November 19, 2021
Previously: electoral logic of violence
Today: violence for power consolidation
1898 Racial Violence in North Carolina:
While you watch, compare this to electoral logic of ethnic violence we discussed earlier this week:
Discuss with your neighbors: compared to the electoral logic of ethnic violence in India we discussed earlier this week:
Electoral logic: politicians/parties interested in winning office.
Power consolidation: politicians/parties have specific policy goals (group dominance, or non-ethnic policy around e.g. economy, tax rates)
Electoral logic
Power consolidation
electoral logic:
power consolidation:
Before Wilmington Riot, similar events took place in 1870s:
Epperly et al (2020) examine whether racial violence was used for power consolidation more broadly in the US:
White Southern elites were interested in either or both policy goals
violence is strategically useful to
Different forms of violence available
lynching/mob violence
legal system
If lynching served as a form of power consolidation, then
Comparing counties within the same former slave states with
before Jim Crow (black lines)
during Jim Crow (gray lines), flat… no electoral logic
Unresolved questions:
Hints at an answer to Wednesday’s question: why do “followers follow” ethnic elites who manipulate votes using violence?
Ethnic violence is often accompanied by messages that:
Power Consolidation motives for violence: