Overview

How do non-state armed groups change when states look the other way? States rarely engage in total war with militants, even during long-running conflicts. In Ordinary Rebels, Kolby Hanson argues that these periods of state toleration do not simply change armed groups' behavior, but fundamentally transform the organizations themselves by shaping who takes up arms and which leaders they follow. First, because life is safer and easier for cadres, armed groups attract more recruits with few pre-existing commitments to leaders or their goals. Second, because toleration opens opportunities for local governance and armed lobbying, recruits and supporters flock to factions willing to coexist with the state and pursue more modest goals. This book draws on a set of innovative experimental surveys and 75 in-depth interviews tracing four armed movements over time in Northeast India and Sri Lanka. A powerful new theory of how conditions shape the trajectory of non-state armed groups, this book reshapes our understanding of why such organizations become more moderate over time.

Full Product Details

Author:   Kolby Hanson (Assistant Professor of Government, Assistant Professor of Government, Wesleyan University)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.60cm
Weight:   0.318kg
ISBN:  

9780197792780

ISBN 10:   0197792782
Pages:   232
Publication Date:   28 November 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

List of Tables List of Figures Part I: The Argument Chapter 1: Ordinary Soldiers, Ordinary Times Chapter 2: How State Toleration Transforms Armed Groups Part II: Who Mobilizes Chapter 3: ""To them, it's just a job:"" Mobilization in Nagalim Chapter 4: Pushed to the Edges: Mobilization in Manipur and Assam Chapter 5: ""Fighting for freedom, not entertainment:"" Mobilization in Tamil Eelam Part III: Which Leaders They Support Chapter 6: ""They are doing something for the nation:"" Moderates and Extremists in Nagalim Chapter 7: Pro-Talk vs. Anti-Talk Militants in Assam and Manipur Chapter 8: ""The Tigers are the best bodyguards"": Moderates and Extremists in Tamil Eelam Part IV: Conclusion Chapter 9: Lessons for Armed Politics Bibliography Index

Reviews

Author Information

Kolby Hanson is Assistant Professor of Government at Wesleyan University. His research and teaching interests include civil wars, armed organizations, experimental methods, game theory, and South / Southeast Asia. His works have been published in the American Journal of Political Science, Security Studies, International Peacekeeping, and Journal of Experimental Political Science. He received a Ph.D. from Columbia University and a B.A. from Stanford University, both in Political Science. Prior to Wesleyan, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the US Naval War College and at Dartmouth College.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions