The Long-Term Effects of Political Violence on Political Attitudes: Evidence from the Spanish Civil War

Kyklos, Forthcoming

33 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2015 Last revised: 22 Jan 2016

Date Written: January 30, 2015

Abstract

This article investigates whether political violence has long-term effects on attitudes toward political participation. This is an interesting topic because public engagement and social capital play a crucial role in shaping the economy and democracy. We exploit a recent survey on the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War to shed light on this question. Our findings indicate that being a member of a family that suffered violence during the Civil War is related to a higher interest, knowledge and engagement in politics. These results stand in stark contrast to the common expectation that political violence leads to lower public engagement, while they are consistent with other studies focusing on the short-term consequences of civil conflicts. Therefore, the legacy of political violence, far from creating political apathy, may be the higher involvement of citizens in politics.

Keywords: Political Violence, Political Attitudes, Social Capital, Spanish Civil War

JEL Classification: D72, D74, D79

Suggested Citation

Oto‐Peralias, Daniel, The Long-Term Effects of Political Violence on Political Attitudes: Evidence from the Spanish Civil War (January 30, 2015). Kyklos, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2597118 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2597118

Daniel Oto‐Peralias (Contact Author)

Universidad Pablo de Olavide ( email )

Seville

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
175
Abstract Views
1,621
Rank
309,447
PlumX Metrics