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

Fotini Christia; Spyros I. Zoumpoulis; Michael Freedman; Leon Yao; Ali Jadbabaie

doi:10.1017/psrm.2021.22

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

Fotini Christia, Spyros I. Zoumpoulis, Michael Freedman, Leon Yao, Ali Jadbabaie

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	419-427
Number of pages	9
Journal	Political Science Research and Methods
Volume	10
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/psrm.2021.22
State	Published - 15 Apr 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Political Science Association.

Keywords

Measurement

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science
Political Science and International Relations

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/psrm.2021.22

Cite this

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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.",

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AU - Freedman, Michael

AU - Yao, Leon

AU - Jadbabaie, Ali

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AB - 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.

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

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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