Sowing the Seeds

Radicalization as a Political Tool

Bibliographic Data

ID6231223
AuthorsTodd C Lehmann (0000-0003-2934-7545, University of Michigan, corresponding author), Scott A Tyson (0000-0003-0387-0944, University of Rochester, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume66
Issue2
Pages485-500
Publication date2022-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0092-5853 • E-ISSN: 1540-5907
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ajps.12602
OpenAlexW3156308290
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited69

Do radicalized individuals with no logistical assistance from opposition groups generate liabilities or advantages for opposition leaders? To address this question, we develop a theory that articulates a novel strategic channel connecting radicalization, defined as self‐motivation to dissent, to repression targeting an opposition group's operational capacity or its leadership. Our main result shows that targeted repression is strictly decreasing in the proportion of radicalized citizens. We endogenize opposition leaders' decision to radicalize citizens and show that opposition leaders, even absent any direct benefit to radicalize, nevertheless invest effort into radicalization. Thus, radicalization is a political tool to deter repression by decreasing its usefulness. To better understand this strategic consequence, we analyze two common policy interventions—economic and psychological—and show that improving economic conditions reduces both radicalization efforts and dissent, while making individuals psychologically less susceptible to radicalization can sometimes backfire and increase dissent because it increases leaders' radicalization efforts

Dissent · Opposition (politics · Political dissent · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Radicalization · Sociology · Culture, Economy, and Development Studies · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Psychology · Social Psychology · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access