The Political Dynamics of Insurgency: The Importance of Government Legitimacy

Abstract

This paper examines the sociopolitical connection between the government and the population and how the relative strength of this link, derived from the public's perception of their government's legitimacy, may determine the success or failure of an insurgency. To analyze the government-population link, three aspects of legitimate and effective governance are examined: the government's ability to provide adequate security; the ability of the government to support and enforce the rule of law; and the ability of the government to provide basic services. The study methodology utilizes a case study-based approach, looking at the Huk Rebellion in the Philippines (1946-1954). Three main points can be derived from this study: first, that the actual center of gravity in counterinsurgency is not the population per se, but is instead the population's link with their government; second, that counterinsurgency strategies should be modeled on a legitimacy-centric approach rather than on a population-centric approach; and finally, that in COIN, a well-conceived and executed political strategy is essential for success.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 22, 2012
Accession Number
ADA561579

Entities

People

  • Robert D. Sagraves

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Counterinsurgency
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of State
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Insurgency
  • Law
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Political Systems
  • Security
  • Urban Areas
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.