Political Conflict

Question 1

Define political conflict

Answer 1

a state of opposition, usually involving groups and the state, over something the government is doing or proposes to do

Question 2

Define political protest

Answer 2

oppositional political action that takes place outside the formal institutions of government
generally seeks to have government make significant changes in its policies

Question 3

Define civil disobedience

Answer 3

deliberate law-breaking that accepts punishment by state authorities as a part of the action
non violent

Question 4

Define guerilla warfare

Answer 4

a form of highly political warfare built around lightly armed irregulars who oppose the government and use hit-and-run tactics and political work to take power

Question 5

Define an insurgency

Answer 5

a rebellion or revolt, especially one employing the tools of guerilla warfare

Question 6

Define terrorism

Answer 6

the deliberate use of violence designed to induce fear in a population in order to achieve a political objective

Question 7

Define revolution

Answer 7

the use of violence to overthrow a government, especially when the overthrow is followed by thorough, rapid, social and political restructuring

Question 8

Define contentious politics

Answer 8

the usually disruptive, direct, and highly conflictive ways that people advance their claims on their opponents, ranging from peaceful protest to lethal wars and conflicts

Question 9

What three characteristics are used to define a protest

Answer 9

1. actions take place outside formal channels
2. actions are carried by individuals or groups that are not ordinarily important political actors
3. generally aims to make government make significant changes in the policies it pursues

Question 10

Why are protests often outside formal government channels?

Answer 10

often going through formal channels produces no results, especially because democracy may not work for those who can never become the majority

Question 11

Why do protests often times include “unimportant” actors?

Answer 11

protest has been described as the tool of the marginalized, or people without the resources needed to gain political influence.
Those who are marginalized often feel that the system does not work in their favour, so once a protest catches the attention of authorities, it can mobilize other sources

Question 12

Define marginalization

Answer 12

exclusion from the mainstream
often refers to disempowered people or issues

Question 13

Why would a protest be seeking significant change?

Answer 13

protestors often feel that there is something wrong that only the government can correct
but they also believe the regular systems of calling for change have failed
normal systems such as parliament, parties, etc. cannot accommodate every demand

Question 14

Describe the women’s right to vote movement

Answer 14

Until the 1800s, women around the world were denied political rights
but in the 20th century, the women’s suffrage movement lobbied governments and used various forms of protest and eventually earned the right to vote

Question 15

What was the farmer’s movement?

Answer 15

Canadian farmers in the late 19th century and early 20th century felt that the political system did not adequately represent their needs
They founded several political parties such as “United Farmers” and sought to represent the interests of the working class as a whole

Question 16

Define political opportunity structures (POS)

Answer 16

the openings that political institutions offer to or withhold from movements
refers to the use of more conventional political action

Question 17

define secessionist

Answer 17

a person who favours separation of a territory from an existing state

Question 18

What was the largest global-scale protest

Answer 18

In March of 2003 demonstrations opposing the invasion of Iraq attracted more than 10 million protestors worldwide

Question 19

What do protests look like in authoritarian governments

Answer 19

authoritarian regimes do not tolerate dissent, so there is no legal way for citizens to voice their grievances
this means protest is often the only option

Question 20

Define political violence

Answer 20

the use of physical force with a political objective

Question 21

Who would use political violence?

Answer 21

can be a tactic chosen by an organization like a protest movement or a guerilla army to advocate their claims
governments may also use violence against their citizens in response to specific situations

Question 22

Define regime violence

Answer 22

political violence used by a government against its citizens

Question 23

What are examples of political violence in Canada’s history?

Answer 23

Earliest cases occurred in what is now Ontario and Quebec during the rebellions of 1837-1838
they challenged the elite domination of politics and sought to give more power to elected representatives, but were crushed by British troops

Question 24

What is the frustration-agression hypothesis?

Answer 24

where levels of frustrations within a population are high and have lasted a long time, these feelings often find violent expression

Question 25

What are some issues with the frustration-agression hypothesis?

Answer 25

• does not adress why people may direct their energies into contentious or violent politics rather than through regular channels
• also does not address why governments use violence against their citizens

Question 26

What are some examples of regimes using violence against their citizens?

Answer 26

• Saddam Hussein in Iraq, or Hitler in Germany, or the Soviet Union under Stalin

Question 27

Why would regimes use political violence?

Answer 27

may be done to defend themselves or preserve order
in authoritarian governments, it is used to oppress their opponents
also may be done instill fear in the population to never dare act against the government

Question 28

What are the 5 traits all guerilla insurgencies share?

Answer 28

1. the guerillas are highly mobile, using hit and run tactics rather than setpiece battles
2. fewer in number and less well armed
3. operate in familiar, difficult terrain
4. has local support
5. usually protracted

Question 29

What are some methods found in guerilla warfare?

Answer 29

• attacking government installations to show people that the government is not all powerful
• may blow up power lines and bridges
• kill government officials such as police or military
• avoids using violence on civilians, because they need their support

Question 30

What would make a counter-insurgency work?

Answer 30

when guerilla warfare is directed by a leader with a genius for war, an effective counter-insurgency campaign becomes almost impossible
however, if governments are able to repress and reform, (control the guerillas whilst adressing their complains) is the most effective method

Question 31

Define terrorism

Answer 31

• unique in that it directly targets the innocent to sow fear among the population

Question 32

How do some defend terrorism?

Answer 32

• people claim that when fighting the strong, the weak must use any instrument to advance their cause
• terrorists believe that there are no innocent victims, anyone who is not on their side is an enemy

Question 33

What is suicide terrorism?

Answer 33

• a form of terrorist violence in which the attacker kills a target as well as themselves

Question 34

What is the best predictor of suicide terrorism?

Answer 34

if there is the presence of an outside force the terrorists could paint as an occupier within a country