ABSTRACT
Repressive or political violations benefit principals or executives, whereas non-political violations are perpetrated for the benefit of the agents themselves. This chapter shows that the enabling environment and the ability to control agents are powerful explanatory factors for physical integrity rights violations broadly conceived. Where agents can operate with impunity, and where the state is unwilling or unable to hold them accountable for abuse, physical integrity rights records are poor. Where executives endogenously manipulate institutional constraints on their authority, the pacifying effects of other institutional constraints attenuate and repressive violations of the deterrent or terroristic mold are more common. The ability to control and hold agents accountable appears to be a more important factor to explain aggregate physical integrity rights violations than the capacity of principals to pursue their goals. During civil and international war, or when challenged by violent and even non-violent anti-government protest, executives will be more likely to authorize repressive policies to eliminate the threats.
