2021/06/18 by Allison Carnegie, Kimberly Howe, Adam G. Lichtenheld +2 · 8 citations
Social Sciences · #Competitor analysis #Corporate governance #Credibility #Economics #Foreign policy #International Development and Aid #Law #Management #Opposition (politics) #Peacebuilding and International Security #Political Conflict and Governance #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Public administration #Sociology #Spanish Civil War #State (computer science)
paper · doi:10.1017/s0007123421000156
published in British Journal of Political Science 52(3), 1333-1354 (Cambridge University Press)
openalex publication_date 2021/06/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Abstract A primary objective of foreign aid in conflict zones is to help political actors win citizens’ ‘hearts and minds’. Previous studies have focused on assistance provided to state actors; however, this article examines aid's impact on rebel governance. It argues that aid only bolsters opinions of rebel governors where military control is uncontested. In contested areas, rebels lose credibility if they cannot offer protection, and they have difficulty delivering – and receiving credit for – services in insecure environments crowded with competitors. Using novel data from the Syrian civil war, this article shows that aid improves opinions of opposition councils in uncontested areas but not in communities experiencing intra-rebel conflict. It also explores the underlying mechanisms using in-depth interviews with residents of Aleppo City and Saraqeb. The findings reveal a more nuanced relationship among aid, military competition and governance than prior studies have suggested, which has implications for both scholars and policy makers.