An Analytical History of Terrorism, 1945–2000

Authors

William F. Shughart II, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Public Choice

Volume

128

Publication Date

2006

First Page

7

Last Page

39

Abstract

This paper traces the history of modern terrorism from the end of the Second World War to the beginning of the twenty-first century. It divides that history into three stylized waves: terrorism in the service of national liberation and ethnic separatism, left-wing terrorism, and Islamist terrorism. Adopting a constitutional political economy perspective, the paper argues that terrorism is rooted in the artificial nation-states created during the interwar period and suggests solutions grounded in liberal federalist constitutions and, perhaps, new political maps for the Middle East, Central Asia and other contemporary terrorist homelands.

Recommended Citation

“An Analytical History of Terrorism, 1945–2000”, Public Choice 128 (July 2006), pp. 7–39.