Types of communications technology and civil conflict
区分单向（广播、电视）和双向（手机、互联网、社交媒体）通信技术，发现单向技术通过统治者误导叛军减少冲突，双向技术则帮助叛军协调增加冲突，且强政治制度削弱但未逆转此效应。
Why do different types of information and communications technologies (ICTs) differentially relate to civil conflict incidence? We distinguish one-way (radio; television) from two-way ICTs (phone; internet; social media), contrasting technologies enabling one-directional broadcasting against technologies facilitating dialogue. The former predominantly allow rulers to misinform rebels about attainable rents, which, according to our theoretical framework, consequentially reduces conflict potential. However, two-way ICTs primarily help rebels overcome communication and coordination problems, which ultimately increases conflict potential. Strong political institutions are predicted to weaken these relationships but should remain unable to overturn their signs. Empirically, we observe consistent patterns in (i) country-level panel analyses of civil conflict and (ii) individual-level survey responses eliciting anti-government attitudes. Radio and television availability and usage consistently emerge as negative predictors of conflict incidence and anti-government attitudes – but less so under strong political institutions. Opposite results materialize for mobile phone, internet, and social media availability and usage.