinction between civil and interstate wars, and treats both types of conflict as similar phenomena, where the same causal mechanisms drive behavior, and decisions regarding the use of force are directly influenced by both international and domestic factors. The project reorients the study of civil war away from an emphasis on the characteristics of the nation state and national aggregate measures toward measures at the level of individual actors and their interactions. They treat third parties as an important and distinct strategic actor in the outbreak, duration, and termination of civil wars, and theorize about the ways in which these actors may influence decisions at each stage of the conflict. They expand existing data on civil war with additional information on the attributes of non-state actors, linkages between various types of actors, and linkages to other conflicts or contentious relations. The new information about non-state actors and linkages allows the researchers to empirically test many hypotheses about transnational dimensions of civil war that cannot be assessed directly with existing data sources, such as whether linkages to a mobilized group or groups wielding political power in another state increase the risk of conflict and escalation. With regards to the intellectual merits of the proposed activity, the research project advances our understanding of the transnational dimensions of civil wars, and provides a better basis for understanding the causes of civil wars as well as what strategies might be conducive to curtailing civil violence and its effects. With regards to the broader impact resulting from the proposed activity, the research project promises to impact the larger community in five important ways. First, the collected data will prove useful to many other researchers studying civil wars. Second, the project to contributes to the development of new methodologies for conflict analysis, in particular spatial statistical approaches and event data analysis, that also may prove useful tools for political science researchers outside the field of conflict research. Third, the researchers disseminate the results of the project through publication of articles in peer reviewed journals as well as at least one academic book. Fourth, this project is an important part of the cooperation between the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the new Centre for the Study of Civil War (CSCW) at the International Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Norway. The CSCW has been designated a "Centre of Excellence" with a five-year renewable grant from the Research Council of Norway. The project provides an important contribution to the center's research output Finally, the project has important policy implications as a better understanding of the full range of causes driving civil conflict can help policymakers design more effective policies for the settlement and prevention of civil wars. </p>