text: Chapter 4
  * Organization.
  * Sense of time.
  * Adaptability.
  Insurgent Legitimacy and Control
  4-31. How an insurgency gains legitimacy and controls a population within a society helps determine
  strategic behavior. Some insurgencies have a clear political message and bring that message to their
  society. Others may try to use economic black markets and the wealth that comes from them to make their
  population dependent on the insurgency. Others may try to use coercion to control their society. Most will
  use a combination of many different methods. However, how an insurgency controls the local population or
  tries to gain legitimacy helps determine that insurgency’s strategic behavior.
  Political, Economic, and Violence-Centered Insurgencies
  4-32. +All insurgencies have a political aim which may be to change their society or simply to protect a
  black market. While all insurgencies involve violence, politics, and economics, some insurgencies are
  focused on politics, some are focused on violence, and some are focused on economics. This can change
  over time. Many insurgencies develop well defined political goals which shape their strategy and an
  infrastructure to promote and refine them. In these insurgencies, the role of violence is probably secondary
  to the role of building political support. In this case an insurgency’s aims are more likely to be changing
  policy, fighting into the state’s political system, or replacing the state. Violence is likely to be more
  organized as the political support grows for an insurgency. Other insurgencies are focused on violence,
  lacking the ability or incentive to build a political infrastructure and gain wide political support. These
  types of +insurgencies are more likely to develop networked organizations with connections to criminal
  organizations or other insurgent groups with similar interests. Finally, an insurgency may be focused on
  economics. These insurgencies are likely to want simply to stop state interferences with their activities. As
  such, these insurgencies may limit the use of violence, unless the state attempts to interfere with their
  economic base, whether in the legitimate economy or in black or gray markets.
  The Relationship of an Insurgency to the Economy
  4-33. Commanders and staffs must understand the relationship of the insurgency to the economy to
  understand an insurgency’s strategic behavior. An insurgency could have little dependence on the local
  economy and receive all its support from the outside. Insurgents could also gain resources from the formal
  economy in which they operate and sustain themselves through kidnapping or theft. An insurgency could
  also maintain an economic base on the black market, or it could control a war economy. In all cases, an
  insurgency’s relationship with the economy will affect its behavior. For example, if it is dependent on
  outside support, the aims of its outside support will influence the insurgency’s behavior. Moreover, outside
  support influences tactical and operational behavior. An insurgency that does not depend on the local
  population is more likely to use violence against the population. (See paragraphs 2-25 through 2-31 for
  more information the economic variable.)
  Insurgent Organizational Structure
  4-34. The organization of an insurgency is also important. Insurgent organizations can be conceptualized
  along a continuum from a formal and hierarchical structure to a networked structure. This structure affects
  organization because it affects control over actions and the scale of tactical actions. Without a hierarchical
  structure, it is difficult to control individuals or groups within an insurgency. This leads to attacks that can
  affect the legitimacy of an insurgency. Moreover, while a networked organization may use terrorist tactics,
  it is also difficult for a networked insurgency to mass combat power. It is also difficult to negotiate a
  settlement with a networked insurgency because no single person or small group is in charge. A networked
  insurgency changes the dynamics of individuals in an insurgency, as no one is likely to be essential to the
  continuation of a networked insurgency. A hierarchical insurgency may be easier to penetrate than a
  networked insurgency, as a few individuals may be essential to the insurgency and control the actions of
  members of the insurgency. (See paragraphs 4-88 through 4-103 for more information on a networked
  insurgency.)