Status: In Preparation

Abstract: This paper examines the role of elite actors in mobilizing and directing collective violence through moral frameworks. I analyze how political and religious elites use moral rhetoric to legitimate violence and shape its targets and boundaries.

Methods: Elite network analysis, discourse analysis, historical case studies

Key Contributions:

• Theorizes the role of moral entrepreneurs in violence
• Demonstrates elite strategic use of moral frameworks
• Links micro-level violence to macro-level political processes

Implications: Advances understanding of how violence is politically organized and morally justified, with applications for conflict prevention and post-conflict reconciliation.