Political violence: the attributive dimension

Abstract

The article analyzes the main features of political violence. The author substantiates the view that political violence is aimed at preserving or changing social or international orders and conditions, and is realized in the following forms: war, exile, genocide, persecution, repression from above, uprising, terrorist acts from below; and is also carried out by specially created combat units or relevant authorized security forces. It is argued that one of the key features of political violence is competence, which expresses its organizational nature and focus on preventing the emergence of irrational forms of violence and protest behavior. Competence means that through mastering the skills of violence, an organized influence on social relations is exercised.