Comparative Politics: Terrorism
Textbook Exam Questions
Course Introduction
This course examines the phenomenon of terrorism through a comparative political lens, exploring how different countries and regions experience, define, and respond to terrorist threats. Students will analyze the historical, ideological, and organizational factors that give rise to terrorism, and consider the various political, economic, and social contexts that shape both terrorist activity and counterterrorism strategies. Topics include the motivations and tactics of terrorist groups, the impact of terrorism on political systems and civil liberties, and the effectiveness of government policies and international cooperation in addressing terrorism. Through case studies and theoretical frameworks, students will develop a deeper understanding of the causes, consequences, and complexities of terrorism around the world.
Recommended Textbook
Understanding Terrorism Challenges Perspectives and Issues 6th Edition by Gus Martin
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
15 Chapters
752 Verified Questions
752 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/2196
Page 2
Chapter 1: Terrorism: First Impressions
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
49 Verified Questions
49 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43726
Sample Questions
Q1) Theodore "Ted" Kaczynski was a member of the neo-Nazi movement in the United States.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Terrorism is a recent phenomenon in human history.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Ramzi Yousef bombed the World Trade Center.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) During the Roman age, the empire ______.
A) practiced what we would now call state terrorism
B) engaged in demonstrations of terror against those who did not submit to Roman authority
C) experienced frequent incidents of regicide
D) all of these
Answer: D
Page 3
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 2: The Nature of the Beast: Defining Terrorism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43727
Sample Questions
Q1) So-called hate crimes are never acts of terrorism.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The New Terrorism will be the predominant terrorist environment for the foreseeable future. In what ways have we all become participants in the modern environment?
Answer: The New Terrorism, characterized by decentralized and networked groups using modern technology and tactics, has made us all participants in the modern environment in several ways. Firstly, the widespread use of social media and the internet has allowed for the rapid dissemination of extremist ideologies and propaganda, making it easier for individuals to be radicalized and recruited into terrorist organizations. Additionally, the interconnectedness of the global economy and transportation systems has made it easier for terrorists to move funds, people, and materials across borders, posing a greater threat to international security. Furthermore, the prevalence of mass media coverage of terrorist attacks has created a climate of fear and uncertainty, impacting our daily lives and shaping public policy and discourse. Overall, the modern environment has made us all participants in the fight against terrorism, as we must remain vigilant and informed in order to combat this evolving threat.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 4
Chapter 3: Beginnings: the Causes of Terrorism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43728
Sample Questions
Q1) When considering sociological explanations for acts of terrorism, sociologists
A) have discovered that many acts of terrorism, if not most, are explainable as the result of individuals who live at the margins of society
B) report that structural conditions such as deprivation may explain why many individuals choose to engage in political violence
C) generally conclude that some terrorists are politically idealistic marginal individuals
D) both "report that structural conditions such as deprivation may explain why many individuals choose to engage in political violence" and "generally conclude that some terrorists are politically idealistic marginal individuals"
Answer: B
Q2) During Black September, the police fired on peaceful protesters.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 5
Chapter 4: Terror From Above: Terrorism by the State
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
48 Verified Questions
48 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43729
Sample Questions
Q1) Compare and contrast the Anfal Campaign in Iraq and the behavior of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Discuss the selection of their victims and reasons, including why these victims were targeted. Discuss lessons from these cases on how and why state-sponsored genocide occurs.
Q2) Auto-genocide refers to ______.
A) genocide directed against one's own people
B) genocide that occurs automatically
C) genocide supported by corporate leaders
D) genocide that is being planned but has not yet been carried out
Q3) In your opinion, what sort of government was that of Saddam Hussein?
Q4) Discuss why governments often try to hide or otherwise cover up their participation in international terrorism.
Q5) In what ways does state terrorism pose a more significant threat to the international community than do non-state terrorist groups?
Q6) State terrorism involves the overt use of force abroad.
A)True
B)False
Q7) In your opinion, what sort of government was that of Muammar el-Qaddafi?
Q8) In your opinion, why do democracies sometimes use authoritarian methods?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 6
Chapter 5: Terror From Below: Terrorism by Dissidents
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
49 Verified Questions
49 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43730
Sample Questions
Q1) The Tupamaros are an example of extremists leading the people to a successful revolution after provoking the government to react violently.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Describe the evolution in motivation and ideology within the Palestinian movement. Why did a movement like Hamas become so prominent?
Q3) In your opinion, is nihilist violence ever justifiable? Briefly explain your answer.
Q4) The New Terrorism represents an era in which the morality of terrorist violence allows for few limitations on extremist behavior.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss why the new terrorist morality occurred.
Q6) In your opinion, are rebels sometimes labeled too quickly as terrorists?
