Abstract
Violence results in great costs to communities throughout the world. This literature review examines how political economists have used political economy theory to understand violence. A brief history of economies and community governance in the Western world illustrates the interactions between economics and politics. Three sets of theories of political economy are described: classical theories, neo-classical theories, and radical theories, with case examples of collective violence and race riots. The review concludes with a conceptual framework designed to inform educators and practitioners.
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