ABSTRACT
Terrorism is the premeditated use, or threat to use, violence by individuals or subnational groups to obtain a political or social objective through the intimidation of a large audience beyond the immediate noncombatant victims. The two essential ingredients of terrorism are its violence and its political or social motive. Terrorists tend to employ shockingly violent acts, such as beheadings, downing of commercial airlines, bombings in public markets, and armed attacks in public places, to intimidate an audience. Their unpredictable and horrific attacks are meant to make everyone feel at risk, even though the true likelihood of falling victim to a terrorist incident is very low. Terrorists seek to circumvent normal channels for political change by traumatizing the public with brutal acts, so that governments feel compelled to either address terrorist demands or divert public funds into hardening potential targets. Terrorist campaigns are more prevalent in liberal democracies, where the government’s legitimacy hinges on its ability to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
