ASSASSINATIONS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION WITHIN THE AMERICAN CONTEXT

• NCJ Number: 69330
• Author(s): W J CROTTY
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 70 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

POLITICAL ASSASINATIONS ARE DEFINED AND TRACED THROUGH HISTORY, PATTERNS OF U.S. PRESIDENTIAL AND NON-PRESIDENTIAL ASSASSINATIONS ARE COMPARED, AND THE CAUSES OF ASSASSINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATE ARE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE AMERICAN CULTURE OF VIOLENCE.

Abstract

THE DEEP INFLUENCE WHICH POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS HAVE HAD ON THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD AND UNITED STATES IS TRACED IN A BRIEF HISTORICAL ANALYSIS. FIVE CATEGORIES OF ASSASSINATION ARE DEFINED: ANOMIC ASSASSINATION, ELITE SUBSTITUTION, TYRANNICIDE, TERRORISTIC ASSASSINATION, AND PROPAGANDA BY DEED. A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON ASSASSINATIONS NOTES THE HIGH LEVEL OF POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN A HIGH INCIDENCE OF POLITICAL ASSASSINATION AND SOCIALLY DISRUPTIVE AND POLITICALLY UNSTABLE NATIONS. A CASE STUDY OF ASSASSINATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST PRIMARILY IN THE POST-WORLD WAR II PERIOD IS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FACTORS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH ASSASSINATION THAT CONDITION ITS USE AND LIMIT ITS EFFECTS. IN AN ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS BELOW THE LEVEL OF PRESIDENT, SEVERAL TRENDS ARE ISOLATED. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE HIGHER THE OFFICE AND THE MORE CENTRALIZED AND PERSONALIZED IS THE POWER IN ONE MAN, THE GREATER THE PROBABILITY OF ATTACK, AND THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD THAT POLITICAL REASONS WILL BE PUT FORWARD TO EXPLAIN ANY ASSAULT. COMMON FEATURES OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS DIRECTED AGAINST PRESIDENTS OR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE DISCUSSED ACCORDING TO SIMILARITIES IN THE INTENDED VICTIMS AND THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ASSAILANTS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT MANY OF THE INTENDED VICTIMS WERE WILLING TO EXPOSE TEHMSELVES TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, AND THAT MOST OF THE ASSAILANTS WERE NOT PART OF ANY CONSPIRACY AND DID NOT POSSESS RATIONAL MOTIVATIONS FOR THEIR ASSAULTS. A FIVE-FACTOR SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IS DISCUSSED TO ILLUSTRATE THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOCIAL CONDITIONS AND HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE AND POLITICAL ASSASSINATION IN AMERICAN CULTURE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT AMERICAN POLITICAL REALITIES DICTATE THAT ASSASSINATION REPRESENTS A NECESSARY RISK OF POLITICAL LIFE. THIRTY-SIX REFERENCE NOTES, THREE DATA TABLES, AND ONE FIGURE ARE PROVIDED.