Jennifer Keister, visiting research fellow, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
How do rebel groups establish authority over civilians? Why do some groups provide public goods, build governance structures, and pursue popular ideologies, while others extort and espouse unattractive positions?
Keister will argue that rebels balance their own ideological position and need for support with the interests of the domestic population and the influence of international ties. She will present data from her extensive field research in Mindanao (southern Philippines), comparing the Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Jennifer Keister earned her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, San Diego, in 2011. While at the Kroc Institute, she is developing her dissertation into a book manuscript and studying the relationship between rebels, foreign sponsors, and civilian populations.