Political Assassinations and Voter Participation: Evidence from South Africa

• In Event: Political Violence in Democracies

Abstract

How does violence against politicians affect political participation among voters? While some studies suggest exposure to violence may discourage political engagement, others contend that violence may actually galvanize the public’s attention and spur political mobilization and activism. I assess these competing claims using a new dataset on assassination attempts against more than 140 elected officials and political candidates in post-apartheid South Africa. I first show that assassination attempts are not explicitly linked to efforts to affect electoral results, and then provide evidence suggesting violence encourages political mobilization, but only at the local level. I then present results suggesting that exposure to violence leads to an increase in political competition, as more candidates enter local races and compete for political office.

Author

• Patrick Pierson, Emory