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Journal Article 6.1: Blankenship, B. (2018). When do states take the bait? State capacity and the provocation logic of terrorism. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 62(2), 381-409.

Abstract: A prominent theory holds that groups may use terrorism in order to provoke governments into undertaking repression that alienates the population. However, virtually no studies have addressed the central puzzle of this provocation logic: why states would actually fall into this trap, if doing so can backfire. This study seeks to address this puzzle by suggesting conditions under which states would respond to terrorism with repression. I argue that states with limited bureaucratic capacity are more prone to using repression after terrorist incidents, as their ability to selectively crack down is inhibited by their more limited capability for controlling, monitoring, and collecting revenue from their populations and for collecting intelligence on suspected terrorists. Using a cross-national analysis with data from 1981 to 2011, I find it is low-capacity states which are most likely to respond to terrorism with repression, while constraints on executive authority have no clear effect

Journal Article 6.2: Siqueira, K. (2006). Terrorists versus the government: Strategic interaction, support, and sponsorship. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 50(6), 878-898.

Abstract: This article focuses on the strategic interaction between a terrorist group and a government as both vie for grassroots support. When terrorists and the government act contemporaneously, the equilibrium outcome depends on the effectiveness of the government’s countermeasures and the ability of the government to curb popular support of the terrorists through public spending. In two alternative scenarios, the authors establish that leadership may improve both adversaries’ well-being while reducing terrorism. The leader changes in the two cases, with the weaker player going first to the advantage of both players. State sponsorship and franchising of terrorists augment violence as both adversaries expend more effort. Sponsors can offset some strategic limits to violence that competition for supporters offers.

Journal Article 6.3: Curtis, C. B. (2006). Curbing the demand for mass destruction. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 607(1), 27-32.

Abstract: We live in an age when the supply of weapons and materials of mass destruction easily meets the demand of Islamist extremists all too willing to use them. It is essential but not enough to reduce and secure the supply of weapons and materials of mass destruction. A comprehensive approach to catastrophic terrorism requires that we manage both the supply and demand for weapons of mass destruction. Nonproliferation strategies that focus solely on supply are merely buying us time

Journal Article 6.4: Zenko, M. (2006). Intelligence estimates of nuclear terrorism. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 607(1), 87-102.

Abstract: Nuclear terrorism is not a post-9/11 or even post-cold war phenomenon. In fact, this review of declassified intelligence estimates spanning the past five decades reveals that the prospect of a clandestine nuclear attack on the United States—be it from the Soviet Union, China, or al Qaeda—has been a regular concern for U.S. officials since the advent of nuclear weapons. Although the estimates themselves have been a mixed bag of quiet successes and failures, this article’s key findings suggest that the threat of nuclear terrorism is very real and that the U.S. government remains ill prepared to counter that treat.

Additional Articles

• Bunn, M., & Wier, A. (2006, September). Terrorist nuclear weapon construction: How difficult? The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 607, 133-149.

• Douglas, K. M., McGarty, C., Bliuc, A-.M., & Lala, G. (2005, Spring). Understanding cyberhate: Social competition and social creativity in online white supremacist groups. Social Science Computer Review, 23(1), 68-76.

• Duffy, M. E. (2003, July). Web of hate: A fantasy theme analysis of the rhetorical vision of hate groups online. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 27(3), 291-312.

• Enders, W., & Su, X. (2007, February). Rational terrorists and optimal network structure. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 51(1), 33-57.

• Gonzalez-Perez, M. (2006). Guerrilleras in Latin America: Domestic and international roles. Journal of Peace Research, 43(3), 313-329.

• Gutierrez-Sanin, F. (2008, March). Telling the difference: Guerrillas and paramilitaries in the Colombian war. Politics Society, 36(1), 3-34.

• Iqbal, Z., & Zorn, C. (2008, June). The political consequences of assassination. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 52(3), 385-400.

• Levin, B. (2002, February). Cyberhate: A legal and historical analysis of extremists’ use of computer networks in America. American Behavioral Scientist, 45(6), 958-988.

• Mundy, J. (2011, June). Deconstructing civil wars: Beyond the new wars debate. Security Dialogue, 42(3), 279-295.

• Raleigh, C. (2014). Pragmatic and promiscuous: Explaining the rise of competitive militias across Africa. The Journal of Conflict Resolution, 58(5).

• Saradzhyan, S. (2006, September). Russia: Grasping the reality of nuclear terror. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 607, 64-77.

• Snowden, L. L. (2003, February). How likely are terrorists to use a nuclear strategy? American Behavioral Scientist, 46(6), 699-713.

• Somer, E., Buchbinder, E., Peled-Avram, M., & Ben-Yizhack, Y. (2004, October). The stress and coping of Israeli emergency room social workers following terrorist attacks. Qualitative Health Research, 14(8), 1077-1093.

• Spencer, A. T., & Croucher, S. M. (2008, April). Basque nationalism and the spiral of silence: An analysis of public perceptions of ETA in Spain and France. International Communications Gazette, 70(2), 137-153.

• Tota, A. L. (2005). Terrorism and collective memories: Comparing Bologna, Naples and Madrid 11 March. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 46(1-2), 55-78.

• West, D. M., & Orr, M. (2005, September). Managing citizen fears: Public attitudes toward urban terrorism. Urban Affairs Review, 41(1), 93-105.