Do political systems
effect the frequency
of violent conflict
within and between
cultures?
By Brian Manoogian
Hypothesis:

As political systems increase in
complexity and size, the frequency of
internal and external conflict will
decrease due to the stabilization effect
of such systems.
SPSS Variables used to test
hypothesis:










V237- Jurisdictional Hierarchy Beyond Local Community
V693- Frequency of Inter-community Armed Conflict
V759- Perceptions of Political Leaders’ Power
V773- Internal Warfare
V782- Acceptability of Violence Toward Members of
Same Society But Outside Local Community
V891- Frequency of Internal War
V892- Frequency of External War (Attacking)
V893- Frequency of External War (Being Attacked)
V895- Decision to Engage in War
V1132- Political Integration
Significant Crosstabulations:
V
8
y
a
c
o
r
o
e
n
e
q
V
1
C
7
8
4
9
1
J
a
u
R
%
%
%
%
H
2
C
4
7
9
4
0
L
o
c
h
R
%
%
%
%
3
C
1
8
5
5
8
c
h
R
%
%
%
%
4
C
1
4
6
6
6
R
%
%
%
%
5
C
1
4
6
1
1
s
t
R
%
%
%
%
T
C
o
5
1
0
5
6
R
%
%
%
%
c
a
b
o
S
r
l
o
x
O
K
5
6
9
0
N
6
n
i
t
a
b
y
A
t
o
r
o
e
n
e
q
t
V
1
C
2
6
8
7
4
9
J
a
u
R
%
%
%
%
Hi
2
C
3
8
9
0
7
L
o
c
h
R
%
%
%
%
3
C
1
4
8
6
8
c
h
R
%
%
%
%
4
C
1
2
8
7
7
R
%
%
%
%
5
C
1
4
4
3
1
s
t
R
%
%
%
%
T
C
o
5
6
6
0
2
R
%
%
%
%
c
a
b
o
S
r
l
o
x
O
K
1
0
7
2
N
a
N
i
ty
a
b
re
y
q
P
r
e
e
s
n
u
a
o
b
w
s
t
V
1
C
2
4
9
7
6
J
a
u
u
R
%
%
%
H
2
C
1
8
9
7
L o
c
h
R
%
%
%
3
C
1
8
5
3
c
h
R
%
%
%
4
C
6
1
7
R
%
%
%
5
C
7
7
s
t
R
%
%
T
C
o
4
9
8
2
0
R
%
%
%
c
a
b
o
S
r
l
o
x
O
K
1
6
7
1
N
0
a
N
b
U
n
i
o
n
W
a
a
k
e
o
r
P
A
o
m
nt
V
1
C
5
0
0
0
J
a
u
u
R
%
%
%
H
2
C
3
8
8
6
L
o
c
h
R
%
%
%
3
C
2
7
4
1
c
h
R
%
%
%
4
C
1
5
2
7
R
%
%
%
5
C
1
0
1
1
s
t
R
%
%
%
T
C
o
3
0
5
5
R
%
%
%
c
a
b
o
S
r
l
o
x
O
K
1
1
1
5
N
a
N
b
U
c y
y
o
a c
o
r
f
r
o
e
n
e
q
t
V
1
C
1
2
5
8
P
C
%
%
%
%
I
n
2
C
2
4
4
6
1
1
c
o
C
%
%
%
%
3
C
2
1
1
4
l
o
C
%
%
%
%
4
C
1
2
4
9
1
4
(
1
C
%
%
%
%
5
C
4
4
1
9
C
%
%
%
%
6
C
2
0
8
2
0
C
%
%
%
%
T
C
o
4
0
5
0
1
6
C
%
%
%
%
c
a
b
o
S
r
l
o
x
O
K
0
3
2
0
N
6
a
N
b
U
o
y
A
f
t
T
o
re
f
re
o
n
q
t
V
1
C
1
3
5
9 1
P
o
C
%
%
%
%
I
n
2
C
1
1
3
4
5
8
7
c
o
C
%
%
%
%
3
C
2
1
1
4
l
o
C
%
%
%
%
4
C
1
2
5
1
7
3
(1
C
%
%
%
%
5
C
2
4
2
8
C
%
%
%
%
6
C
2
7
7
6
0
C
%
%
%
%
T
C
o
4
3
0
1
1
9
1
C
%
%
%
%
c
a
b
o
S
r
l
o
x
O
K
9
4
1
3
N
1
a
N
b
U
o
f
e
q
t y
r
e
e
s
n
u
T
b
o
w
s
V
1
C
1
1
4
5
P
R
%
%
%
I n
2
C
2
9
9
8
c
o
R
%
%
%
3
C
1
1
l
o
R
%
%
4
C
1
5
5
0
(
1
R
%
%
%
5
C
1
1
2
R
%
%
%
6
C
1
2
1
3
R
%
%
%
T
C
o
5
8
1
9
R
%
%
%
c
a
b
a
o
S
r
l
o
x
N
C
7
8
N
C
O
K
6
0
0
0
N
9
a
Insignificant Crosstabulations
V237-Jurisdictional Hierarchy Beyond Local
Community Vs:
1)-- V773-Internal Warfare
2)-- V782-Acceptability of Violence Towards Members
of Same Society but Outside Local Community
3)-- V891-Frequency of Internal War
V1132-Political Integration Vs:
1)-- V773-Internal Warfare
2)-- V782-Acceptability of Violence Towards Members
of the Same Society but Outside Local Community
3)-- V891-Frequency of Internal War
Correlate Findings

Political systems of greater complexity (more hierarchical levels)
strongly correlate in a positive linear fashion with higher
frequencies of external warfare (both for attacking and being
attacked).

Political systems of greater complexity (more hierarchical levels)
strongly correlate inversely with the frequency of intercommunity armed conflict.

Greater amounts of political integration (greater magnitude,
centralization, and sovereignty) strongly correlates in a positive
linear fashion with higher frequencies of external warfare (both
for attacking and being attacked).

Greater amounts of political integration (greater magnitude,
centralization, and sovereignty) strongly correlates inversely
with inter-community armed conflict.
Possible correlate determinants

More complex political systems typically are
established in industrialized cultures/states which
have better economic and more powerful means of
becoming involved in conflict with other cultures in
order to expand territory, acquire goods, or to fulfill
other general political motives.

There exists a balance of power between such
cultures worldwide, which is in constant conflict.

As cultures become more centralized, resources
become scarce, fostering inter-community conflict.
Possible significance of
findings

Although according to dominant western
thought, more highly evolved and
industrialized societies view complex political
systems as a “more civilized,” the correlate
evidence implies that there may exist more
civility in cultures that do not have complex,
multi-leveled political systems because they
are involved in less violent conflict.
Conclusion

My original hypothesis was incorrect according to
the correlate findings concerning external warfare.

My hypothesis did apply to the relationship between
political complexity and inter-community armed
conflict.

There was no correlation found between political
complexity and the frequency of internal war or the
acceptability of violence towards others of the same
society, but outside the local community.