摘要：Civil war is a form of collective violence most important of our time. Although the literature has highlighted the relationship between certain variables and the onset of civil wars, the influence of political regimes in internal conflicts is still controversial. This study aims to contribute to this debate. The objectives of this paper are to discuss the contemporary definitions of civil wars, and to evaluate critically the quantitative bases more common in comparative politics and comment on their suitability for research on civil wars and, finally, suggest possible solutions that could be methodological used to analyze more accurately the impact of the schemes at the beginning of the civil wars.
