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What Stops the Torture?

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  • Courtenay Ryals Conrad
  • Will H. Moore

Abstract

States whose agents engage in torture in a given year have a 93% chance of continuing to torture in the following year. What leads governments to stop the use of torture? We focus on the principal–agent relationship between the executive and the individuals responsible for supervising and interrogating state prisoners. We argue that some liberal democratic institutions change the probability that leaders support the creation of institutions that discourage jailers and interrogators from engaging in torture, thus increasing the probability of a state terminating its use of torture. These relationships are strongly conditioned by the presence of violent dissent; states rarely terminate the use of torture when they face a threat. Once campaigns of violent dissent stop, however, states with popular suffrage and a free press are considerably more likely to terminate their use of torture. Also given the end of violent dissent, the greater the number of veto points in government, the lower the likelihood that a state terminates its use of torture.

Suggested Citation

  • Courtenay Ryals Conrad & Will H. Moore, 2010. "What Stops the Torture?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(2), pages 459-476, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:54:y:2010:i:2:p:459-476
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5907.2010.00441.x
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    Cited by:

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    6. Ursula Daxecker, 2017. "Dirty Hands," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 61(6), pages 1261-1289, July.
    7. Adam S. Chilton & Mila Versteeg, 2015. "The Failure of Constitutional Torture Prohibitions," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 44(2), pages 417-452.
    8. Christopher Wiley Shay, 2023. "Swords into ploughshares? Why human rights abuses persist after resistance campaigns," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 60(1), pages 141-156, January.
    9. Jessica Maves Braithwaite & Joseph M Cox & Margaret Farry, 2022. "Tactics of resistance and post-conflict judicial independence," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 59(6), pages 779-793, November.
    10. Jessica Maves Braithwaite & Charles Butcher, 2023. "Muddying the Waters: The Anatomy of Resistance Campaigns and the Failure of Ceasefires in Civil Wars," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 67(7-8), pages 1376-1404, August.
    11. Christian Davenport, 2012. "When democracies kill: Reflections from the US, India, and Northern Ireland," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 3-20, March.
    12. Kimberly R Frugé, 2019. "Repressive agent defections: How power, costs, and uncertainty influence military behavior and state repression," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 36(6), pages 591-607, November.
    13. Naji Bsisu & Amanda Murdie, 2022. "Interventions and repression following civil conflict," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 59(2), pages 213-228, March.
    14. Christian Davenport, 2022. "Against polarization," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 39(4), pages 375-393, July.
    15. Matthew Rains & Daniel W Hill Jr, 2024. "Nationalism and torture," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 61(5), pages 794-807, September.
    16. Andreas Beger & Daniel Hill Jr, 2019. "Examining repressive and oppressive state violence using the Ill-Treatment and Torture data," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 36(6), pages 626-644, November.
    17. Courtenay R Conrad & Jacqueline HR DeMeritt & Daniel W Hill & Ryan M Welch & Joseph K Young, 2019. "Will H. Moore’s enduring contribution to peace and conflict studies," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 36(6), pages 563-569, November.
    18. Courtenay R Conrad & Daniel W Hill Jr & Will H Moore, 2018. "Torture and the limits of democratic institutions," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 55(1), pages 3-17, January.
    19. Sam R Bell & David Cingranelli & Amanda Murdie & Alper Caglayan, 2013. "Coercion, capacity, and coordination: Predictors of political violence," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 30(3), pages 240-262, July.
    20. Timothy M. Peterson, 2017. "Export Diversity and Human Rights," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 61(8), pages 1740-1767, September.
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    23. Shadmehr, Mehdi, 2015. "Extremism in revolutionary movements," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 97-121.

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