Defining Political Violence Class 1 - August 4 What are some - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Defining Political Violence

Class 1 - August 4

What are some examples

• f political violence?

Definition

Violence used to achieve political goals

What do you think of when you think

• f terrorism?

What do you think of when you think

• f terrorism?

Who are the perpetrators? What are their motives?

Consensus definition is difficult to find

• Some aspects are generally agreed upon:

○ Violence or threat of violence, usually at low-levels ○ Carried out by sub-national actors ○ Used to coerce, intimidate or convey some message to a larger audience (or audiences). ○ Carried out for a political goal.

• To what extent do you agree/disagree with

these?

Characteristics of terrorist groups

• No defined force or territorial

control

• Use symbolic attacks

○ Bombings, kidnappings, hostage-takings, assassinations.

• More extreme than

insurgents or non-violent movements

Goals of terrorist groups

• Recruit supporters through attention.
• Punish supporters of opponents.
• Instill fear in population.
• Long-term: large-scale uprising, government
• verthrow and removal.

○ Ex: Al-Qaeda’s larger goal is to establish Islamic Caliphate across the Middle East and North Africa.

Terrorism is not just for crazy people

Famous terrorists:

What do you think of when you think

• f insurgency?

Who are the perpetrators? What are their motives?

Insurgency is an armed uprising against the government

• Carried out by political and military organization.
• Has a degree of local support.
• A number of battle deaths (25-1000) with deaths

attributable to both insurgents and the government. ○ Produces civil wars.

Do these seem reasonable? Should we add/subtract anything?

Characteristics

• Defined armed

force.

• Irregular military

tactics.

• Desires and

administers control

• ver territory.
• Direct overthrow of

the government OR territorial secession.

Goals

Famous Insurgents

Government Repression

“actual or threatened use of physical sanctions against an individual or organization within the territorial jurisdiction of the state, for the purpose of imposing a cost on the target as well as deterring specific activities and/or beliefs perceived to be challenging to government personnel, practices or institutions” - Goldstein 1978

Is repression possible through legal means?

Characteristics

• Government use of

violence or force against opponents.

• i.e. jailings, extra-

judicial killings, measures to prevent

• rganization.
• Remove opposition

to government rule.

Goals

Political Riots

• “intense, sudden, but not

entirely unplanned attack by a group of civilians against members of another distinguishable group.”

• Horowitz 2001

Characteristics

• Spontaneous

uprisings against politically associated targets

• Varying degrees of

elite involvement.

• Vary based on riot
• Often outlets for

ethnic/religious tension.

• Can have benefit

for political entrepreneurs

Goals

Examples of Political Riots

• 1960s Race Riots in the US: Watts, Detroit,

Newark, etc.

• Ethnic riots in Gujarat, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan,

Georgia, etc.

• 2011 Riots in England (no racial

component)

• 1999 WTO Summit Riot in Seattle.

Genocide

• Highly politicized

definition.

• “acts committed with

intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial

• r religious group” - UN
• “a purposeful policy

designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic

• r religious group from

certain geographic areas.”

Ethnic Cleansing

Characteristics

• Systematic

displacement or murder of members

• f a group.
• Often coincides

with riots or civil wars.

• Elimination of

potential political rivals in an area.

Goals

Examples

Genocide: Holocaust Armenian Genocide Rwandan Genocide Holodomor Ethnic Cleansing: Kosovo 1998-1999 Trail of Tears Soviet population expulsions Iraqi Civil War

Not political violence (mostly)

• Sporting event riots
• Some mass

shootings

• Non-violent

demonstrations.

Who uses political violence?

Who uses political violence?

Governments: Repression, ethnic cleansing/genocide. Citizens: political opposition (riots, insurgency, terrorism), unorganized masses (riots), lone wolves (terrorism).

Classifying political violence

Targets: Initiators: State Citizens State Interstate war (not a part

• f this class)

Repression, some genocide and ethnic cleansing Citizens Insurgency, terrorism, some riots Riots, other genocide and ethnic cleansing, ethnic/religions conflicts.

Variation in citizen against state violence

High Participation Low Participation High Organization Insurgency Terrorism Low Organization Riots Politically motivated rampage?

To what extent are these tactics interchangeable? Are there firm boundaries?

Interchangeability between Insurgency and Terrorism

• Used interchangeably in political rhetoric.
• Objective distinctions:

Terrorism:

small cells, no territorial control, targets state symbols, civilians, political

• pponents.

Insurgency:

military organization, seeks territory, targets military forces

Insurgent Terrorism

• Some groups

employ both tactics in different areas.

○ Ex. Chechen rebels in Russia, PKK in Turkey, Taliban in Afghanistan.

Terrorist or Freedom Fighter

• Not mutually exclusive if terrorism is

considered a tactic.

• Freedom fighter is a normative judgement.
• Terrorist groups need some support.

○ Are freedom fighters in the eyes of at least some. ○ Ex. ANC against Apartheid South Africa, PLO and HAMAS among Palestinians, etc.

Other overlaps

Ethnic Riots can lead to ethnic cleansing State-sponsored insurgent groups as repression.

Are distinctions between types of political violence necessary?

When are they valid? When are they violated?