Q7) Using the case of Palestinian violence against Israeli interests, discuss the Maoist concepts of "people's war" and "war of national liberation." Discuss why the Palestinian nationalist movement has been viable for decades despite repeated setbacks and constant Israeli pressure.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: Violence in the Name of the Faith: Religious Terrorism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43731
Sample Questions
Q1) In what way do apocalyptic cults such as Aum Shinriky pose plausible threat scenarios?
A) Followers sincerely believe that their actions will bring about a spiritual upheaval in the world.
B) Many apocalyptic cult members possess weapons of mass destruction.
C) Apocalyptic cults have infiltrated mainline religions.
D) The membership of apocalyptic cults is vast.
Q2) The 2011 Arab Spring led to which of the following outcomes?
A) Democracy spread throughout the Middle East.
B) Peace slowly but steadily occurred among warring factions.
C) Thousands of Islamist fighters volunteered to wage jihad against perceived opponents.
D) Both "democracy spread throughout the Middle East" and "peace slowly but steadily occurred among warring factions."
Q3) Why has the <i>Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion</i> continued to be disseminated?
Q4) Briefly discuss the threat from Iran's sponsorship of radical Islamist causes.
Q5) Briefly discuss the threat from the international <i>mujahideen</i> and their fellow-believers.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Violent Ideologies: Terrorism From the Left and Right
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43732
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements best describes the content of Carlos Marighella's Mini-Manual?
A) His Mini-Manual was a book on how to survive in a capitalist society.
B) The content of his Mini-Manual included advice and instructions on how to build a revolutionary political party.
C) Marighella's Mini-Manual was a framework for waging violent insurrection in urban areas.
D) None of these.
Q2) Compare and contrast the far left and the far right.
Q3) The New Left was a movement largely made up of ______.
A) communist and anarchist terrorists
B) fascist activists and sympathizers
C) racial and ethnonationalist radicals
D) none of these
Q4) Briefly discuss the threat from the racist skinhead movement.
Q5) What was the general profile of Latin American left-wing terrorism in the latter quarter of the 20th century?
Page 9
Q6) Briefly discuss the terrorist environment created by Peru's Shining Path.
Q7) Discuss the significance of Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 8: Terrorist Spillovers: International Terrorism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
49 Verified Questions
49 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43733
Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the attributes of the "spillover effect." Why does it occur? From the perspective of dissidents, is it a result of practical necessity? Explain your answer.
Q2) The spillover effect refers to domestic politics that "spills over" into the international arena.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The international mujahideen represent an example of ______.
A) an international Marxist insurgency
B) global Islamist extremism
C) nationalist revolutionaries
D) proxies of state terrorism
Q4) Using the Afghan Arabs as an example, what is a potentially ongoing threat scenario from the current war on terrorism?
Q5) Select and briefly discuss an example of international terrorism that, in your opinion, was unsuccessful.
Q6) Discuss why transportation carriers and nodes are selected for attack by terrorists.
Q7) Why has Europe been a frequent location for international terrorism?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: Emerging Terrorist Environments:
Gender-Selective Political Violence and Criminal Dissident
Terrorism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43734
Sample Questions
Q1) In what ways is Latin America's Tri-Border region a nexus for terrorism and criminal activity?
Q2) Within the context of gender-selective terrorism, discuss how the case of the Janjaweed in Sudan is an example of state-sponsored communal terrorism. Discuss also how this and other such campaigns can become genocidal in scale.
Q3) Which of the following statements most accurately describes traditional criminal enterprises?
A) Traditional criminal enterprises were created to engage in narco-terrorism.
B) Traditional criminal enterprises are highly political.
C) Traditional criminal enterprises form political parties to support their activities.
D) Traditional criminal enterprises are not inherently political.
Q4) Discuss the international perception of gender-selective political violence. How has this perception evolved in the modern era? How has the international community responded to such violence? In your opinion, what is the future of this perception?
Q5) Describe the political environment caused by the conflict among Mexican drug traffickers.
Page 11
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Tools of the Trade: Tactics and Targets of Terrorists
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43735
Sample Questions
Q1) Weapons of mass destruction include which of the following?
A) rocket-propelled grenades
B) sarin
C) precision-guided munitions
D) Semtex
Q2) Accurate knowledge about the construction of bombs is difficult to obtain.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Briefly describe netwar. What is the threat from netwar?
Q4) How can the effectiveness of a terrorist incident be measured?
Q5) In your opinion, what are the likely implications of the availability of information on the Internet from the perspective of extremists?
Q6) In your opinion, what is the most likely threat scenario for the use of radiological weapons?
