Conceptual Issues of Terrorism – Lecture Review

22 fill-in-the-blank flashcards covering key definitions, distinctions, and strategic insights from 10 scholarly articles on terrorism, insurgency, rebellion, and civil war.

Most scholarly definitions agree that terrorism involves __ or the threat thereof.

violence

A central aim of terrorist tactics is to create __ among the public.

fear

Weinberg, Pedahzur, and Hirsch-Hoefler note that terrorist groups are usually __ and weaker than the state.

smaller

Terrorism is distinguished from insurgency by its primary focus on the __ effect rather than territorial gain.

psychological

Ünal defines terrorism as violence mainly directed at __ to scare the public.

civilians

According to Ünal, insurgencies often aim to control __ or resources.

territory

The PKK’s rural guerrilla warfare exemplifies __, whereas its urban bombings illustrate terrorism.

insurgency

Elizabeth Saunders argues that terrorist tactics frequently appear inside __ wars.

civil

Virginia Page Fortna found rebel groups using terrorism were __ likely to secure victory in civil wars.

less

Fortna highlights harsh state crackdowns and loss of local support as strategic __ of terrorist violence.

costs

Krause & Shinoda emphasize that terrorism is often __, serving to signal identity rather than secure military objectives.

symbolic

When rebels are weak, Krause & Shinoda say they may adopt terrorism because it is a __-cost, high-impact tactic.

low

Thompson and Lyon state that rebellion requires significant __ mobilization to challenge state authority.

popular

Terrorist cells generally lack the broad __ support characteristic of rebellions.

mass

Alvarez links the rise of terrorism to states with __ institutions and minimal government control.

weak

Alvarez describes terrorism as a practical __ strategy for groups unable to build full insurgent capacity.

fallback

Richards defines revolutions as __, mass-driven movements aimed at overturning entire political systems.

popular

Stepanova proposes a __-ideological typology for classifying terrorist acts.

functional

Religious, nationalist, and political are examples of the __ motivations Stepanova uses in her typology.

ideological

Marsden argues terrorism is often chosen by groups too __ or resource-poor to engage in full-scale rebellion.

weak

Marsden’s classification framework is rooted in __ movement theory.

social

Across the articles, terrorism is repeatedly described as using __ violence to provoke fear and media attention.

symbolic