Research theme

Legitimacy & Governance

How authority is recognised, tolerated and contested in everyday life.

Cox’s Bazar landscape
Cox’s Bazar, 2017

Focus

How people view authorities.

People judge states and armed groups by how they are treated: fairness, justice and dignity matter.

Browse related articles

Selected work

2026 · Journal article · Legitimacy

Ambiguity Politics: Governance and Institutions in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

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2022 · Book · Legitimacy

Waiting for Dignity: Legitimacy and Authority in Afghanistan

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2022 · Journal article · Legitimacy

Why Did the Taliban Win (Again) in Afghanistan?

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2017 · Journal article · Legitimacy

Afghanistan’s Taliban: Legitimate Jihadists or Coercive Extremists?

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