Political violence is a major concern the world over. Lately, the United States seems to be catching up with the rest of the world due to manipulation of electoral outcomes by certain actors. The chief cause is corruption and dysfunctional institutions. Fortunately, there is a new theory explaining the connection between corruption and the cycle of electoral violence.
Electoral Misconduct and Political Violence
Electoral violence is the focus of Sarah Birch’s book, Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order. According to Birch 1 a combination of electoral malpractice and political violence fosters electoral violence.
Conceptually, electoral violence is located at the intersection of electoral misconduct and political violence. Electoral misconduct, also known as electoral malpractice, is ‘the manipulation of electoral processes and outcomes so as to substitute personal or partisan benefit for the public interest (quote by Birch p, 10)
State and Non-state Actors Commit Electoral Violence
Based on data collected for this study, the majority of electoral violence is committed by state actors. It addition, the study developed theoretical reasons to believe that the state shapes the settings in which this violence takes place.
Non-state actors might also use violence to counter the attempt by state actors to exclude them from power. This is part of Birch’s integrated theory about the context that determines electoral violence.
Violence is used by state actors (and their proxies) mainly as a tool to exclude other actors from political power in competitive elections , and violence is used by nonstate actors largely as a means of contesting such exclusion and seeking access to power (p 5).
How Has This Happened in the United States?
But how does this happen in a country like the United States, where voters have had confidence in elections for more than 200 years? Even though the current trend in the US is toward more violence, voters still think of elections as a peaceful, democratic way to provide power and legitimacy. However, due to changing conditions, incumbents and candidates are unwilling to depend on the electoral system to win or hold on to power.
Incumbents and Candidates Don’t Think the Electoral System Will Help them Hold on to Power
Birch’s study of other countries where electoral violence is more common indicates that this is due to the presence of widespread corruption and clientelism. Methods for winning elections in the US still include open competition on the basis of policy proposals, but they also include manipulation such as vote-buying and force. Both state and non-state actors believe that under present conditions, violence is the only way to attain or hold on to power.
The Main Factors Leading to Corruption and Electoral Violence
There are many factors that lead to corruption and electoral violence and every country is different. But generally the combination of weak democratic institutions and dysfunctional informal institutions provides the setting for electoral violence.
Elections are high-stakes affairs in states with weak democratic institutions and strong informal institutions of clientelism, patronage, and corruption. In such contexts, those in power control economic and legal, as well as political resources, such that incumbents have ample reason to fear loss of power. In addition, they have reason to fear that if they lose a critical election, they themselves will be permanently excluded from ruling, as the victors may be reluctant to allow genuinely competitive contests in future. Political orders characterized by high levels of corruption and ineffectual democratic institutions are therefore ones that are strongly conducive to electoral violence. (p 5)
Chaos is the End Result
If unchecked, the end result of corruption and dysfunction is a descent into chaos. Either voters don’t turn out, or they vote for things that will increase their chances of survival. This is not the basis of sound policy proposals.
Politicians are also influenced negatively. One result is that they might become reluctant to discuss certain issues for fear of retaliation.
Forceful manipulation of the democratic process can lead to widespread instability in the entire country or region, including civil war.
What Can Be Done?
In the absence of reform, the simple logic of dysfunctional democratic institutions and corruption will lead to a vicious cycle of violence and societal breakdown. However, the downward trend can be reversed by strengthening democratic institutions and punishing corruption. Knowledge of the factors Birch identifies in her book can help policy makers avoid it or recover from it.