Joining the Counterinsurgency: Explaining Pro-Government Militia Participation in the Philippines

Authors

Joshua Eastin, Portland State UniversityFollow
Steven T. ZechFollow

Published In

Studies in Conflict & Terrorism

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

12-1-2019

Abstract

What motivates civilians to fight in a progovernment militia? This article draws on survey and interview data from active members of Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU), a progovernment militia in the Philippines, to evaluate why individuals enlist. We find poverty and unemployment to be key drivers of group membership, and the biggest attraction a steady paycheck. This situation presents a moral hazard for the Philippine government and other states that rely on impoverished citizens to wage counterinsurgency: while doing so can be cost-effective, the need to keep costs low might also impede efforts at socioeconomic or political reform.

Description

© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2019.1700029

DOI

10.1080/1057610X.2019.1700029

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/30924

Citation Details

Eastin, J., & Zech, S. T. (2019). Joining the Counterinsurgency: Explaining Pro-Government Militia Participation in the Philippines. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1-25.