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Understanding the Etiology of Electoral Violence: The Case of Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • David Fielding

    (Department of Economics, University of Otago, New Zealand)

Abstract
Recent theoretical and empirical work indicates that incumbent governments are likely to attempt to influence election outcomes by violent means (rather than by bribery and fraud) when their level of popular support is relatively low. However, evidence also suggests that in some countries electoral violence can be quite easy to thwart through peaceful means. This may seem surprising when the incumbent has control over an extensive and well-equipped state security apparatus. The analysis of Zimbabwean data in this paper suggests an explanation: the incumbent prefers to avoid the direct involvement of the state security apparatus when intimidating voters (perhaps because such involvement would undermine the incumbent’s legitimacy abroad), and relies instead on informal groups with very limited organizational capacity. One consequence in Zimbabwe is that the intimidation is heavily focused in places where the incumbent is relatively popular, ceteris paribus.

Suggested Citation

  • David Fielding, 2015. "Understanding the Etiology of Electoral Violence: The Case of Zimbabwe," Working Papers 1505, University of Otago, Department of Economics, revised Jun 2015.
    • Handle: RePEc:otg:wpaper:1505
    as

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    File URL: http://www.otago.ac.nz/economics/otago109848.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2015
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paul Collier & Pedro C. Vicente, 2014. "Votes and Violence: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(574), pages 327-355, February.
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    3. Dercon, Stefan & Gutiérrez-Romero, Roxana, 2012. "Triggers and Characteristics of the 2007 Kenyan Electoral Violence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 731-744.
    4. Hafner-Burton, Emilie M. & Hyde, Susan D. & Jablonski, Ryan S., 2014. "When Do Governments Resort to Election Violence?," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 149-179, January.
    5. Roxana Gutiérrez-Romero, 2012. "An Inquiry into the Use of Illegal Electoral Practices and Effects of Political Violence," Working Papers wpdea1210, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.
    6. Ashish Chaturvedi, 2005. "Rigging elections with violence," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 125(1), pages 189-202, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Elections; Voter intimidation; Zimbabwe;
    All these keywords.

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