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What Is Civil War?

Author

Listed:
  • Nicholas Sambanis

    (Department of Political Science, Yale University)

Abstract

The empirical literature on civil war has seen tremendous growth because of the compilation of quantitative data sets, but there is no consensus on the measurement of civil war. This increases the risk of making inferences from unstable empirical results. Without ad hoc rules to code its start and end and differentiate it from other violence, it is difficult, if not impossible, to define and measure civil war. A wide range of variation in parameter estimates makes accurate predictions of war onset difficult, and differences in empirical results are greater with respect to war continuation.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas Sambanis, 2004. "What Is Civil War?," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 48(6), pages 814-858, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jocore:v:48:y:2004:i:6:p:814-858
    DOI: 10.1177/0022002704269355
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fearon, James D. & Laitin, David D., 2003. "Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 97(1), pages 75-90, February.
    2. Doyle, Michael W. & Sambanis, Nicholas, 2000. "International Peacebuilding: A Theoretical and Quantitative Analysis," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 94(4), pages 779-801, December.
    3. Ghobarah, Hazem Adam & Huth, Paul & Russett, Bruce, 2003. "Civil Wars Kill and Maim People—Long After the Shooting Stops," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 97(2), pages 189-202, May.
    4. Fearon, James D, 2003. "Ethnic and Cultural Diversity by Country," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 195-222, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Bleaney & Arcangelo Dimico, 2011. "How different are the correlates of onset and continuation of civil wars?," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 48(2), pages 145-155, March.
    2. repec:bpj:pepspp:v:18:y:2012:i:3:p:7:n:5 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Milante, Gary, 2007. "A kleptocrat's survival guide : autocratic longevity in the face of civil conflict," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4186, The World Bank.
    4. Ignacio Sánchez-Cuenca, 2014. "Why Do We Know So Little About Terrorism?," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(4), pages 590-601, August.
    5. Camille Laville, 2018. "The econometrical causal analysis of internal conflicts: The evolutions of a growing literature [L’analyse économétrique des conflits internes par l’approche causale : les évolutions d’une littérat," Working Papers hal-01940461, HAL.
    6. J. M. Quinn, 2015. "Territorial contestation and repressive violence in civil war," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(5), pages 536-554, October.
    7. J Paul Dunne & Nan Tian, 2016. "Determinants of Civil War and Excess Zeroes," SALDRU Working Papers 191, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    8. Ibrahim Ahmed Elbadawi & Raimundo Soto, 2015. "Resource rents, institutions, and violent civil conflicts," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 89-113, February.
    9. Olsson, Ola & Valsecchi, Michele, 2010. "Quantifying Ethnic Cleansing: An Application to Darfur," Working Papers in Economics 479, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    10. Timothy Besley & Torsten Persson, 2009. "Repression or Civil War?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 292-297, May.

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