Victor Asal
Albany
@UAlbany Prof. Studies insurgency/ terrorism & Ethnic & LGBTQ Discrimination & Pedagogy. Bluesky is @victorasal.bsky.social
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Articles by Victor Asal
Chapter 17: Great power politics and the dynamics of capability: the prevention of near-crisis escalation
Adler, Emanuel and Michael Barnett (1998). Security Communities. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Allison, Graham (2015). ‘The Thucydides trap: are the US and China headed for war?’ The Atlantic, 24 September 2015. Ashford, Emma (2021). ‘Assumption #1: revisionist states are the cause of great-power competition’. New American Engagement Initiative Issue Brief. Atlantic Council, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Bailey, Michael A., Anton Strezhnev and Erik Voeten (2017).
UAlbany Experts Available to Discuss the Escalating Israeli-Palestinian Crisis
Newswise — ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 11, 2023) —Just before dawn on Saturday, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip and that is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, launched a surprise attack on Israel. Since then, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war against the group and the Israeli military has begun airstrikes into Gaza and cut off electricity and food and fuel deliveries to the region.
Crossing Battle Death Lines: Why Do Some Insurgent Organizations Escalate Violence to Higher-Intensity Armed Conflicts?
Abstract Why do some insurgent groups escalate violence to higher-intensity insurgencies or civil war? We explore this question among 140 insurgent groups worldwide across various thresholds of armed conflict. We argue that the main drivers of escalation are insurgent networks and domestic resource mobilization. Findings show that territorial control and engagement in criminal activities to finance operations are key factors associated with insurgent-inflicted battle deaths.
Genocide, Politicide, and the Prospects of Democratization since 1900
Abadie, A., Diamond, A., Hainmueller, J. 2010. “Synthetic control methods for comparative case studies: Estimating the effect of California’s tobacco control program.” Journal of the American statistical Association 105(490): 493–505. Google Scholar | Crossref Albertus, M., Menaldo, V.. 2018. Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar Angrist, J., Pischke, J. 2009.
Control over Bodies and Territories: Insurgent Territorial Control and Sexual Violence
Abstract Despite the popular narrative of “rape as a weapon of war,” research shows that only a minority of insurgent groups perpetrate sexual violence in armed conflict.
Teaching about Oppression and Rebellion: The “Peasants Are Revolting” Game | PS: Political Science & Politics | Cambridge Core
The oppression of the weak by the powerful is ubiquitous; examples abound throughout history. Although grievance can be a powerful motivation for action, revolutions and rebellions by the weak against the powerful are relatively rare (Collier and Hoeffler Reference Collier and Hoeffler2004; Kuran Reference Kuran1989; McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly Reference McAdam, Tarrow and Tilly2003; Olson Reference Olson1965).
Does repression work?: Measuring repression’s effect on protest using an instrumental variable model
Introduction Protest and repression are reciprocally related. Governments respond with repression when faced with actual or potential challenges to their rule (Davenport, 2007; Ritter, 2014; Ritter & Conrad, 2016; Sullivan, 2016). Dissidents choose their strategies, turning out to protest or staying home, based on the state’s behaviour (Carey, 2006, 2009; Chenoweth & Stephan, 2008; Francisco, 1995; Pierskalla, 2010).
Doing Good while Killing: Why Some Insurgent Groups Provide Community Services
Many nonstate military organizations provide a wide range of social services to civilians. The apparent contradiction between their use of violence and their provision of charity has been the subject of a great deal of research in the conflict studies literature. Two of the most common sets of arguments hold that such services are either a form of bribery aimed at controlling and isolating constituents and potential recruits, or an extension of the organization’s ideological commitments.
When women fight: unemployment, territorial control and the prevalence of female combatants in insurgent organizations
Recent scholarship suggests that the prevalence of female fighters is determined by various demand and supply factors. On one hand, the voluntary supply of female fighters is dependent on women who are driven by various motivations, ranging from grievances to ideology. On the other hand, violent organizations frequently employ female fighters to gain important tactical and strategic advantages.
School spankings are banned just about everywhere around the world except in US
Lucy Sorensen, University at Albany, State University of New York; Charmaine Willis, University at Albany, State University of New York; Melissa L Breger, Albany Law School, and Victor Asal, University at Albany, State University of New York In 1970, only three countries – Italy, Japan and Mauritius – banned corporal punishment in schools. By 2016, more than 100 countries banned the practice, which allows teachers to legally hit, paddle or spank students for misbehavior.
Over 100 countries have banned corporal punishment in schools – but not the US and Australia
5 minutes ago Lucy Sorensen, Charmaine Willis, Victor Asal and Melissa L Breger, The Conversation Share Tweet Email Reddit Print Share Tweet Email Reddit Print In 1970, only three countries – Italy, Japan and Mauritius – banned corporal punishment in schools. By 2016, more than 100 countries banned the practice, which allows teachers to legally hit, paddle or spank students for misbehaviour.
School spankings are banned just about everywhere around the world except in US
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Lucy Sorensen, University at Albany, State University of New York; Charmaine Willis, University at Albany, State University of New York; Melissa L Breger, Albany Law School, and Victor Asal, University at Albany, State University of New York (THE CONVERSATION) In 1970, only three countries – Italy, Japan and Mauritius – banned corporal punishment in schools.
School spankings are banned just about everywhere around the world except in US
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Lucy Sorensen, University at Albany, State University of New York; Charmaine Willis, University at Albany, State University of New York; Melissa L Breger, Albany Law School, and Victor Asal, University at Albany, State University of New York (THE CONVERSATION) In 1970, only three countries – Italy, Japan and Mauritius – banned corporal punishment in schools.
School spankings are banned just about everywhere around the world except in US
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Lucy Sorensen, University at Albany, State University of New York; Charmaine Willis, University at Albany, State University of New York; Melissa L Breger, Albany Law School, and Victor Asal, University at Albany, State University of New York (THE CONVERSATION) In 1970, only three countries – Italy, Japan and Mauritius – banned corporal punishment in schools.
School spankings are banned just about everywhere around the world except in US
In 1970, only three countries – Italy, Japan and Mauritius – banned corporal punishment in schools. By 2016, more than 100 countries banned the practice, which allows teachers to legally hit, paddle or spank students for misbehavior. The dramatic increase in bans on corporal punishment in schools is documented in an analysis that we conducted recently to learn more about the forces behind the trend. The analysis is available as a working paper.
Friends in high places: state support for violent and non-violent ethnopolitical organizations
States seek to influence or alter political outcomes in other states by supporting non-governmental groups located within their rivals or enemies. While a dyadic-relation model explains much of state support for non-governmental ethnopolitical organizations, its static view fails to capture the changing nature of their relationships.
Spying on Muslims is bad policy
During the presidential primary, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz suggested increased surveillance and policing of Muslim neighborhoods in the United States. This suggestion has rightly provoked the ire of many people across the political spectrum. Even more than being out of step with American values, these strategies are counterproductive to good counterterrorism policy. But that is not the main reason to deplore them.
The Foreign Policy Essay: Choosing from the Contentious Politics Buffet
Published by The Lawfare Institute in Cooperation With Editor’s Note: Political groups representing ethnic, religious, or other minorities have a range of options for how to engage with the state, from nonviolent tactics such as protests and strikes to violent tactics including terrorism. Some groups go down one and only one path, but many of the world’s most important actors embrace a combination of tactics.
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