Political Science: Terrorism & Counterterrorism

Overview of scholarly research on terrorism and counterterrorism efforts, engagement with debates on the appropriateness of the term terrorism, information on terrorist movements (both historical and contemporary), and a discussion of policy responses to terrorism. Prerequisite: POLS 1500, POLS 1015, POLS 1700, or POLS 1017.

Prerequisite enforced by the system: POLS 1500, POLS 1015, POLS 1700, or POLS 1017. Minimum Sophomore standing. PACE students with permission and override.

Acts of terrorism are all over the news, but questions surround them. Do they really count as terrorism? Is terrorism the best term to describe this violence? What led to these acts of violence? How can we best prevent them? In this course we will attempt to answer these questions. Through a mix of lectures, debates (informal and organized), written assignments and group projects, we will explore the nature of terrorism, its history, its current manifestations, and efforts to combat it. We will both survey existing research on terrorism and critically engage with this scholarship to determine if we are approaching this topic in the proper manner. We will also apply this scholarship to current events to try and make sense of the world today.

After completing this course, students will be able to: 1. Understand the history of terrorism and attempts to explain and counter it 2. Assess how accurate and appropriate scholarship on terrorism has been in making sense of this issue 3. Produce original insights into terrorism and counterterrorism, whether it is reactions to terrorism scholarship, research frameworks for studying terrorism, or policy suggestions for countering terrorism

Evaluation will be based on short essays, an in-class mid-term and final, and a larger writing project.