The Logic of Borderland Violence: Colonial Borders, Postcolonial Governance, and the Transnational Dynamics of Terrorism

Shah, Arshiya

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/133320 Copy

Description

Title

The Logic of Borderland Violence: Colonial Borders, Postcolonial Governance, and the Transnational Dynamics of Terrorism

Author(s)

Shah, Arshiya

Issue Date

2026-04-15

Keyword(s)

• Colonial Borders
• Governance Failure
• Borderland Conflict
• Transnational Terrorism
• Artificial Borders Index
• Postcolonial State-Building

Date of Ingest

2026-05-23T14:21:27-05:00

Abstract

Colonial borders are often blamed for postcolonial conflict, yet many artificial boundaries remain peaceful while others become enduring hotspots of violence. This paper argues that artificial borders do not inherently produce prolonged or transnational conflict. Instead, they become persistently violent when post-independence states fail to establish inclusive, legitimate, and regionally responsive governance, particularly in peripheral border areas. The study tests whether border artificiality alone explains conflict, or whether its effects depend on early governance failure, particularly in that region. Using a sample of 29 postcolonial states, the analysis combines geospatial and statistical methods to assess patterns of violence near international borders. Conflict data from ACLED and GTD are used to calculate the proportion of militant violence, terrorist activity, and social unrest occurring within 110 kilometers of borders. Border artificiality is measured using Alesina et al.’s Artificial Borders Index, while regime quality is proxied by 25-year averages of the Polity2 index. Original codings of early national and border-region governance failure are also introduced. Results show that artificial borders are associated with high levels of terrorism, militant violence, and unrest, but only when early border governance is weak. Regression models confirm that artificiality alone is not a significant driver, but its interaction with governance failure is both statistically and substantively robust. The findings suggest that institutional weakness, in addition to border design, better explains postcolonial border-zone violence.

Type of Resource

Poster

Genre of Resource

conference poster

Language

eng

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