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The effect of drone strikes on civilian communication: evidence from Yemen

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2021

Fotini Christia Open the ORCID record for Fotini Christia [Opens in a new window] ,
Spyros I. Zoumpoulis Open the ORCID record for Spyros I. Zoumpoulis [Opens in a new window] ,
Michael Freedman Open the ORCID record for Michael Freedman [Opens in a new window] ,
Leon Yao  and
Ali Jadbabaie
Fotini Christia
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Spyros I. Zoumpoulis
Affiliation:
INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France
Michael Freedman
Affiliation:
University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Leon Yao
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Ali Jadbabaie*
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Email: jadbabaie@mit.edu
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Abstract

Although covert warfare does not readily lend itself to scientific inquiry, new technologies are increasingly providing scholars with tools that enable such research. In this note, we examine the effects of drone strikes on patterns of communication in Yemen using big data and anomaly detection methods. The combination of these analytic tools allows us to not only quantify some of the effects of drone strikes, but also to compare them to other shocks. We find that on average drone strikes leave a footprint in their aftermath, spurring significant but localized spikes in communication. This suggests that drone strikes are not a purely surgical intervention, but rather have a disruptive impact on the local population.

Keywords

Measurement
Type
Research Note
Information
Political Science Research and Methods , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , April 2022 , pp. 419 - 427
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Political Science Association

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https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/E5IBHO
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