Since the Peace of Westphalia, states have been the primary actors in the international arena, having been granted legitimacy by internal and external sovereignty. In the contemporary age, however, state's sovereignty has started to be constantly challenged by third, non-state actors that slowly attack its main core, namely the control over a population residing within a delimited territory. Among them, violent non-state actors (VNSAs) challenge the state by not only conquering its land, but also ...
Since the Peace of Westphalia, states have been the primary actors in the international arena, having been granted legitimacy by internal and external sovereignty. In the contemporary age, however, state's sovereignty has started to be constantly challenged by third, non-state actors that slowly attack its main core, namely the control over a population residing within a delimited territory. Among them, violent non-state actors (VNSAs) challenge the state by not only conquering its land, but also by attempting to exercise governance over its citizens. This paper examines the root causes that lay behind jihadist organisations' decision to engage in public service delivery. It uses previous literature combined with original research to provide a quantitative and qualitative analysis that attempts to understand why some jihadist groups engage more in the provision of services than others. It concludes that the group size and aspiration, as well as the amount of services offered by the incumbent state, are strongly connected with the provision of social services. These three elements underline that political aspirations push over ideological ones, urging the terrorist organisations to do everything they can, including offering services, to win the hearts and minds of the population they aspire to govern.
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