Lecture 11 -> Political violence

Question 1

Define Political Violence

Answer 1

• Political violence: violence outside of state control that is politically motivated
  Actions carried out by nonstate actors. The intent is to lead to policy or institutional change. Crime is NOT political violence (lacks political motivation)

Question 2

What is contentious politics

Answer 2

collective struggle carried out to achieve a political goal
Contentious politics can be violent or nonviolent.
Some consider political violence to be a form of contentious politics

Question 3

What are the three explanations for violence

Answer 3

Institutional, Ideational, individual

Question 4

Explain institutional reasoning for political violence

Answer 4

existing institutions may encourage violence or constrain human action, creating a violent backlash.

Question 5

Explain ideational reasoning for political violence

Answer 5

Ideas may justify or promote the use of violence.
It is not only the content of the ideas that matter but also their relation to the status quo.

Question 6

Explain individual reasoning for political violence

Answer 6

Psychological or strategic factors may lead people to carry out violence.
E.g. desperation and solidarity
The suffragets

Question 7

The question of what is radical?

Answer 7

Democracy = common in west, but Hong Kong protests for democracy is seen as radical by the Chinese

Question 8

What is the effect of perspective on political violence?

Answer 8

“One person’s terrorist is another person’s
freedom fighter”

Question 9

What are the two main forms of violence

Answer 9

Revolution (uprising of the masses) and Terrorism (Represents conspirationial action carried out by small groups)

Question 10

What is a revolution and its aim

Answer 10

1. Revolutions: often have a vanguard; but also involve the public (i.e. not a coup d’état and hence some scholars describe the Russian Revolution as a coup)
2. People are looking to gain control of the state
3. Government change is not enough: the aim is regime change

Question 11

What events are not a revolution

Answer 11

Coup d’etat, elites remove a regime and replace it

Negotiated transition, gov and opposition plan a new system

Secessionist, local control

Question 12

what is the deprivation model:

Answer 12

predicts revolution when public expectations outpace the rate of domestic change.
Example of an individual explanation.
Basis of modern grievance-based explanations
for violence.

Question 13

When is relative deprivation frustration more
likely to be triggered?

Answer 13

• Rapid economic growth creates unmet expectations.
• Some (ethnic, racial, class) groups are benefiting more than others.
• Possible examples: Iran, 1979; Egypt, 2011

Question 14

what year did Europe break into revolution

Answer 14

1989 -> collapse of communism/ USSR

Question 15

what is the Institutional approaches to the causes of revolution

Answer 15

An approach arguing that revolutions require a specific set of conditions
The conditions creating openings for revolution
Competition with rival states betrays regime weakness.
Weak(er) states seek to reform to boost their international power.
These reforms upset status quo, sowing dissent in elite and discord in
masses.
Possible examples: France, 1789; Russian Revolution, 1917

neglects role of individuals and ideas

Question 16

What are the outcome of revolution

Answer 16

authoritarian government and increased
violence

Question 17

When does revolution lead to democratic regime change?

Answer 17

If there is widespread public involvement
If protests are nonviolent

Question 18

Define terrorism

Answer 18

Use of violence by nonstate actors against
civilians in order to achieve a political goal.
It is an act of violence intended to cause fear

Question 19

Define state-sponsored terrorism

Answer 19

terrorism supported directly by a state as an
instrument of foreign policy

Question 20

what is a current example of state sponsored terrorism

Answer 20

Pakistan sponsored groups in Kashmir, India

Question 21

Can a state perpetrate acts of terrorism?

Answer 21

contentious - some authors would stress that
automatically excluding the state from
definitions of terrorism tends to legitimise its
monopoly of violence, and others say that such acts by a state can be labelled differently

Question 22

what is Guerrilla War?

Answer 22

Nonstate combatants target the state

Question 23

simple way to remember different forms of violence

Answer 23

state + state = war
state + nonstate = guerrilla war
civilians + state = human rights violation or war crime
civilians + nonstate = Terrorism

Question 24

Why does religion or ideology turn violent especially in a time of modernity?

Answer 24

modernity is seeking to exterminate believers. The righteous are locked in a cosmic battle with modernity. Civilians are ultimately guilty enablers of moral bankruptcy. Dehumanising the enemy is a key strategy.

Question 25

Does terrorism work?

Answer 25

they rarely achieve their political goal. But can achieve some changes such as a loss of faith in the state.

Question 26

what are the relations between regime types and terrorism

Answer 26

authoritarian => limited because the regime can repress such groups easily Democratic => moderate, civil liberties may undercut support for terrorism Illiberal/ transitional => higher, instability may motivate terrorism

Question 27

How can democratic states counter political violence

Answer 27

Freedom versus Security In reaction to political violence, democratic states and citizens might favour limiting certain civil liberties and increasing state autonomy