Introduction to Policing
SAGE Journal Articles
Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.
Learning Objectives
14-1: Identify the various factors that have vastly expanded transnational crime.
14-2: Discuss the economic, social, and political costs associated with white-collar crime.
14-3: Describe local and global conditions that give rise to acts of terrorism.
14-4: Identify recommendations for improved law enforcement and citizen responses to terrorism and transnational organized crime.
This article presents an eclectic review of the analytical study of terrorism that views all agents as rational decision makers. This analytical literature began in earnest with the seminal study of US skyjackings by William Landes in 1978. After 11 September 2001, the analytical literature on terrorism grew rapidly. Based on policy relevance, my survey article identifies five key areas of intense research interests. These include analyses of terrorist attack trends, the economic consequences of terrorism, the study of counterterrorism effectiveness, the causes of terrorism, and the relationship of terrorism and liberal democracies. New developments in the field focused on distinguishing key differences between domestic and transnational terrorism. Additionally, recent game-theoretic advances permitted more active agents and stages to the games. Other major developments involved the study of networked terrorists and the role of counterterrorism foreign aid. Fruitful future directions include using advanced econometric methods to discern the true impact of terrorism on growth, applying spatial econometrics to the study of terrorism, ascertaining the determinants of terrorist groups’ longevity, and learning how to foster international counterterrorism cooperation.
- What are the main findings of this study?
- How can this analysis be used to help shape anti-terrorism strategies?