Terrorism is one of the driving geopolitical trends of our era. Spectacular events are recognized by their dates--for example, the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington and the 7/7 London bombings. It was a terrorist attack that drew the United States into a war in the greater Middle East that
has lasted over fifteen years. Many other attacks, including those in non-Western countries, receive far less attention even though they may be more frequent and cumulatively cause more casualties.
In Terrorism: What Everyone Needs to Know, Todd Sandler, one of America's leading scholars
on the topic, provides a broad and example-rich overview of this perennially important issue. After clearly defining terrorism, he then discusses terrorism's causes, the nature of terrorist groups, how governments seek to counter terrorism, its economic consequences, and the future of terrorism. He
focuses, in particular, on the extent to which specific motivations (nationalism/separatism, left and right extremism, and religious fundamentalism) and general conditions (poverty, globalization, and regime type) affect the frequency and costs of terrorism. As he explains, researchers have never
established a link between poverty and terrorism or between globalization and terrorism. He also identifies many other widely-held misconceptions. Throughout, he emphasizes that terrorists are rational actors who seek political goals subject to situation-specific constraints. They respond to
enhanced security measures by altering their tactics, targets, and location, making their reactions predictable. Both highly accessible and theoretically powerful, this book is the perfect primer for anyone interested in the ongoing threat of terrorism.
Acknowledgements
Preface
1. A Primer on Terrorism
2. Causes of Terrorism
3. Role of Terrorist Groups
4. Effectiveness of Counterterrorism
5. Asymmetries and Terrorism
6. Economic Consequences of Terrorism
7. The Future of Terrorism
Notes
Index
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Todd Sandler is the Vibhooti Shukla Professor of Economics and Political Economy at the University of Texas at Dallas and has consulted for the World Bank, UNIDO, International Task Force for Global Public Goods, and the Inter-American Development Bank. His past books include Global Collective
Action, The Political Economy of Terrorism (with Walter Enders), Global Challenges, The Theory of Externalities, Public Goods, and Club Goods (with Richard Cornes), and Transnational Cooperation: An Issue-Based Approach (with Clint Peinhardt).
