10.26180/5c5b5d545f43b ALEXANDRA RACHEL PHELAN ALEXANDRA RACHEL PHELAN Paving the way to legitimacy in insurgency: the process of 'legitimation' and government response to FARC in Colombia Monash University 2019 Insurgency Terrorism Colombia Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia/FARC Legitimacy International Relations 2019-02-06 22:18:58 Thesis https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/thesis/Paving_the_way_to_legitimacy_in_insurgency_the_process_of_legitimation_and_government_response_to_FARC_in_Colombia/7685600 This thesis examines why the Colombian government alternated between military approaches and negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). It found that legitimation activities influenced government response towards FARC in alternating between policies that emphasise a military or negotiation approach, and can shed light on why this is the case despite the shift in zero-sum and positive-sum considerations of legitimacy. This study argues that insurgencies deliberately use legitimation modes to cultivate organisational legitimacy and to construct an identity distinct from the subject of its grievances in an attempt to consolidate authority through the establishment of a normative system, in turn mobilising popular support. These legitimation modes shape insurgent strategy which impacts and influences government response.