Publication Date

2022

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Thurber, Ches

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Political Science

Abstract

The thesis examines the relationship between neopatrimonial regimes, those with institutionalized patronage networks, high levels of regime corruption, and single authoritarian leaders, and civil conflict. The primary emphasis of this research, borrowing from the understanding of horizontal inequalities among groups, is to present three theoretical mechanisms by which grievances may diffuse in a manner to mobilize resistance in non-ethnic civil conflict. This approach focuses mainly on attempting to disaggregate authoritarian regime qualities which may contribute to grievance diffusion. A current psychological understanding of ethnic conflict focuses heavily on the perception of group-grievances as a prerequisite to armed, organized conflict against a state. This paper seeks to present a similar theory of non-ethnic conflict. Findings indicate two primary contributions. First, neopatrimonialism is statistically and substantively significant in predictive models as a correlate of civil conflict. Secondly, based on the theoretical understanding of neopatrimonialism and group-grievances, this test indicates neopatrimonialism may create divisions among sub-groups of the population, those included in party networks and those outside of the political networks, and that the concept of horizontal inequalities may be tested outside the context of ethnic civil conflict.

Extent

65 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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