The ultimate coercive sanction
HRAF Press • New Haven, CT • Published In • Pages: 1-164 •
By Otterbein, Keith F.
Hypothesis
"Despotic" states are likely to be younger than "mature" states (p. 79)
Note
The author identifies states as "despotic" when "torture was used to obtain confessions and/or to make death more painful"(p. 78), and "mature" when "few crimes (four or less) led to execution, if there were few (two or less) means of executing, and if there were no data describing torture" (p.78). Twelve states were identified, seven of which were despotic and five of which were mature. While the hypothesis was statistically supported, two major outliers were the Ganda and the Koreans, both of which had existed as states for nearly five centuries and were nevertheless despotic.
| Test Name | Support | Significance | Coefficient | Tail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher's Exact Test | Partially Supported | p<.05 | phi=.71 | UNKNOWN |
| Variable Name | Variable Type | OCM Term(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Age of State | Independent | Territorial Hierarchy, Government Institutions |
| Prevalence of Torture | Dependent | Sanctions |
| Prevalence of Capital Punishment | Dependent | Sanctions, Execution Of Justice |