The Politics of Domination

Abstract “The Politics of Domination” examines the subordination and repression of one or more peoples by another people and its elites. It is focused less on historic cases of imperialism and colonialism than on recent or current cases within states and autonomous regions. Domination is seen as an intentional strategy, not an unintended consequence of a dominant people’s numbers or power. Correspondingly, the book identifies domination regimes by the “stratagems” they use to dominate. It also explains regimes’ life cycles—how they come into being, are maintained, and end. The argument is that domination regimes are established when one people acquire motivation and capacity to dominate another, continue as long as both conditions persist, and end when at least one condition does not. Typical motivations and abilities are elaborated through a discussion of several cases. The book proposes two core theses. The first is that little can be understood about the life cycles of domination regimes unless their domestic and external (international) environments, including how they interact, are considered. In particular, it is argued that dominated peoples are unlikely to be able to escape domination without external help. The second thesis is that domination should not be considered, as some claim, a preferred “alternative” to even worse strategies, such as genocide or expulsions, but, rather, as something that facilitates these alternatives. The book provides lessons for the three sets of agents involved in domination regimes: elites, from outside, from the regime, and from the dominated.