PO102 Chapter 11: TERRORISM
TERRORISM
Violence
· Violence is a tool
· Violence can be used as a tool to injure those in power
· Violence can be used to injure those who are challenging those that hold power
· Used by both sides, with the same goal: change the behavior
Terrorism vs. War
· Both are forms of political violence
· Some suggest that terrorism is different because it deliberately and indiscriminately ……
Terrorism, Elements of a Definition
· Use of threat of violence as a strategy to achieve political goals
· Aim is to induce fear causing people to alter their behavior
· Publicity is an essential element
3 component definition:
· Act or threat of violence
· Emotional reaction to the act or threat
· The social effects: what it leads people and their governments to do
Back to Definition…
· Focus less on tactics (bomb, gun, etc.)
· Focus more on psychological element
How Is Fear Induced?
· Making civilians direct targets
· Exposing people to attacks in a random fashion
· Goal: to make everyone feel unsafe
Terrorism amplifies a small amount of power by its psychological effect on populations: this is
why its often a tool of the least powerful
Objective of Terrorists
· Enforce obedience in a population
· Bargaining tactic
· Maintain a regime in power
· Provoke repressive action to expose violent nature of regime
· Demonstrate the weakness of a government or pressure a government
· Publicity
US Defines Terrorism as:
· Acts that appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population to influence
the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion or to affect the conduct of a
government
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Violence can be used as a tool to injure those in power. Violence can be used to injure those who are challenging those that hold power. Used by both sides, with the same goal: change the behavior. Some suggest that terrorism is different because it deliberately and indiscriminately . Use of threat of violence as a strategy to achieve political goals. Aim is to induce fear causing people to alter their behavior. Emotional reaction to the act or threat. The social effects: what it leads people and their governments to do. Focus less on tactics (bomb, gun, etc. ) Exposing people to attacks in a random fashion. Terrorism amplifies a small amount of power by its psychological effect on populations: this is why its often a tool of the least powerful. Provoke repressive action to expose violent nature of regime. Demonstrate the weakness of a government or pressure a government.
