Complete Thesis_double spaced abstract.pdf

the earlier period in the 1950s the numbers for political violence were gathered using a
combination of published work. 32 The only large increase in political violence, not directly
attributed to the REMHI or the CEH, was the large increase in 1954. This was a result of the
purges after the 1954 coup, it was estimated that nearly 8,000 peasants were killed after the coup
when Colonel Armas came to power. 33
The measurement for state sponsored violence refers to
all political violence perpetrated by the state directly (military) and indirectly (paramilitary death
squads and PACs).
The Framework: Economic Development and State Sponsored Violence
The framework predicts a causal relationship between economic development and state
sponsored violence. The initiating step in this framework was economic development policies
which demonstrate a movement from subsistence production to export production, along with
modernization of agriculture, diversification of agricultural exports, and implementation of
neoliberal economic policies. Within nearly every administration, although with varying degrees
of success, this initiating incident occurred. When the state initiates economic development, as
previously defined, the next step predicted by the framework is conflict between domestic
constituencies, the state responds to this conflict with violence. To further investigate the
usefulness of the framework, the following hypotheses are examined: (1) economic development
policies matching the framework exist, and are followed by violence and conflict, (2) economic
development policies matching the framework exist, and are not followed by violence and
conflict, and (3) economic development policies do not match the framework, yet violence exists.
Initiating Economic Development and High Violence: Pattern Exists
32
Including: Jonas, Black, Handy, Calvert.
33
As mentioned in the previous sections, this figure is supported by multiple authors writing on Guatemala.
175