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You Shall Not Overkill: Substitution Between Means of Group Removal

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  • Ferrero Mario

    (Institute of Public Policy and Public Choice (POLIS), University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Cavour 84, 15100 Alessandria, Italy)

Abstract

This note places mass killing in a continuum of actions that a ruling power can take to remove an unwanted group from a society; that is, it views extermination as a means to an end, and it assumes that rulers are rational and will choose the combination of means that can achieve their goal at the minimum cost to themselves. The means are assimilation into the general society, physical removal from view (through either deportation within the country or exile from the country), and extermination. The note develops a simple model of input choice geared to cost minimization and then finds encouraging support from the historical evidence on communist regimes.

Suggested Citation

  • Ferrero Mario, 2013. "You Shall Not Overkill: Substitution Between Means of Group Removal," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(3), pages 333-342, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:pepspp:v:19:y:2013:i:3:p:333-342:n:13
    DOI: 10.1515/peps-2013-0045
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Joan Esteban & Massimo Morelli & Dominic Rohner, 2015. "Strategic Mass Killings," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 123(5), pages 1087-1132.
    2. Ferrero, Mario, 2013. "Extermination as a substitute for assimilation or deportation: an economic approach," POLIS Working Papers 174, Institute of Public Policy and Public Choice - POLIS.
    3. Marijke Verpoorten, 2012. "Leave none to claim the land," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 49(4), pages 547-563, July.
    4. Stephen Wheatcroft, 1996. "The scale and nature of German and Soviet repression and mass killings, 1930–451," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(8), pages 1319-1353.
    5. Michael Ellman, 2002. "Soviet Repression Statistics: Some Comments," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(7), pages 1151-1172.
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    1. repec:bpj:pepspp:v:19:y:2013:i:3:p:285-290:n:15 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Anderton Charles H., 2014. "Killing Civilians as an Inferior Input in a Rational Choice Model of Genocide and Mass Killing," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 327-346, April.
    3. Piotr Lis & Michael Spagat & Uih Ran Lee, 2021. "Civilian targeting in African conflicts: A poor actor’s game that spreads through space," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 58(5), pages 900-914, September.
    4. Jurgen Brauer & Charles Anderton, 2014. "Economics and Genocide: Choices and Consequences," Working Papers 1408, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    5. Charles Anderton & Jurgen Brauer, 2014. "Economics of Genocide and International Law," Working Papers 1409, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    6. Mario Ferrero, 2017. "The Rationality of Serb Leaders in the Bosnian War," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 53-64, January.

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