Who Becomes A Terrorist? Instrumental and Psychological Explanations

1. Who Becomes A Terrorist? Instrumental and Psychological Explanations PO 483: The Politics of Terrorism

2. Who Becomes A Terrorist? Instrumental Explanations • Four Main Questions: • In Which Immediate Political Contexts Should We Expect Terrorism to Be a Rational Choice for Groups? • Which Individuals Should Be Expected to Rationally Choose to Become a Member of a Group Whose Main Political Weapon is Terrorism?

3. Who Becomes A Terrorist? Instrumental Explanations • Four Main Questions: • What is the Collective Action Problem? Are Terrorist Groups Better Able to Solve It? • What Purposes Does Terrorism in Certain Political Contexts Serve Other Than Intimidation of a Government and the Citizens it Governs?

4. What Leads to the Rational Development of Terrorist Movements? • Preconditions • Permissive: • Modernization – restructuring of societies (cultural), transportation and communication (mobility and publicity) • Urbanization – provides more opportunity for interaction and covert operations, and eliminates other options such as guerilla and full-frontal assaults (concentration of state power) • Social Facilitation – social habits and historical traditions (Irish example)

5. What Leads to the Rational Development of Terrorist Movements? • Preconditions • Enabling: • Concrete grievances among a subgroup – this can lead to the development of social movements to redress the grievances • Lack of opportunity for political participation – this may not be directed toward any particular subgroup

6. What Leads to the Rational Development of Terrorist Movements? • Apathetic Majority • Majority of individuals affected by a perceived injustice does not feel conditions to be so bad as to warrant insurrection or a violent redress of grievances • Extremist Elite • Belief in righteousness of cause is strong enough for the benefits of changing the status quo to exceed the costs (or to allow them to incur a great deal more costs than others).

7. Extremist Elite • Willing to suffer large personal costs to receive potential benefits • Basic Necessities Covered (Time, Energy, Requisite Resources) • Educated individuals who have an idea of what government should do, what the government is doing wrong, and an idea that activism works

8. Problem of Collective Action: The Advantage of Extremist Elites • Extremist Elites Have Many Problems; Overcoming Immediate Collective Action Problems Not Normally One • Olsonian Collective Action Problem: • Like minded individuals want to get the same thing accomplished • As the group gets larger, free riding more likely • Excessive free riding equals the end of the endeavor (example of collective security and the UN) • Solutions: Selective incentives for large groups, highly motivated individuals each willing to bear a large part of the burden of getting the job done in small groups • For Extremist Elite – Self Selection Diminishes Free Riding

9. Courting the Majority of the Affected Group • In addition to impact that the terrorist acts have on government and other citizens, they are conducted to gain material/popular strength for the cause by garnering the support of the rest of the subgroup • Goal: Gain Support By Affecting Cost/Benefit Calculus of Subgroup, Thereby Moving to Higher Levels of Armed Conflict

10. Permissive Preconditions: Modernization Urbanization Social Facilitation Enabling Preconditions: Concrete Grievances No Opportunity for Political Participation Apathetic Subgroup Majority: * Costs of redressing grievances higher than likely benefits Motivated Extremist Elite Minority: Benefits of redressing grievances higher than costs Educated Fewer time or material constraints on participation Small-Group Collective Action Solution Precipitating Factor/Event Broader involvement of subgroup majority Terrorist Campaign Pressure on target Change in Status Quo

11. Important Anomalies Concerning Terrorism For Which Rational Choice Theory Seems Ill-Equipped • Why do we sometimes see extremely young individuals sacrificing their lives for a cause they may not understand, and when they may not have felt the oppression that is the root enemy of the group? (e.g., Hamas) • Why do we see extremely violent attacks that seem to guarantee the subsequent eradication of the group? (e.g., Al-Queda) • Why do we see the continuation of terrorist violence by groups even after the defeat of the groups or the attainment of objectives (e.g., PIRA)

12. Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism • Individual Psychology: • The study of the individual mind, or what mental impetuses cause individuals to do what they do (contrast with RCT) • Generally, individuals act based on the need to equilibrate their mental states; they attempt to satisfy a perceived void in their psyche which is created or left lacking by individual experience

13. Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism • Group Psychology: Two general areas of interest • The desire of individuals to join groups (identity, camaraderie) • The effects of group dynamics on individual/group thinking (groupthink)

14. Why do Individuals Form or Join Terrorist Groups? • Rational Choice Explanation: • Relatively educated, financially secure, politically motivated • Join to change unjust status quo • Willing to incur high costs • Time and energy • Possible retaliation by status quo power • Banishment from society

15. Why do Individuals Form or Join Terrorist Groups? • Psychological Explanations: • Individuals disaffected; do not fit in with family, society • Individual fails to establish trust, autonomy, or individual/social identity • Leaders: Evince belief in the cause from outset, but start also for a sense of purpose, empowerment, and identity. • Followers: May not feel any connection to cause at outset. Join mainly to gain a sense of identity, belonging, or to engage in dangerous activity • Psychopaths may desire to join, but are avoided – VERY FEW TERRORISTS EXHIBIT PSYCHOPATHIC ABNORMALITIES

16. Why do Individuals Participate in and Escalate Terrorist Violence after Joining? • Rational Choice Explanation: • Choice commensurate with cost-benefit analysis • Power very limited, but circumstances dictate that the cause can be furthered by using violence • Status quo power too cruel, unjust to allow SQ to continue (Crenshaw – precipitant)

17. Why do Individuals Participate in and Escalate Terrorist Violence after Joining? • Psychological Explanations: • After completing mundane tasks: • Gradual indoctrination, socialization, desensitization to violence • “Defining moment” –der sprung • Guilt associated with violence mitigated by group acceptance and sense of identification (may not even be justifiable) • Peer pressure promotes self-sacrifice • Solidarity via violence (greater violence = greater solidarity) • Can cause continuation/needless escalation of violence