Terrorism and Insurgency

The course introduces students to the scientific explanations for the causes and consequences of various types of non-state political violence, such as terrorism, insurgencies, political protests, and civil war. More broadly, the course will help foster students’ ability to apply the social scientific method to the study of political outcomes. As such, this is not a history class or a class on current events. Though current events and historical examples will be discussed, the course will primarily focus on understanding the underlying interests of important actors, the arenas in which those actors interact, and the rules which govern these interactions.