Armed and Dangerous: International and Domestic Politics of Militia Groups

Militia groups have provided defense, services and goods to civilians caught in civil wars without a functioning state. However, the existence of non-state militia groups is more contentious in countries not currently embroiled in conflict or under imminent threat of state failure. To investigate the sources of support for militia groups in this context, we study public opinion towards militias in four peaceful Central European countries. Using original endorsement experiments, we estimate the latent support for militia groups and a statistical model to assess prominent theories that emphasize the role of domestic and international factors. We also qualitatively assess both their international linkages to other militias and countries, and how that relates to their ideology, activities and internal dynamics. Our results challenge some of the conventional wisdom regarding militia supporters and help to improve understanding of why ordinary citizens support militias in peaceful environments.