Deck 3: Beginnings: the Causes of Terrorism

Question 1

The events of Bloody Sunday led to which outcome?

A) The "Troubles" in Northern Ireland began in earnest.
B) The Palestinian resistance effort became an international challenge.
C) The uprising in Algeria was suppressed.
D) The Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka began their insurgency.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The theory of the Stockholm syndrome is used to describe terrorist tendencies within which explanatory discipline?

A) sociological explanations of terrorism
B) criminological explanations of terrorism
C) psychological explanations of terrorism
D) physiological explanations of terrorism

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following reasons explains, in part, why leaders in the developing world often do not denounce what the West considers to be terrorism?

A) What the West considers to be terrorism was used during many insurgencies as a legitimate tactic.
B) Such leaders are cold-hearted dictators.
C) It is not immoral behavior in some cultures.
D) It is an honorable practice in some cultures.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Differential association theory is used to describe terrorist tendencies within which explanatory discipline?

A) sociological explanations of terrorism
B) criminological explanations of terrorism
C) psychological explanations of terrorism
D) physiological explanations of terrorism

Question 5

Extremists and terrorists ______

A) practice a sense of complex morality
B) have no moral scruples
C) practice a sense of simplified morality
D) have a great deal of moral scruples

Question 6

When considering mental illness as an explanation for acts of terrorism, psychologists ______.

A) have discovered that many acts of terrorism, if not most, are explainable as the result of mental illness
B) report that studies of former terrorists indicate a consistent pattern of psychological disorders
C) generally conclude that some terrorists may have problematic psychological conditions, but mental illness is not a primary explanation for terrorist violence
D) both "have discovered that many acts of terrorism, if not most, are explainable as the result of mental illness" and "report that studies of former terrorists indicate a consistent pattern of psychological disorders"

Question 7

The events of Black September led to which outcome?

A) The "Troubles" in Northern Ireland began in earnest.
B) The Palestinian resistance effort became an international challenge.
C) The uprising in Algeria was suppressed.
D) The Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka began their insurgency.

Question 8

During Black September, ______.

A) soldiers fired on civilian protesters
B) a series of suicide bombings occurred
C) several airliners were hijacked
D) a series of public bombings occurred

Question 9

Abu Nidal represents an interesting case study for which of the following profiles?

A) a dedicated nationalist revolutionary fighting for the rights of his people
B) a religious fundamentalist seeking to defend his faith against nonbelievers
C) a transnational ideological revolutionary who collaborated with a variety of movements
D) none of these

Question 10

One reason that Western democracies regularly denounce political violence is because ______.

A) there are more conventional reasons for using political violence
B) political violence is a dishonorable practice
C) it is often directed against the West by adversaries
D) it is immoral behavior

Question 11

What was the influence of Mao Zedong's theories on how modern warfare was waged in the developing world?

A) Indigenous fighters fought in the same manner as European and American armies.
B) Indigenous fighters adopted the strategy of "hit-and-run" warfare.
C) Indigenous fighters melded ideological indoctrination with their warfighting strategy.
D) Both "indigenous fighters adopted the strategy of 'hit-and-run' warfare" and "indigenous fighters melded ideological indoctrination with their warfighting strategy."

Question 12

Carlos "the Jackal" represents an interesting case study for which of the following profiles?

A) a dedicated nationalist revolutionary fighting for the rights of his people
B) a religious fundamentalist seeking to defend his faith against nonbelievers
C) a transnational ideological revolutionary who collaborated with a variety of movements
D) none of these

Question 13

The concept of "codes of self-sacrifice" is useful for understanding ______.

A) why extremists behave as they do
B) justifications for terrorist violence
C) the effects of ideology and indoctrination on motivating people to engage in political violence
D) all of these

Question 14

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"

Question 15

Participation in terrorist movements by women ______.

A) occurs with some frequency
B) defines their roles as subservient to males
C) rarely occurs
D) defines their roles as superior to males

Question 16

Leila Khaled represents an interesting case study for which of the following profiles?

