POL 329 – Conceptual Issues of Terrorism (Lecture Review)

These 25 flashcards cover the key conceptual distinctions, empirical findings, and theoretical insights from the ten reviewed articles on terrorism, insurgency, rebellion, and civil war.

What three core elements do most scholarly and governmental definitions of terrorism share, according to Weinberg, Pedahzur & Hirsch-Hoeffler (2010)?

(1) Actual or threatened violence, (2) political motivation, and (3) the intention to create public fear.

How do Weinberg et al. (2010) distinguish terrorism from insurgency or rebellion?

Terrorism relies on small-scale attacks against civilians to achieve psychological impact, whereas insurgency/rebellion involves larger forces aiming to seize territory or overthrow the state through military confrontation.

Why do terrorist groups typically target civilians or ‘soft’ targets rather than military units?

Because they are usually weaker than the state; attacking civilians maximises fear and publicity at low cost while avoiding direct clashes they would likely lose.

Which group does Mustafa Coşar Ünal (2016) use to illustrate an organisation that alternates between terrorism and insurgency?

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

According to Ünal (2016), what is the key operational difference between terrorism and insurgency?

Terrorism focuses on violence against civilians to coerce the state indirectly, while insurgency directly confronts state forces to gain territory or resources.

What central argument does Elizabeth M. Saunders (2017) make about terrorism within civil wars?

Terrorist tactics are frequently employed by weaker factions during civil wars, showing that civil war and terrorism are interconnected forms of violence that should be theorised together.

In Fortna’s (2015) study of 100+ rebel groups (1970-2002), how did the use of terrorism affect the likelihood of rebel victory?

Groups that used terrorism were significantly less likely to achieve military or political success than those relying on conventional insurgency tactics.

List two major costs of terrorism for rebel groups identified by Fortna (2015).

(1) Harsher state crackdowns and (2) loss of local or international legitimacy, which together undermine strategic goals.

What role do extreme ideologies play in the use of terrorism during civil wars, according to Krause & Shinoda (2024)?

Deeply rooted ideologies (religious, ethnic, revolutionary) motivate groups to adopt terrorism mainly as a symbolic expression of identity and commitment rather than for direct military gain.

Why is terrorism considered a ‘low-cost, high-impact’ strategy for weak rebels, as discussed by Krause & Shinoda (2024)?

Because small attacks on civilians can generate disproportionate media attention and fear without the resources required for sustained battlefield operations.

According to Thompson & Lyon (2018), what distinguishes rebellion from terrorism in terms of popular support?

Rebellions depend on mass mobilisation and broad public backing, whereas terrorism is typically executed by small cells that operate without widespread popular legitimacy.

What structural constraints in weak states make terrorism more attractive than insurgency, as argued by Jacob Alvarez (2020)?

Weak institutions and limited state control hinder rebels’ ability to build logistics and territory; terrorism requires minimal infrastructure but still yields visibility and leverage.

How does Emily Richards (2022) differentiate revolutions from insurgencies?

Revolutions are mass-driven attempts to overhaul entire political and social systems, while insurgencies are smaller armed struggles aimed at weakening or ousting a government within existing structures.

What unique feature of terrorism does Elena Stepanova (2010) emphasise in her functional-ideological typology?

Terrorism’s primary goal is symbolic and psychological impact—provoking fear or sending a message—rather than territorial control or battlefield victory.

Name the two dimensions in Stepanova’s (2010) functional-ideological typology of terrorism.

(1) Functional aims of the violent act (e.g., provoking repression, intimidating populations) and (2) ideological motivation (religious, nationalist, political, etc.).

What does Sarah Victoria Marsden’s (2015) social-movement typology reveal about militant organisations?

Militant groups vary along a spectrum of structure, support, and political context, showing that terrorism can be one tactic among many rather than a fixed organisational category.

How many categories of militant organisations does Marsden (2015) propose, and what does this illustrate about terrorism?

Eight categories; it illustrates that terrorism may arise when groups are too weak for conventional rebellion, but can also coexist with broader insurgent or revolutionary strategies.

Why is it problematic to conflate terrorism with all other forms of political violence, according to multiple articles reviewed?

It obscures the distinct goals, scales, and strategies involved, leading to ineffective policy responses and analytical confusion in scholarship.

What psychological objective do terrorists seek that insurgents typically do not prioritise?

Generating fear among a broader audience to influence political decision-makers indirectly.

In Alvarez’s (2020) analysis, what trade-off do terrorist groups face in weak-state environments?

They gain attention and leverage through fear but risk alienating civilians and lack sustainable governance capacity.

According to Fortna (2015), how does terrorism influence the likelihood of negotiated settlements in civil wars?

It decreases the probability, as governments are less willing to compromise with groups that deliberately target civilians.

What does Saunders (2017) identify as a gap in existing research on civil war and terrorism?

A lack of integrated theory explaining how and why rebel groups shift between conventional warfare and terrorist tactics.

Why do Thompson & Lyon (2018) argue that terrorists seldom evolve into full-scale rebel movements?

Because they usually lack mass support, organisational coherence, and a comprehensive political program required for rebellion.

What common misconception about terrorism’s effectiveness is challenged by the reviewed literature?

The belief that terrorism is an effective path to political or military victory; empirical studies indicate it often backfires and fails to achieve stated objectives.

How does Richards (2022) caution scholars when studying revolutions, insurgencies, and terrorism together?

She warns that conflating them oversimplifies political violence and hinders the design of tailored, effective policy responses.