Domestic unrest, genocide, and politicide

Why do some state leaders engage in genocide and politicide while others do not? Extant theory focuses on how large openings in the domestic political structure of a country, such as civil or interstate war, increase the likelihood that a government will respond with violence against its civilian population. This article builds from this previous theory to argue that smaller crises can provide governments with the same incentives and opportunities to engage in political mass murder. Statistical tests of all cases of genocide and politicide since 1955 support this argument. In addition to civil wars, assassinations, coups and strikes increase the likelihood of political mass murder, especially genocide. These findings are important as they caution the international community against fixating on large-scale crises as the impetus for genocide and politicide.