economics of terrorism Flashcards
what is terrorism?
it is an overtly political act that aims to spread fear. it Uses extreme violence perpetrated typically by relatively small radicalised groups
May be local, regional , national or international in scope
what is the trend of terrorism?
There is an upward trend in terroism as it is driven by political and extreme political fractions
what are the causes of terrorism?
Countries where terrorism are prevalant seem to feature fractured societies whether its political such as marxists FARC in columbia or ISIS in syria or religious differences such as protestants vs catholics in northern island or ethinacally based such as the kurds in turkey
All share a resort to violence to express their seperatness and make their discontent known to secure political change
The communities tend to be characterized by limited economic interchange and social networking outside their immediate environment
The objectives of peoples whose lifes revolve around tightly knit local communities are not aligned with the nation at large
what are the features of traditional tribes?
Norms of conduct in traditional tribal cultures emphasise the individual as embedded part o hierarchically organized groups and discourage notions of independence. Obligations and behaviours are highly contextual in such societies and enforcement is likely to be community based. It has respect for tradition , honouring elders and obedience. It encourages people to seek quidance in sources other than the law
what are the features of the modern competitive market economies?
Norms of conduct in modern competitive market economies emphases the individual autonomy. The rule of law is an overaching norm where people are bounded as entities who should be encouraged to engage in their own ideas and feelings . The law needs to be transparent and has a contextual source of guidance
why do poor countries tend to exhibit more terrorist activities?
German economists krieger found that the correlation between levels of gdp per head and terrorism is not robust
They do find however that higher levels of income inequality are more associated with terrorist activity
A sense of social exclusion is the important factor . Wide income inequalitys are relevent rather than overall income per head of nation
what explains the flow of foreign fighters to isis?
the number of isis foreign fighters are positively correlated to a countrys gdp per capita and human development index. A factor that explains the number of isis foreign fighters are the size of a countrys muslim population and its ethnic homogeneity. The flow of foreign fighters is not driven by economic or political conditions but rather by ideology and the difficulty of assimilation (joining the culture) into homogenous western countries
what is the vicous cycle when it comes to isis foreign fighters?
There is a vicous cycle as a terror attack by islamic groups are likely to lead to backlash againt muslims which makes it harder for them to assimilate into a communtity. If muslims experience greater number of hate crimes it increases the likelihood of them marrying their own ethnic group, greater fetility and lower female labour participation
Terroism leads to fear of foreigners which leads to difficulty of intergration which leads to radicalisation which then leads back to terroism
what are the 2 prime causes that relate foreign occupation to suicide terrorism?
1- social distance between the occupier and the occupied. The wider the social distance is the more the occupued community will fear losing its way of life
2- suicide terrorism is a last resort used when non suicide methods failed
what is the most important way to prevent suicide bombers?
if you empower the the local groups and give them a vote then they wont feel the need to resolve to suicide bombing. also dont fortify a position too strongly otherwise that will also lead to suicide bombers as there is direct relation between defense and attack
what are the long term counter terrorist strategies?
Long term goals aim to change the social and economic contextss that fragment society
Provide the means to exercise political voice
Improve access to employmeny
Subsidise local industry
Political certanty and leadership from center should emphasise the power of the state
Improve infrastructure
Improve state education and health services
Uniform application of state laws
Promote a sense of nationhood and inclusion
how do terrorists fund their operations?
substantial natural resource rents or foreign aid can be captured and diverted to terrorists cause. they can also be funded through foreign support
what are the economic costs that are involved within suicidal terroism?
Suicide bombers have been proven to be generally more educated and from higher income brackets then the typical recruit to insurgent forces. As a result the employment opportunities are greater so they incur a greater opportuntity cost
The act of suicide will also strip the group of highly committed memember
what are the economic benefits that are involved within suicidal terroism>
the club may offer to continually provide public goods for the community of friends and family after you have made the sacrifice.
why might you join a club?
Clubs provide local public goods that the wider society does not offer
