NCJ Number
61089
Journal
JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING/ SUMMER 1978) Pages: 7-15
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A TYPOLOGY OF POLITICAL TERRORISM IDENTIFIES REVOLUTIONARY, SUBREVOLUTIONARY, AND ESTABLISHMENT TERRORISM AND EXAMINES SELECTED VARIABLES.
Abstract
POLITICAL TERRORISM, PARTICULARLY AS IT HAS DEVELOPED SINCE WORLD WAR II, IS THE THREAT OR USE OF EXTRANORMAL FORMS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE, WITH POLITICAL GOALS AND THE INTENT TO INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOR OF TARGETED GROUPS BEYOND ITS IMMEDIATE VICTIMS. TERRORISM MAY OR MAY NOT EXTEND BEYOND NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. ALTHOUGH TERRORISTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TRADITIONALLY, A TYPOLOGY WITH THE AXIOM THAT POLITICAL TERRORISM IS GOAL-DIRECTED IDENTIFIES TERRORISTS AS REVOLUTIONARY, AIMING TO CHANGE AN ENTIRE POLITICAL SYSTEM; SUBREVOLUTIONARY, AIMING TO BRING ABOUT CHANGES WITHIN THE SYSTEM; OR ESTABLISHMENT, USED BY AN ESTABLISHED SYSTEM AGAINST VARIOUS OPPONENTS. FURTHER VARIABLES THAT MAKE UP THIS TYPOLOGY INCLUDE CAUSES (ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS), ENVIRONMENT (WITHIN THE NATION-STATE, OR GLOBAL OR SYSTEMIC), GOALS (BROAD OR SPECIFIC STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES WITH POLITICAL ENDS), STRATEGY (THE OVERALL PLAN), MEANS (RANGING FROM THE MOST SOPHISTICATED TO THE MOST PRIMITIVE FORMS OF WEAPONRY OR COMMUNICATION), ORGANIZATION (FORMALIZED STRUCTURE), AND PARTICIPATION (THE TYPE OF INDIVIDUAL WHO TAKES PART IN POLITICAL TERRORISM). WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT THE TYPOLOGY MUST BE MORE FULLY DEVELOPED, IT ALREADY PROVIDES A GENERAL CLASSIFICATION SCHEME, DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE COMPLEX NATURE OF POLITICAL TERRORISM, AND OFFERS THE POSSIBILITY OF DERIVING ASSAYABLE PROPOSITIONS. DIAGRAMS ILLUSTRATE THE TEXT, AND SEVERAL NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (RFC)