Inequality and political violence in a divided society: Charismatic movements in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Economic analysis tells us little about terrorism. A common misconception is that if the lower classes who engage in such warfare can be uplifted economically, they will shed irrational hatred for the ‘other’ in favor of friendly relations that further individual economic gain. In Northern Ireland, increased economic growth has led to little, if any, lessening of tensions between opposing paramilitaries. Even as a political alternative to violence appears feasible, ethnic cleavages endure. Rejecting economic development as a solution, I suggest Weberian charisma as an analytic tool through which we can understand individual decisions to support terrorist organizations. Economic inequality is a determinant only insofar as it reinforces the charismatic attraction to the cause. Through understanding the charismatic relationship we can evaluate structural elements that allow political violence to persist. Then we may begin to understand why economic gains fail to produce ethnic harmony.