Theoretical Framework
This chapter presents the theoretical argument. It argues that national capacity is important in establishing the equilibrium level of piracy acceptable to the state. In weak or failed states, national governments are either unable or unwilling to counter piracy effectively, while more capable states have sufficient capacity to counter pirates on land and in coastal waters. Yet despite the importance of overall capacity in creating permissive conditions for piracy, it is argued that local governance determines the incidence and organization of piracy. In particular, organized piracy needs access to infrastructure and markets, suggesting that areas with some economic governance will be most attractive to pirates. Furthermore, pirates look for weakly governed areas where opportunities for collusion are plentiful. These expectations should hold most strongly for more organized forms of maritime piracy, since spontaneous, short-term opportunistic attacks could still occur in weak or strong areas.