1. Liberal Arts Research Professor of Political Science
What is Terrorism?
James A. Piazza
Liberal Arts Research Professor of Political Science
Penn State
February 2017

2. Terrorism, a hard word to define
[Political violence intended to influence an audience]
Emotionally and politically Charged
“One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter”
No agreed upon legal definition for the United Nations
109 different legal definitions across countries and international organizations [according to Alex Schmid]
Has changed over time

3. “Regime de la Terreur”
French Revolution
1790s

4. Narodnaya Volya (“People’s Will”)
Russian Anarchist
Assassination of Tsar Alexander II 1881

5. Who are you calling a terrorist?

6. Soldiers?

7. Arrest of Eamon DeValera, post-1916 Easter Uprising

8. Prime Minister DeValera meeting President Kennedy

9. Hoffman’s Definition Terrorism is a behavior or tactic that is:
1. Ineluctably political in aims and motivations
2. Violent, or threatens violence
3. Designed to have far-reaching psychological repercussions beyond immediate victim or target
4. Conducted by organization with chain of command or conspiratorial cell structure whose members wear no uniform or identifying insignia
5. Perpetrated by a sub-national group or non-state entity
Hoffman, “Inside Terrorism” p. 20

10. Where does terrorism occur?
Rare event
Terrorist “hot spots” or campaigns

12. Some questions or points of discussion about terrorism
Is it a phenomenon or a tactic?
Can anyone use it?
Can states use it?
What is meant by state sponsorship of terrorism?
Does it have to target civilians?
Is it different from hate crime? From violent contentious politics? From armed rebellion or civil war?
What is the difference between domestic and foreign/transnational terrorism?
Should we be afraid of it?

13. Thank you
James Piazza
Department of Political Science