Political Paper- Turabian

WEEK 3-4 POLITICAL VIOLENCE – audio lectures/OPTIONAL supplementary readings

• DISCUSSION 2 (week 3) What IS 'legitimate political violence' and is 'legitimate political violence' ever not really legitimate? Under what circumstances?
• Assignment (week 4) : Short paper on political violence = 50 points. Watch: National Geographic Mini-documentary CHARLOTTESVILLE  https://www.youtube.com/embed/FDIfPhx-Fm0

1) INTRODUCTION (see for example: Patrick H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics 4th ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. 2013: 193-223; Charles Tilly, The Politics of Collective Violence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2003: 26-54;Gregory S. Mahler, Principles of Comparative Politics. Boston: Pearson Education Inc. 2013: 143-147; Nathan P. Kalmoe “Fueling the Fire: Violent Metaphors, Trait Aggression, and Support for Political Violence,” Political Communication 31, 2014: 545-563)

A) Definition of ‘violence’

B) Definition of ‘political violence’

C) ‘legitimate’ political violence

2) ANALYSIS

A) Type and Motivation

(1) Type (description) many types – neither exclusive nor exhaustive

(2) Motivation – what variables “cause” violent political participation? Always some ‘overlap’

(a) Institution-related motivations

(1) Political Institutions

(a) Structures that suggest voter marginalization?

(1) Winner-take-all structures

(2) US electoral college? ‘my vote doesn’t count’

(3) Covid-19 pandemic executive authority protests

(b) Role of money in politics?

(c) Structures that result in polarization and radicalization?

(2) Social Institutions

(a) Cultural, religious, sub-cultural (definitions of ‘culture’ and ‘sub-culture’)

(b Multi-cultural, pluralistic societies with different ideological perceptions?

(3) Economic Institutions (also note Interest Group theory)

(b) Ideas/Ideological causes - may be influenced by institutions but also motivate individuals separately

(1) Rationale behind political violence

(2) Ideas result in ‘world view’ which result in recognition of problems and solutions. Do they justify violence?

(3) Political attitudes – reactionary or radical may be more prone to violence

(c) Individual causes – focus on PEOPLE and choice for violence – may see no other choice

(1) Psychology

(a) Individual experiences

(b) Social conditions (economic, gender roles?, desperation, desire for freedom?

(2) Humiliation from marginalized/disrespected beliefs may result in violence as a way to restore ‘meaning’ to lives “regardless of political success” - not considered psychologically  ‘rational’ (BUT may be rational if tactical/strategic choice)

(3) Institutional influences on INDIVIDUAL motivations

(a) Deterministic (perceived institutional determinism) – no other choice is perceived

(b) Youth Bulge theory – increasing youth population with no opportunity decreases cost of individual political violence participation (see Jack A. Goldstone, “Population and Security: How Demographic Change Can Lead to Violent Conflict,” Journal of International Affairs, Fall 2002, v. 56, no. 1: 3-21)

(c) Violence in order to ‘cope’ with perceived asymmetry in costs and benefits resulting from political decisions

(d) Identities of individuals/groups of individuals – ethnic? religious? cultural? sub-cultural? ideological? Note discussion of perception of Freedom (freedom from government intervention versus freedom to equally pursue worthwhile objectives)

(4) Agency of individuals – decision-making – when is violence determined to be the ‘right choice’? Leaders versus Followers

B) Universal variables that can lead to violence? (human nature?) OR mainly ‘particular’ variables (institutional, ideological, individual)

C) Tactical or Spontaneous political violence? (see for example:Alethia H. Cook and Marie Olson Lounsbery, Conflict Dynamics. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2017: 11-28)

(1) Static = context of case involving political violence

(a) Institutions

(b) Regime characteristics

(c) Political culture

(2) Dynamic = actions and reactions that can evolve; action-reaction feedback

(D) Political Violence is often a tactic of weaker political groups/perspectives with minority positions and goals that cannot really be attained through normal political methods

3) DOES POLITICAL VIOLENCE 'WORK'? maybe…if results in bringing stronger, more popular powers to negotiation

A) Northern Ireland? (see for example: Roger Mac Ginty, Orla T. Muldoon, and Neil Ferguson. 2007. “No War, No Peace: Northern Ireland after the Agreement.” Political Psychology 28 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9221.2007.00548.x.)

B) Spain and al Qaeda? (see for example Valentina A. Bali. 2007. “Terror and Elections: Lessons from Spain.” Electoral Studies 26 (3): 669–87. doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2007.04.004.)