As political instability continues to rise, governments, businesses and citizens alike must be prepared. Whether it’s a terrorist attack, civil unrest or a natural disaster, it can have far-reaching consequences. While political unrest can be triggered by numerous factors, severe inequality remains the most influential.
Political unrest is a broad term that encompasses a variety of activities such as demonstrations, strikes and protests. It can range from peaceful protests to rioting and other forms of collective violence, which can result in death, injuries and destruction. It can also lead to a lack of economic productivity and reduced availability of services and goods.
The causes of political unrest are complex and differ between countries. However, many of the same drivers are present in different contexts: increases in the cost or reduction in the supply of public goods and services (such as increased utility rates, cuts in public sector jobs, fuel and food price hikes), events revealing corruption by government officials and laws that limit citizens’ freedom or discriminate against certain groups.
In addition, individuals’ views of fairness and their willingness to accept government constraints on welfare influence their propensity to riot. Finally, a government’s ability to control social unrest may depend on its capacity to mobilize resources and the skills of its citizens. Consequently, countries with more advanced infrastructure and more educated citizens have lower levels of political unrest than those that are less developed and more rural.