Violent Non-State Actors: The Politics of Territorial Governance

Violent Non-State Actors: The Politics of Territorial Governance is an original in-depth scholarly explanation of the impact of territorial penetration, control and governance on the effectiveness of the activities of violent non-state actors (VNSA). The theoretical framework operates with the assertion that a non-linear causal relationship mediated through the capacity for territorial control and governance exists between the effectiveness of objective achievement and territorial penetration. Using four case studies, Zdenek Ludvík links these interrelated concepts of territorial penetration, territorial control and territorial governance into an interrelated sequentially conceptualized causal framework. To this end, extensive and unique empirical material gathered to examine the activities of VNSA in considerable detail presents a wholly original and comprehensive method of measuring the degree of territorial capability of VNSA. Zdenek Ludvík demonstrates that there is no directly proportional relationship between territorial penetration and objective effectiveness, since neither territorial penetration nor territorial control alone are sufficient to achieve increased effectiveness. He shows that territorial penetration and territorial governance are necessary conditions for objective effectiveness, since only when territorial penetration and territorial control are followed by territorial governance at the level of advanced wartime social order can VNSA hope to achieve a higher degree of effectiveness.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: VNSA in the International Order Chapter 2: Theoretical Grounding, Hypothesis, Concepts Case studies Chapter 3: VNSA Objectives and Intra-Case Reference Points Chapter 4:Empirical Covariations of Examined Phenomena Chapter 5: Congruence Chapter 6: Process Tracing Chapter 7:Concomitant Variations

About the Author :
Zdenek Ludvík is lecturer and researcher at University College Prague and Charles University.

Review :
Zdenek Ludvik brings a very important and timely comparative analysis of violent non-state actors and modalities of their political control of a territory. I value his sophisticated theorization, the methodological rigor of provided causal analysis, the depth and breadth of his empirical focus, and generalizations he draws from the study. Everyone interested in strategy, security studies and political geography should read this important book.