A legitimate state uses violence to enforce contractual agreements within its territory. Criminal organizations may enforce transactions that are legally restricted or banned, or otherwise ignored by the legitimate state. In this sense, criminal organizations may also function as states. Legitimate states may be threatened by violent rebellions. I model how legitimate states and rebellions may ...

In Afghanistan, Libya, Liberia and beyond, armed rebellions have begun when armies fell apart. When does this occur? This paper conducts a large-N analysis of these army-splinter rebellions, distinct from both non-military below coups, using new data. It finds that they follow logic state breakdown focusing on regime characteristics (personalist regimes the loss superpower support at end Cold W...