Napoleon Bonaparte once said that “a man will fight harder for his interest than for his rights.” In a time where individual ‘wants' and the protection of singular self-interests has become a primary focus for the average citizen, governments have been daunted with the task of satisfying as many of these interests as possible all while juggling other major components of governing. An inability to meet the needs of its population generally leads to intrastate crises.
[...] In his article, Economic Causes of civil Conflict and the Implications for Policy, Paul Collier gives seven main risk factors that are likely to be the cause of civil conflict. First, he argues that “countries that have a substantial share of their income (GDP) coming from the export of primary commodities are radically more at risk for conflict.” Some researchers deem oil as being the biggest culprit for the above mentioned. Collier also argues that simple geographic location and history play a role in conflict creation. [...]
[...] In an attempt to explain what causes men to rise up and begin a civil war, this paper has reviewed the arguments put forth by Ted Robert Gurr and Paul collier. In investigating their reasoning behind the causes of civil war, one can see that there are many factors contributing to such revolts. Some factors find themselves at the level of the individual, others in economic and governmental policies or action. No matter where the causation takes place, the end result can be horrendous. [...]
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