Q7) Why do terrorists seek to provoke their adversaries into overreacting, especially when such adversaries are often vastly more powerful than themselves? Discuss the logic of this objective from the perspective of violent extremists.
Q9) Discuss the threat from asymmetrical warfare. Page 12
Q8) What is the threat from cyberterrorism? How can nations defend themselves?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 11: The Information Battleground: Terrorist Violence
and the Role of the Media
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43736
Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss what is meant by "the media as a weapon."
Q2) Tabloid approaches to the media allow for accurate reporting of terrorist incidents.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The state-regulated press has been successful in ending publicity enjoyed by terrorists.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Propaganda refers to creating and spreading lies about an opponent.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Should media gatekeeping be regulated in an active terrorist environment?
Q6) Discuss Hezbollah's expertise in manipulating the international media.
Q7) TWA Flight 847 is an example of media manipulation by terrorist organizations.
A)True
B)False
Page 14
Q8) Discuss how the participants in a terrorist environment are affected by the "war for the information high ground." How are these participants affected by what is reported by the media? Explain your answer.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 15
Chapter 12: The American Case: Terrorism in the United States
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
51 Verified Questions
51 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43737
Sample Questions
Q1) The membership of the Weatherman group mostly consisted of ______.
A) young, African American, educated members from urban areas
B) seasoned, older former communists and anarchists
C) young, White, educated members of the middle class
D) largely uneducated street toughs
Q2) In your opinion, why has the extremist right in the United States never formed a viable terrorist underground despite pronouncements from some adherents that they are prepared to do so? Explain your answer and give examples.
Q3) The Symbionese Liberation Army was a(n) ______.
A) African American nationalist organization
B) Puerto Rican nationalist organization
C) Patriot movement militia
D) left-wing terrorist group
Q4) Compare and contrast the Patriot movement with the religious and racial supremacist right.
Q5) The Jewish Defense League was a civil rights group promoting inclusion and tolerance.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Discuss how lynching represented communal terrorism in the United States. Page 16
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 17
Chapter 13: Counterterrorism: the Options
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
48 Verified Questions
48 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43738
Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the theory and application of economic sanctions as a counterterrorist methodology. How useful are economic sanctions as a counterterrorist option? Explain your answer.
Q2) What is the role of intelligence agencies? How is intelligence collected?
Q3) INTERPOL is an international strike force called in to police trouble spots on behalf of the United Nations.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Compare and critique basic problems of relying exclusively on the "hard line" approach toward dealing with terrorism. Also compare and critique problems of relying exclusively on "soft line" approaches.
Q5) Counterterrorism most accurately refers to which of the following?
A) government homeland security principles
B) using extreme violence as a counterpoint to terrorist violence
C) proactive policies that seek to eliminate terrorist environments and groups
D) all of these
Q6) Among warlike options, which applications of force are most appropriate when combating terrorism? In your opinion, which options are most effective? Which options are least effective? Explain your answer.
Page 18
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 14: A New Era: Homeland Security
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
59 Verified Questions
59 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43739
Sample Questions
Q1) The primary mission of the Department of Defense is to A) attack the nation's enemies.
B) eliminate international terrorist organizations.
C) provide the military forces needed to deter war and protect the nation's security.
D) all of these.
Q2) Why do you think many people favor the use of extra-legal options as a counterterrorist option?
Q3) The primary mission of the Department of Agriculture is to A) grow food.
B) ensure a safe, sufficient, and nutritious food supply.
C) feed the nation in the event of a terrorist incident.
D) all of these.
Q4) The primary mission of the Department of Energy is to A) assure national distribution of electricity, coal, oil, and other energy sources.
B) advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.
C) create energy independence for the United States.
D) all of these.
Q5) Describe and critique the many missions of the Department of Homeland Security.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Chapter 15: What Next the Future of Terrorism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
49 Verified Questions
49 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/43740
Sample Questions
Q1) Briefly discuss the terrorist environment in the new millennium.
Q2) International cooperation is a critical necessity for controlling international terrorism. Discuss common interests that are likely to continue to promote cooperation. Also discuss international tensions that are likely to <i>hinder</i> cooperation.
Q3) Possible policy options to combat the New Terrorism include which of the following?
A) the use of nuclear weapons
B) declarations of war against terrorist groups
C) eliminating ten extremists for each person they kill
D) conciliatory options, if feasible
Q4) This semester we discussed the similarities in outcomes between the American-led occupation of Iraq and the Soviet war in Afghanistan. In what ways could the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq result in similar terrorist environments and threats as did the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan?
Q5) In your opinion, which regions will continue to experience the most likely incidence of terrorist threats?
Q6) In your opinion, which societal responses will prove to be most effective for countering terrorism? Explain your answer.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 20