Conflict, Democracy and Violence. An Analytical Triangle

This article reconsiders the foundational assumption that democracy transforms political conflict into peaceful competition. Drawing upon classical and contemporary theoretical traditions, it argues that conflict is not merely compatible with democracy but constitu tive of it, and that political violence persists even in consolidated democratic regimes. To explain this constitutive yet fragile relationship, the article develops the Democratic Conflict Triangle, a relational analytical framework conceptualizing democracy, conflict, and violence as mutually conditioning dimensions of political order. In stable democratic systems, institutionalized conflict and the rule of law constrain violence and reinforce democratic legitimacy. Yet when institutional capacities weaken, when collective actors fail to meaningfully articulate societal conflicts, or when criminal and extremist groups challenge state authority, the equilibrium collapses and political violence emerges as a central mechanism of contention. It further shows how contemporary democracies face analogous vulnerabilities driven by polarization, populism, the crime–politics nexus, and state repression. By integrating insights from political theory, conflict studies, and comparative politics, the article offers a comprehensive account of how democratic orders process, channel, or fail to contain conflict, thereby illuminating the conditions under which violence destabilizes democratic life.