Journal of Peace Research

📢 New publication alert! 📢

How does attachment to the nation influence one's perception of white nationalist terrorism in the United States?

In this article, Victoria Gurevich, PhD and Christopher Gelpi (both The Ohio State University) examine how feeling a strong sense of belonging to the nation can make people less concerned about white supremacist violence. They argue that when such violence is framed in patriotic symbols and language, it can be seen as less concerning by observers. They test this theory through a survey experiment with 1,574 American adults, offering new insight into how national identity can shape public responses to domestic extremism.
Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433251360902

📢 New publication alert! 📢
Why do assassinations of social activists persist in democratic regimes?
In this article, Juan Albarracín, Rodrigo Moura Karolczak and Jonas Wolff show how these killings are linked to highly territorialized illicit economies – such as industrial deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon – where criminal-political networks respond with lethal violence to local resistance against dispossession.

The authors develop a theoretical framework and test it in a mixed-methods study of the Brazilian Amazon, combining statistical analysis with an in-depth case study of Altamira.

To learn more about the findings, read the open access article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433251347784

📣 New Special Issue! 📣
Our new special issue on Political Violence in Democracies is now out! 📖
This very timely special issue has been guest edited by Andrea Ruggeri, Ursula Daxecker and Neeraj Prasad.

The 14 special issue articles make advancements in four areas:
(1) strategies of violent actors to avoid the accountability constraints of democracy, (2) the actors sponsoring violence, (3) the effects of political violence in democracy, and (4) the debate on popular support for political violence.
Check out the complete issue here: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/jpra/62/5

And read the introduction to the special issue here: https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433251351251

🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨

When do armed groups capture democratic elections, and when do they fail to do so?

In a new study, Andres Uribe (University of Wisconsin-Madison) investigates how local party competition can shape the effectiveness of coercion during Colombia’s 2002 Senate elections.

To learn more about the findings, read the full Special Issue article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433251352656

🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨

What explains the variation in protest intensity after the 2020 US presidential election and subsequent election fraud claims?

Using a novel data set on protest activity, Marie-Therese Meye (Universität Mannheim - University of Mannheim) shows that endorsement of election denial claims by local elites increased protest mobilization. This is especially true in districts with high Republican support in the 2020 US presidential elections.

Read the full article, which is part of JPR’s upcoming Special Issue on Political Violence in Democracies, here (Open Access!): https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433251353650

🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨

What do we really know about political violence in democracies?

In their introduction to JPR's upcoming Special Issue, Andrea Ruggeri (Università degli Studi di Milano), Ursula Daxecker (University of Amsterdam / Universiteit van Amsterdam) and Neeraj Prasad (University of Amsterdam / Universiteit van Amsterdam) outline key insights and introduce 14 articles that push the field forward.

The upcoming Special Issue (in press) will advance debates on how violence unfolds in democratic contexts, reminding us that democracy isn't always as peaceful as it might seem.

To get a preview, read the Open Access introduction: https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433251351251

📚 Reminder: Want to guest edit JPR's 2027 Special Issue? Submit your proposal by 15 August! Details here: https://www.prio.org/journals/jpr/s/4

We look forward to receiving your proposal!

As JPR's Editorial Office heads into the summer break, we are excited to share that we have just published our largest issue yet!

👉 Check out the July issue here: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/JPR/current

The Editorial Office will be back in early August - until then, happy reading and a peaceful summer! 🌞

Exciting news for the Journal of Peace Research and Security Dialogue! Both Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) journals will be published by Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press) from 2026 onwards!

PRIO to partner with Oxford University Press for journal publishing from 2026 – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) is proud to announce that its two flagship journals – Journal of Peace Research and Security Dialogue – will b ...