Sources of Political Conflict

In 1936 American political scientist Harold Dwight Lasswell defined politics as "who gets what, when, how." As this definition implies, politics is a debate over the distribution of resources, including natural resources, goods, wealth and land. Disagreements over the distribution of resources are at the root of political conflict.

Levels of Conflict

Conflict doesn't always mean war or violence. All political disagreements are conflicts, and without conflict there would be no need for elections or debate. If politics is "who gets what, when and how," the goal of political bodies and systems is to manage conflict and attempt to find fair solutions. The government's role is to attempt to resolve political conflicts fairly and peacefully. When solutions cannot be found that are acceptable to the parties involved, conflict can escalate, even to the point of war.

Economics

The relationship between economics and conflict is a complicated one. Civil war is less likely in wealthier countries, and low income and income growth rates make individuals more easy to recruit as rebels. However, violent conflict also requires a certain level of funding, which makes very poor people less likely to become violent unless someone provides the funding for them to acquire weapons. Poor communities can become hubs for narcotics and related activities which also can lead to conflict.

Natural Resources

Natural resources have long been a chief source of conflict between people and between nations. Nations have gone to war over natural resources such as farm land, the rights to waterways and areas rich in commodities like gold and silver. As populations increase and natural resources have depleted, these conflicts have continued. In the future, some believe we will have intense conflicts over commodities such as fuel and water.

Race, Religion and Other

While religion, ethnicity, culture, political affiliation and race may be seen as a cause of conflict, they are typically more of a means of conflict than a source. Differences between groups are frequently exploited by political leaders to create a desire for conflict among populations. The actual goal of the conflict is typically access to resources and has nothing to do with religion, race, or other cultural differences. There are many examples of countries where people of different faiths, races, cultures and political philosophies coexist peacefully.