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Rebel Territorial Control and Civilian Collective Action in Civil War: Evidence from the Communist Insurgency in the Philippines

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  • Michael A. Rubin

Abstract

Under what conditions do rebel organizations control territory during civil war? How do civilians influence the distribution of territorial control? This article introduces a civilian agency theory, emphasizing community collective action capacity (CAC) defined by underlying social network structure, to complement existing explanations of territorial control. I argue communities with greater CAC mobilize information and resources more efficiently, increasing belligerents’ incentives to control territory. However, CAC also increases community bargaining power to demand costly investments in governance, partially offsetting these gains. CAC increases rebel control in areas of state neglect. But, as state service provision increases, communities leverage CAC to demand prohibitively costly rebel governance, deterring rebel control. This article tests the theory in the context of the communist insurgency in the Philippines, using military intelligence reports from 2011 to 2014 to measure village-level communist insurgent territorial control and a household-level census (2008–2010) to measure village CAC. Interviews with village elders in Eastern Mindanao illustrate causal mechanisms and explore alternative explanations.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael A. Rubin, 2020. "Rebel Territorial Control and Civilian Collective Action in Civil War: Evidence from the Communist Insurgency in the Philippines," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 64(2-3), pages 459-489, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jocore:v:64:y:2020:i:2-3:p:459-489
    DOI: 10.1177/0022002719863844
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    Cited by:

    1. Nicole Stoelinga, 2024. "Education during conflict: The effect of territorial control by insurgents on schooling," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2024_03, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    2. Jori Breslawski, 2021. "The Social Terrain of Rebel Held Territory," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 65(2-3), pages 453-479, February.
    3. Therese Anders, 2020. "Territorial control in civil wars: Theory and measurement using machine learning," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 57(6), pages 701-714, November.
    4. Philip A Martin, 2021. "Commander–community ties after civil war," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 58(4), pages 778-793, July.
    5. van Baalen, Sebastian, 2024. "Keeping communal peace in the shadow of civil war: A natural experiment from Côte d’Ivoire," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    6. Sebastian van Baalen, 2021. "Local elites, civil resistance, and the responsiveness of rebel governance in Côte d’Ivoire," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 58(5), pages 930-944, September.
    7. Ole Sevrin Nydal, 2024. "Moving Through Conflict: Transit Migration and Rebel Capacity in Mali," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 68(4), pages 673-702, April.
    8. McMurry, Nina, 2022. "From Recognition to Integration: Indigenous Autonomy, State Authority, and National Identity in the Philippines," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 116(2), pages 547-563.

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