Managing Terrorism in Democracies

Abstract

Abstract: Democratic countries have long dealt with the challenge of terrorism. I discuss the challenges associated with how democracies can manage terrorist violence. I outline what terrorism is and is not and why this matters in understanding how to manage and mitigate terrorism's impacts on democratic countries. Next, I discuss terrorism in democracies like the United States and France and show the reasons why citizens should be concerned and practical in the ways our countries respond to terrorism. Importantly, I discuss the perceived existential threat of terrorism for democracy and argue why this largely overblown. Briefly, I outline the major reasons why scholars think terrorism occurs and how this should link to our policy responses. In the conclusion, I argue that counterterrorism strategies should directly follow from the reasons why we think terrorism happens and why I think this should be a central concern for analysts.