CONCEPTS AND METHODS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, HISTORY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND PSYCHIATRY ARE USED IN THE STUDIES. SEVEN STUDIES PROPOSE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS, VARIABLES, AND HYPOTHESES WHICH MAY BE TESTED EMPIRICALLY TO ACCOUNT FOR VIOLENT POLITICAL BEHAVIOR WITHIN NATIONS. EXPLANATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL TENSIONS AND SOCIOLOGICAL PROCESSES WHICH ARE LINKED BY THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL DISCONTENT OR DEPRIVATION. FIVE QUANTITATIVE, CROSS-NATIONAL STUDIES ANALYZE LARGE NUMBERS OF NATIONS ON VARIOUS DIMENSIONS (SOCIAL, ECONOMICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND TRANSACTIONAL) OF POLITICALLY VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. EIGHT CASE STUDIES FOCUS ON SPECIFIC CAUSES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF VIOLENCE TO SHOW HOW GROUPS OF VARIABLES INTERACT TO PRODUCE SPECIFIC OUTCOMES. REVOLUTIONARY, CONSPIRATORIAL, AND RIOTOUS ACTIONS, AND ONE NONVIOLENT REFORM MOVEMENT ARE INCLUDED. STUDIES ON THE U.S. ARE EXCLUDED BOTH BECAUSE EXAMINATION OF OTHER COUNTRIES CAN PROVIDE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON U.S. VIOLENCE. FIGURES, TABLES, FOOTNOTES, REFERENCE LISTS, CONTRIBUTORS' BIOGRAPHIES, AN INDEX, AND AN APPENDIX DESCRIBING SIMPLE TECHNIQUES OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND PRESENTING TABLES OF CROSSNATIONAL DATA ARE INCLUDED. FOR THREE OF THE STUDIES IN THIS BOOK, SEE NCJ-63569-71. (CFW)