Patterns of Political Violence in Comparative Historical Perspective

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The causes and consequences of political violence have become major topics of research in an era of history beset by seemingly continual warfare, revolution, and other violent acts of every description. The study of political violence has drawn upon theoretical perspectives and forms of analysis from all the social sciences. The Report of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, for example, includes among its authors historians, economists, sociologists, psychologists, and anthropologists as well as political scientists. In this article we shall consider political violence from a broad comparative and historical perspective in an effort to discern patterns of political violence through the years; to identify some of the economic conditions that are associated with violence; and to examine a few major political effects of violence. The article is divided into three main parts. Part I describes the incidence of warfare and of domestic political violence in sixty-five countries during the period 1800-1960; Part II investigates relationships between acts of political violence in these countries and several economic variables; and Part III examines connections between domestic political violence and attempts to introduce and maintain democratic regimes.