Back to Course Descriptions

Books:

Martin. Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues, current edition.

Badey, ed. Annual Editions: Violence and Terrorism, current edition.

An additional book on a specific terrorism issue; used for the book analysis assignment.

Grade Breakdown:

Web exercises	15%
Mid-term exam	20%
Final exam	20%
Book analysis	15%
Research paper	25%
Participation	5%
TOTAL	100%

WHAT IS AND ISN'T TERRORISM

Defining and Identifying Terrorism
        -terror, terroristic, terrorism
        -inside the mind of a terrorist: criminal? hero?

CHOOSING TERRORISM: THE BIG PICTURE

The Terror Option: Historical Foundations
        -enlightenment and terror
        -destroying the order: revolution and anarchy
        -industrializing terror

Terror as Policy, Terror as Policy Response
        -state-sponsored terrorism: the lure of the war model
        -when governments terrorize their own people
        -from below: fighting the state, fighting each other

Ideology: The Violence of Left and Right
        -dogmas and bombs
        -why left wing terrorism is more prevalent in history
        -why right wing terrorism has stepped up in recent years

Religion: the "New" Philosophy of Violence
        -unshakable dogmas
        -are all faiths prone to violence?
        -Israel and Palestine: nationalism yields to religion?

THE CONTEMPORARY FACE OF TERRORISM

Holy War, Holy Warriors
        -the lure of Islamic revolution: the Iranian example
        -Osama bin Laden: terror mastermind
        -al Qaeda organization and tactics: the spreading danger

Globalization and the Evolution of Terrorism
        -developing terrorism networks: partnerships old and odd
        -the global terrorist "class"
        -redefining terror motivation in a global age

COMBATING TERRORISM

Analyzing the Enemy
        -the structure and process of terror execution
        -anticipating terror strategy
        -the media: what can authorities learn, what should the public know?

The War on Terror: Overseas
        -Operation Enduring Freedom
        -the Iraq question, and others like it

The War on Terror: The Homefront
        -the USA PATRIOT Act, Homeland Security and other measures
        -liberty v. security
        -by the way, terrorism is not new to American society

Old Terror Goals, New Terror Weapons
        -weapons of mass destruction
        -cyberterrorism
        -what next?

Back to Course Descriptions