ABSTRACT
Introduction Economic explanations of conflict frequently focus on the opportunities to rebel (e.g. Collier & Hoeffler, 2004), which was reflected in the argument on economic conditions in Chapter 2. The flipside of the ability to rebel is the ability of the state to prevent or repress conflict or rebellion. The state can either accommodate grievances by, for instance, institutionalizing economic redistribution, conferring autonomy rights to separatist groups and allowing the representation of dissenting groups in the political system or the state can repress attempts at rebellion by force. Both avenues require the state to have capacities, either institutional or military (Hendrix, 2010, p. 273).
