Meaning of Coercion

What is Coercion:

As coercion is called the pressure, force or violence of a physical, mental or moral nature that is exerted on a person to force them to do or say something against their will. The word, as such, comes from Latin coercive, coactiōnis.

Coercion, also known as private violence, can be exercised through threats, force or violence. The person who is a victim of coercion, for his part, knows that he is in imminent danger and, for this reason, feels that he does not have the freedom to act voluntarily, so he obeys the person who is coercing him.

As such, the term coercion is used in various disciplines, such as Political Scienceshe rightthe psychology and the sociology.

Coercion in Law

In the legal field, coercion is called the legitimate power by which the law has the power to impose compliance with the laws. In this sense, The only entity that has legitimate power to coerce is the State, which must enforce the regulations and announce punishments for those who do not comply. Hence, legal coercion is established in the penal code of each country, which stipulates which behaviors are subject to punishment by the State.

Coercion in Criminal Law

In Criminal Law, for its part, coercion is called a crime in which the use of force or violence is incurred to prevent a person from doing or saying something that is not sanctioned by law, or so that this behaves against your will.

Duress and coercion

Coercion and coercion are terms often used as synonyms. However, the coercion It is the pressure exerted on someone to force their will or behavior. In this sense, coercion is of an internal or psychological nature, since it affects conscience and reason. The coercionOn the other hand, it involves force or violence by which a person is forced to do or say something against their will.

See also Coercion.

Coercion to vote

Coercion to vote is called pressure exerted on voters to force them to vote for a candidate, preventing him from freely choosing what his conscience or reason dictates. As such, it can be exercised through direct or indirect threats or pressure, which imply the loss of certain favors or benefits. Another mechanism of coercion to vote is the transfer of voters to the voting centers.

Coercion to vote is typical of corrupt or degraded electoral systems, as well as of countries where there is a deterioration in democratic freedoms. In fact, many dictatorial governments have used coercive voting to remain in power while maintaining a democratic façade.