Political Conflict Flashcards
Define political conflict
a state of opposition, usually involving groups and the state, over something the government is doing or proposes to do
Define political protest
oppositional political action that takes place outside the formal institutions of government
generally seeks to have government make significant changes in its policies
Define civil disobedience
deliberate law-breaking that accepts punishment by state authorities as a part of the action
non violent
Define guerilla warfare
a form of highly political warfare built around lightly armed irregulars who oppose the government and use hit-and-run tactics and political work to take power
Define an insurgency
a rebellion or revolt, especially one employing the tools of guerilla warfare
Define terrorism
the deliberate use of violence designed to induce fear in a population in order to achieve a political objective
Define revolution
the use of violence to overthrow a government, especially when the overthrow is followed by thorough, rapid, social and political restructuring
Define contentious politics
the usually disruptive, direct, and highly conflictive ways that people advance their claims on their opponents, ranging from peaceful protest to lethal wars and conflicts
What three characteristics are used to define a protest
- actions take place outside formal channels
- actions are carried by individuals or groups that are not ordinarily important political actors
- generally aims to make government make significant changes in the policies it pursues
Why are protests often outside formal government channels?
often going through formal channels produces no results, especially because democracy may not work for those who can never become the majority
Why do protests often times include “unimportant” actors?
protest has been described as the tool of the marginalized, or people without the resources needed to gain political influence.
Those who are marginalized often feel that the system does not work in their favour, so once a protest catches the attention of authorities, it can mobilize other sources
Define marginalization
exclusion from the mainstream
often refers to disempowered people or issues
Why would a protest be seeking significant change?
protestors often feel that there is something wrong that only the government can correct
but they also believe the regular systems of calling for change have failed
normal systems such as parliament, parties, etc. cannot accommodate every demand
Describe the women’s right to vote movement
Until the 1800s, women around the world were denied political rights
but in the 20th century, the women’s suffrage movement lobbied governments and used various forms of protest and eventually earned the right to vote
What was the farmer’s movement?
Canadian farmers in the late 19th century and early 20th century felt that the political system did not adequately represent their needs
They founded several political parties such as “United Farmers” and sought to represent the interests of the working class as a whole
Define political opportunity structures (POS)
the openings that political institutions offer to or withhold from movements
refers to the use of more conventional political action
define secessionist
a person who favours separation of a territory from an existing state
What was the largest global-scale protest
In March of 2003 demonstrations opposing the invasion of Iraq attracted more than 10 million protestors worldwide
What do protests look like in authoritarian governments
authoritarian regimes do not tolerate dissent, so there is no legal way for citizens to voice their grievances
this means protest is often the only option
Define political violence
the use of physical force with a political objective
Who would use political violence?
can be a tactic chosen by an organization like a protest movement or a guerilla army to advocate their claims
governments may also use violence against their citizens in response to specific situations
Define regime violence
political violence used by a government against its citizens
What are examples of political violence in Canada’s history?
Earliest cases occurred in what is now Ontario and Quebec during the rebellions of 1837-1838
they challenged the elite domination of politics and sought to give more power to elected representatives, but were crushed by British troops
What is the frustration-agression hypothesis?
where levels of frustrations within a population are high and have lasted a long time, these feelings often find violent expression
