What is a civil war? Civil War Versus Domestic Conflict

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Civil war is actually an umbrella term for all sorts of different types of domestic political violence. The major civil wars are conflicts that are fought between at least one group in society against the central government. A typical 20 first century civil war is an insurgency, where both sides are wearing uniforms and they have a very clear chain of command. For you have multiple, and sometimes hundreds of small factions, militias, para military groups operating all over a country.

Civil war might be the most likely escalation pathway towards disaster for our country. On the flip side, learning how to avoid civil conflict — and more ambitiously, repair our civic fabric — might have the greatest leverage for addressing the challenges we face.

Our guest Barbara F. Walter is one of the world's leading experts on civil wars, political violence, and terrorism. She’s the author of How Civil Wars Start: And How To Stop Them, which provides insight into the drivers of civil war, how social media fuels conflict, and how we might repair our broken democracies.

Together, we explore what makes for a healthy liberal democracy, why democracies worldwide are in decline, and the role of resentment and hope. Join us in an exploration of the generator functions for civil war in the digital age, and how we might prevent them.

RECOMMENDED MEDIA

How Civil Wars Start: And How To Stop Them

Barbara F. Walter’s latest book and the subject of our conversation, identifying the conditions that give rise to modern civil war in order to address them

Political Violence At A Glance

An award-winning online magazine about the causes and consequences of violence and protest, co-authored by Barbara and other experts

The Center for Systemic Peace

Publications, analysis, and other resources from the organizations that measures for democracies and anocracies on a 21-point scale

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