How ISIS Administered Its Way to Dominance in Syria

Seven years of conflict has radically transformed Syria. The government of Bashar al-Assad controls roughly one-third of Syria, but the rest of the country is far from lawless. The thousands of groups fighting Assad govern... [ view full abstract ]

Seven years of conflict has radically transformed Syria. The government of Bashar al-Assad controls roughly one-third of Syria, but the rest of the country is far from lawless. The thousands of groups fighting Assad govern large swathes of territory, with mixed results. ISIS cleans streets, bakes bread, and establishes order in its territories while the oft-discussed “moderate Opposition” struggles to provide basic services. Syria’s insurgents fall across a wide spectrum from successful administrators to floundering bureaucrats, but how have such vastly different governments emerged in an area as small as Kansas?

This presentation examines how the organizational structure of ISIS, the moderate Opposition, and other major groups determines how successfully they govern. ISIS grew to control one-third of Syria because of its strict hierarchy and centralization. Other groups struggle to make policy, because they cannot formulate basic decisions, let alone execute them. These groups define the lives and futures of millions of Syrians, and the institutions they build will shape Syria for decades to come.