Political Violence

Types

Interstate war, Civil war, Terrorism, Political assassination, Military coup, Mass protest/Rebellion, Intercommunal violence, Organized crime/Cartels, Ethnic cleansing, Genocide, State repression, Riots, Explosions, Protests.

Definition

Hostile, aggressive or violent acts motivated by political objectives or a desire to directly or indirectly affect political change or change in governance.

Motivations

Political objectives, desire to affect political change or change in governance.

Consequences

Destroys public discourse, threatens free speech, stifles public engagement (voting, organizing, running for office), chills free expression, deteriorates government systems, weakens trust in institutions, lessens willingness to engage in political activities, breakdown in civil discourse.

Associated Concepts

Assassination Culture, Salad Bar Extremism, Online Radicalization, COVID Generation, Woke Ideology, Suicide of the West, Cancel Culture.

Undated

Undated

Motives: Political violence is defined as hostile, aggressive or violent acts motivated by political objectives or a desire to directly or indirectly affect political change or change in governance. As a phenomenon, political violence may include a range of political acts from riots, coups, rebellions, uprisings and terrorism to violent acts committed by state and non-state actors, including pogroms, ethnic cleansing, and genocide (Kalyvas, 2013; Balcells, 2015). However, everyone has the right

Stathis Kalyvas identifies eleven types of political violence: Interstate war, Civil war, Terrorism, Political assassination, Military coup, Mass protest/Rebellion, Intercommunal violence, Organized crime/Cartels, Ethnic cleansing, Genocide, and State repression.( ### Violence by non-state actors [edit] #### Violent non-state actor [edit] [...] Due to the imbalances of power which exist between state and non-state actors, political violence often takes the form of asymmetric warfare where neither side is able to directly assault the other, instead relying on tactics such as guerrilla warfare and terrorism.( It can often include attacks on civilian or otherwise non-combatant targets.( People may be collectively targeted based on the perception that they are part of a social, ethnic, religious, or political group;( or selectively, [...] Types [edit] Political violence varies widely in form, severity, and practice. In political science, a common organizing framework is to consider the types of violence which are used by the relevant actors: violence between non-state actors, one-sided violence which is perpetrated by a state actor against civilians, and violence between states.

health and schooling (Flores _et al_., 2009, Melton and Sianko, 2010). Political violence is intimately related to several areas of governance, including leadership, freedom of the press, and accountability by governments for atrocities (de Jong, 2010). The literature suggests that political violence deteriorates the functioning of governments and its consequent ability to support the populace in three ways: (1) by deteriorating government systems necessary for daily living, (2) by weakening [...] Political violence diminishes individuals’ trust in the moral organization of society, government entities and processes of democracy. Lykes, et al.’s study in Guatemala found the complicity of people’s own governments in political violence decreased individuals’ trust towards community and organizational processes (2007). This was also found by Flores, et al. in Guatemala (2009) and Tully in Nicaragua (1995), who reported distrust in institutions and systems of justice arose from political [...] Political violence lessens the willingness of individuals to engage in political activities, including community organizing. Lykes, et al. (2007) found Mayan peasants in Guatemala targeted with violence due to their political organizing reported a preoccupation with defeatist and negative thoughts about community organizing as a result of political violence. Robben (2005) found that in Argentina torture was used against individuals to deter them from political engagement. Individuals may

The assassinations of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as the attempted murders of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, are disturbing examples of the rise in political violence in the United States. Political violence includes “[t]he use of physical force, coercion, or intimidation to achieve political goals” ranging “from violent acts against individuals or groups, to state-sponsored violence, and to physical violence and [...] Politically motivated violence is a major concern for a vast majority of Americans, regardless of political identification. The impacts of political violence on a democratic society are far-reaching. In addition to the devastating effects on victims, their families, and their communities, political violence can also stifle critical forms of public engagement—such as voting, community organizing, and running for office—and chill free expression. Due to its harmful effects, and the troubling [...] Election officials, judges, and lawmakers from across the political spectrum have faced increasing threats of political violence. There were assassination attempts against President Donald Trump in 2024 and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in April 2025. More recently, a bomb threat was made at an Illinois hotel where several Texas lawmakers were staying—quickly followed by a second. This rise in intimidation and violence is dangerous not only for the safety of Americans, but for the health