Information Operations Increase Civilian Security Cooperation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Sonin, Konstantin; Wright, Austin L.
• 署名单位: University of Chicago; HSE University (National Research University Higher School of Economics)
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueab101
• 发表日期: 2022
• 页码: 1179-1199
• 关键词: conflict evidence; nation; insurgency; propaganda; ETHNICITY; radio; media

摘要

Information operations are considered a central element of modern warfare and counter-insurgency, yet there remains little systematic evidence of their effectiveness. Using a geographic quasi-experiment conducted during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, we demonstrate that civilians exposed to the government's information campaign resulted in more civilian security cooperation, which in turn increased bomb neutralisations. These results are robust to a number of alternative model specifications that account for troop presence, patrol-based operations, and local military aid allocation. The paper demonstrates that information campaigns can lead to substantive attitudinal and behavioural changes in an adversarial environment and substantially improve battlefield outcomes.