Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues

Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues offers a multidisciplinary, comprehensive exploration of domestic and international terrorism that helps students develop the knowledge and skills needed to critically assess the expressions and underlying causes of terrorism. Martin explores theory and provides in-depth analysis in an accessible, engaging manner that helps readers develop the knowledge and skills they need to engage meaningfully with this robust course. 


Table of Contents:
About the Author Acknowledgments Introduction and Rationale Part I • Terrorism: A Conceptual Review Chapter 1 • Terrorism: First Impressions First Considerations Conceptual Considerations: Understanding Political Violence The Past as Prologue: Historical Perspectives on Terrorism Terrorism and Criminal Skill: Three Cases From the Modern Era Chapter 2 • The Nature of the Beast: Defining Terrorism Understanding Extremism: The Foundation of Terrorism Defining Terrorism: An Ongoing Debate A Definitional Problem: Perspectives on Terrorism The Political Violence Matrix Chapter 3 • Beginnings: The Causes of Terrorism Political Violence as Strategic Choice Political Violence as the Fruit of Injustice Moral Justifications for Political Violence Part II • Terrorist Environments and Typologies Chapter 4 • Terror From Above: Terrorism by the State The State as Terrorist: A State Terrorism Paradigm Violence Abroad: Terrorism as Foreign Policy Violence at Home: Terrorism as Domestic Policy The Problem of Accountability: Monitoring State Terrorism Chapter 5 • Terror From Below: Terrorism by Dissidents The Rebel as Terrorist: A Dissident Terrorism Paradigm Warring Against the State: Antistate Dissident Terrorism Warring Against a People: Communal Terrorism Operational Shifts: Dissidents and the New Terrorism Chapter 6 • Violence in the Name of the Faith: Religious Terrorism Primary and Secondary Motives: The Idiosyncratic Quality of Religious Terrorism Historical Cases in Point: Fighting, Dying, and Killing in the Name of the Faith State-Sponsored Religious Terrorism in the Modern Era Dissident Religious Terrorism in the Modern Era The Future of Religious Terrorism Chapter 7 • Violent Ideologies: Terrorism From the Left and Right Reactionaries and Radicals: The Classical Ideological Continuum Left-Wing Ideologies and Activism Class Struggle and National Liberation: The Terrorist Left Right-Wing Activism and Extremism Race and Order: The Terrorist Right Violent Ideologies in the New Era of Terrorism Chapter 8 • Terrorist Spillovers: International Terrorism Defining International Terrorism Globalized Revolution: Reasons for International Terrorism Globalized Solidarity: International Terrorist Networks The International Dimension of the New Terrorism Postscript: The “Stateless Revolutionaries” Chapter 9 • Emerging Terrorist Environments: Gender-Selective Political Violence and Criminal Dissident Terrorism Culture and Conflict: Gender-Selected Victims of Terrorist Violence Protecting the Enterprise: Criminal Dissident Terrorism A Global Problem: Regional Cases of Criminal Dissident Terrorism Part III • The Terrorist Trade and Counterterrorism Chapter 10 • Tools of the Trade: Tactics and Targets of Terrorists The Purpose: Terrorist Objectives The Means: Terrorist Methods The Focus: Terrorist Targets The Outcome: Is Terrorism Effective? Chapter 11 • The Information Battleground: Terrorist Violence and the Role of the Media Two Perspectives: The Media and Governments Understanding the Role of the Media A New Battleground: The War for the Information High Ground The Public’s Right to Know: Regulating the Media Chapter 12 • The American Case: Terrorism in the United States An Introduction to the American Case Background to Terrorism: Left-Wing Activism and Ideological Extremism in America Left-Wing Terrorism in the United States Background to Terrorism: Right-Wing Activism and Ideological Extremism in America Right-Wing Terrorism in the United States International Terrorism in the United States Postscript: Nonterrorist Mass Violence in the United States Chapter 13 • Counterterrorism: The Options Responding to Terror: The Scope of Options Warlike Operations: Counterterrorism and the Use of Force Operations Other Than War: Repressive Options Operations Other Than War: Conciliatory Options Applying the Rule of Law: Legalistic Options Part IV • Securing the Homeland Chapter 14 • A New Era: Homeland Security Homeland Security in Perspective The American Case: Homeland Security in the United States Civil Liberties and Securing the Homeland Chapter 15 • What Next?: The Future of Terrorism An Overview of Near-Term Projections The Future of Terrorism: Terrorist Environments in the 21st Century The Future of Terrorism: New Threats Controlling Terrorism: Ending Terrorist Campaigns and New Challenges Final Considerations Appendix A: Map References Appendix B: Prominent Persons and Organizations Appendix C: Two Thousand Years of Terror Glossary Notes Index

About the Author :
Clarence Augustus “Gus” Martin is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Criminal Justice Administration at California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he teaches courses on criminal law, terrorism and extremism, and the criminal justice system. He served as the founding Chair of the department and as the founding Director of the School of Public Service and Justice. He also served as Associate Vice President for Human Resources Management, Acting Associate Dean of the College of Business Administration and Public Policy, Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs, and Chair of the Department of Public Administration. He began his academic career as a member of the faculty of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, where he was an Administration of Justice professor. His current research and professional interests are terrorism and extremism, homeland security, and the administration of justice. Dr. Martin is author of several books on the subjects of terrorism and homeland security, including Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues (SAGE Publications, 2025); Terrorism and WMDs: Awareness and Response, Third Edition (with John Pichtel, CRC Press, 2025); Understanding Homeland Security (SAGE Publications, 2024); The Handbook of Homeland Security (with Scott Romaniuk and Martin Scott Catino; Routledge, 2023); Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversies (SAGE Publications, 2022); Terrorism: An International Perspective (with Fynnwin Prager; SAGE Publications, 2019); The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition (SAGE Publications, 2011); Terrorism and Homeland Security (SAGE, 2011); and The New Era of Terrorism: Selected Readings (SAGE Publications, 2004). He is also author of Juvenile Justice: Process and Systems (SAGE Publications, 2005). Prior to joining academia, Dr. Martin served as Managing Attorney for the Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh, where he was also director of a program created under a federal consent decree to desegregate public and assisted housing. He was also Special Counsel to the Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands on the island of St. Thomas. As Special Counsel, he occupied a personal and confidential position in the central office of the Department of Justice; sat as hearing officer for disciplinary hearings and departmental grievances; served as chair of the Drug Policy Committee; served as liaison to the intergovernmental Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee as well as to the Narcotics Strike Force; and provided daily legal and policy advice to the Attorney General. Prior to serving as Special Counsel, he was a “floor” Legislative Assistant to Congressman Charles B. Rangel of New York. As Legislative Assistant, he researched, evaluated and drafted legislation in areas of foreign policy, foreign aid, human rights, housing, education, social services, and poverty; he also drafted House floor statements, Congressional Record inserts, press releases, and news articles; and he composed speeches, briefing materials, and legislative correspondence. Dr. Martin received his A.B. degree from Harvard College, J.D. from Duquesne University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, and Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.