Kontrollbalansen

The term "kontrollbalansen" is a Swedish concept that translates to "control balance" or "balance of control." It refers to a theoretical framework developed by political scientist Ted Gurr. This theory attempts to explain the causes of political violence, particularly revolutions and civil wars, by examining the balance of power between the state and its citizens.

At its core, kontrollbalansen posits that political violence is more likely to occur when there is a significant imbalance in the capacity for control between the government and the populace. Gurr identified two primary forms of control: coercive control, which is the state's ability to enforce its will through military and police power, and institutional control, which is the government's legitimacy and the public's acceptance of its authority and laws.

When a state possesses a strong coercive apparatus but lacks institutional control, meaning its population does not widely accept its legitimacy, the potential for violence increases. Conversely, a state with high institutional control but weak coercive capacity might also be vulnerable, as it may struggle to suppress dissent when it arises. Kontrollbalansen suggests that the most stable political systems are those where both coercive and institutional control are relatively strong and balanced, or where a significant deficit in one is compensated by a surplus in the other.

The theory considers factors such as the state's resources, the level of political dissent, the cohesion of political elites, and the grievances of the population in assessing this balance. While the concept is theoretical, it has been used as a framework for analyzing the conditions that contribute to political instability and conflict.