A) a dedicated nationalist revolutionary fighting for the rights of her people
B) a religious fundamentalist seeking to defend her faith against nonbelievers
C) a transnational ideological revolutionary who collaborated with a variety of movements
D) none of these

Question 17

Bloody Sunday and Black September represent case studies for which of the following concepts?

A) traumatic events in the history of a people that led to long-term terrorist environments
B) victories for people rising up against oppressors
C) victories for governments in their suppression of terrorist extremists
D) none of these

Question 18

During Bloody Sunday, ______.

A) soldiers fired on civilian protesters
B) a series of suicide bombings occurred
C) several airliners were hijacked
D) a series of public bombings occurred

Question 19

Leila Khaled, Abu Nidal, and Carlos committed acts of political violence in solidarity with which of the following causes?

A) the oppressed of the world
B) the Vietnamese people and their resistance against the United States
C) the Palestinian people and their resistance against Israel
D) working-class revolution

Question 20

Structural theory is used to describe terrorist tendencies within which explanatory discipline?

A) sociological explanations of terrorism
B) criminological explanations of terrorism
C) psychological explanations of terrorism
D) physiological explanations of terrorism

Question 21

Considering the context of their environments, is the use of terrorism by groups such as the Viet Cong and Al Fatah an understandable form of violence?

Question 22

Codes of self-sacrifice are used to justify extreme violence.

Question 23

Carlos and Abu Nidal championed the Palestinian cause.

Question 24

Discuss why some leaders in the developing world do not denounce or weakly denounce acts of terrorism against the West.

Question 25

Discuss the outcome of Bloody Sunday.

Question 26

Briefly explain how many movements with legitimate concerns may evolve to become political extremists.

Question 27

Discuss the significance of the tragedy at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Question 28

Why is political violence frequently denounced by Western democracies as "terrorism"?

Question 29

Morality is simplified by terrorists.

Question 30

During Black September, the police fired on peaceful protesters.

Question 31

Are acts of political will justifiable if the cause is just?

Question 32

Leila Khaled was killed after a short and violent career as a terrorist.

Question 33

Discuss the outcome of Black September.

Question 34

In what way does indoctrination explain the behavior of those who followed Bushido and the ideology of the Waffen SS?

Question 35

Is violence motivated by nationalism more or less justifiable than violence motivated by ideology?

Question 36

During Bloody Sunday, several airliners were hijacked.

Question 37

Women rarely participate in terrorist movements.

Question 38

Psychologists have discovered that many acts of terrorism, if not most, are explainable as a result of mental illness.

Question 39

Sociologists have discovered that many acts of terrorism, if not most, are explainable as a result of individuals who live at the margins of society.

Question 40

Terrorists hate the West because they are jealous.

Question 41

Why did Cold War revolutionaries and other dissidents use what many would define as terrorism in their rebellions? What was the influence of Mao Zedong in this regard? Explain your answer.

Question 42

Discuss the morality of political violence. Is such violence always immoral? Is it ever justifiable? Explain your answer.

Question 43

What is the role of "codes of self-sacrifice"? Why is this concept so central to our understanding of why violent extremists do what they do?

Question 44

Critique sociological explanations of terrorism. Do they adequately explain the causes of political violence? If so, how so? If not, how not?

Question 45

Critique criminological explanations of terrorism. Do they adequately explain the causes of political violence? If so, how so? If not, how not?

Question 46

In your opinion, would you define Leila Khaled as a terrorist or freedom fighter? Were Abu Nidal and Carlos terrorists or freedom fighters? Explain your reasons for your answer.

Question 47

Critique psychological explanations of terrorism. Do they adequately explain the causes of political violence? If so, how so? If not, how not?

Question 48

In what ways were Bloody Sunday and Black September "traumatic events" that led to long-term terrorist environments? What are the lessons of these types of "traumatic events"? Explain your answer.

Question 49

In your opinion, does the end sometimes justify the means?

Question 50

In your opinion, is the Stockholm syndrome an adequate explanation for why some adopt the extreme beliefs of a political cause?