NCJ Number
37710
Journal
COMPARATIVE POLITICAL STUDIES Dated: (APRIL 1975) Pages: 58-74
Date Published
1975
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE HYPOTHESIS OF THIS PAPER IS THAT HUMAN CONGESTIONS INDEPENDENT OF ITS LINKAGE WITH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS VARIABLES, MAY BE ONE FACTOR CAUSING POLITICAL AGGRESSION AS EXPRESSED BY ACTS OF CIVIL DISORDER.
Abstract
MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS USING TWO DATA SETS WAS USED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIZED LINK. DATA ON CIVIL DISORDERS IN 65 NATIONS WORLDWIDE WERE ANALYZED ALONG WITH COMPARATIVE DATA ON CIVIL DISORDERS IN 676 UNITED STATES COMMUNITIES. THE ADDITIONAL VARIABLES OF URBANIZATION, INDUSTRIALIZATION, DISCRIMINATION, AND SIZE OF SECURITY FORCES WERE ENTERED INTO THE REGRESSION FIRST TO ISOLATE THE EFFECT OF CONGESTION. ANALYSIS OF BOTH THE INCIDENCE AND INTENSITY OF CIVIL STRIFE IN THE CROSS-NATIONAL DATA INDICATED THAT HOUSEHOLD CROWDING AND TO A LESSER EXTENT AREA DENSITY ACCOUNTED FOR MODERATE AMOUNTS OF VARIANCE IN THIS TYPE OF POLITICAL AGGRESSION. THE CROSS-CITY DATA DID NOT SHOW THE SAME PATTERNS. CROWDING PER SE WAS FOUND TO BE A LESS POWERFUL EXPLANATORY FACTOR IN INCIDENCE AND SEVERITY OF CIVIL DISORDER THAN IN THE CROSS-NATIONAL ANALYSIS. THIS WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SIZE OF THE BLACK POPULATION IN EXPLAINING THE INCIDENCE, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE SEVERITY, OF CIVIL DISORDER. TAKING OUT BASIC POPULATION MEASURES, BUT STILL CONTROLLING FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS, RESULTS IN CROWDING ACCOUNTED FOR SIGNIFICANTLY MORE VARIANCE. A THREE-PAGE LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED.