Political Violence, War, and Democracy

There are few questions more vital and burning today than whether political institutions are able to tackle three forms of violence – terrorism, gun crime and war. Or, in simpler terms– is democracy working? This books seeks to respond from the perspective of comparative politics and political theory.
Matt Qvortrup presents a simple, corroborated theory of the origins of political violence. Unfolding the propositions contained on his prize-winning research study, in this brief book the author addresses issues like the aptitude of democracy to reduce political violence; or else, the failure of totalitarian regimes to cope with the historic principles of non-aggression, and why do they declare war? Through a mixture of methods – historical narrative combined with quantitative analyses, his arguments show that more democracy leads to less political violence and less war. Covering different subjects ranging from domestic terrorism to Putin's war in Ukraine, Qvortrup's essay provides a short primer for those wishing to go behind the headlines.