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A Plague of Initials: Fragmentation, Cohesion, and Infighting in Civil Wars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2012

Kristin M. Bakke ,
Kathleen Gallagher Cunningham  and
Lee J. M. Seymour
Kristin M. Bakke
Affiliation:
University College London. E-mail: kmbakke@ucl.ac.uk
Kathleen Gallagher Cunningham
Affiliation:
University of Maryland and Peace Research Oslo Institute
Lee J. M. Seymour
Affiliation:
Institute of Political Science atLeiden University, the Netherlands E-mail: seymourljm@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
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Abstract

How do we conceptualize the fragmentation of internally divided movements? And how does variation in fragmentation affect the probability and patterns of infighting? The internal politics of non-state groups have received increasing attention, with recent research demonstrating the importance of cohesion and fragmentation for understanding conflict dynamics. Yet there is little consensus on how to conceptualize fragmentation, the concept at the center of this agenda, with authors using different definitions and measures. In this paper we conceptualize fragmentation along three constitutive dimensions: the number of organizations in the movement; the degree of institutionalization across these organizations; and the distribution of power among them. We then show how variation across these dimensions can explain variation in important conflict processes, focusing on infighting.

Type
Research Article
Information
Perspectives on Politics , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 2012 , pp. 265 - 283
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2012

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