Rebels With Too Many Causes: Diverse Recruitment Appeals and the Intractability of Civil Conflicts

Abstract

Do rebel groups benefit from attempting to appeal to larger segments of society by mobilizing around more diverse ideologies? Prior work has examined a variety of dimensions of ideological recruitment in civil wars but has tended to overlook the ways in which the breadth of recruitment appeals made by rebels matters. I argue that rebel organizations suffer from attempts to appeal to a diversity of ideological issues. When rebel organizations represent diverse identities and ideological interests, internal fractionalization and credible commitment problems are exacerbated. These issues complicate the bargaining process, rendering conflicts more intractable. Using novel data on the diversity of ideological-based recruitment appeals employed by armed groups, I find evidence that rebel groups that mobilize around a greater number of ideological issues fight in more protracted conflicts and are not more likely to achieve favorable outcomes.