Why do some countries experience more domestic terrorism than others?

Why do some countries experience more domestic terrorism than others?

Importance of the Question

Domestic terrorism has risen significantly in the past few years across the globe more than ever. Many countries around the world from Europe, Asia to North America are facing significant challenges containing radicalized individuals with no attachment to any terrorist network abroad. According to a study by Ritchie, Hasell, Appel, and Roser, over 26,000 people died from domestic terrorism in different countries in 2017 (Ritchie, Hasell, Appel, & Roser, 2019). However, the scale of domestic terrorism in different countries differs significantly due to different factors. In order to understand the reason behind this and be able to find lasting solutions, it is important to answer this question.

Theory

The two variables eventually contribute significantly to domestic terrorism acts within a certain country are lack of political freedom and political instability. Countries with lower levels of political freedom are more likely to experience political instability creating room for domestic terrorism. Based on a study by Lozada, countries with lower levels of political freedom or rights experience constant political instability leading to terrorism as compared to countries with higher levels of political freedom and political stability (Lozada, 2020). This is why domestic terrorism is high in the Middle East, Asia, South, and Central America as well as North Africa, where political rights are limited, and political instability is high as compared to Europe and North America where political rights and stability are higher and domestic terrorism are rare. Therefore, if people are not given the right to air their grievances politically, political instability ensues, leading to acts of domestic terrorism.

Concepts

The factor of violence that is usually evident in domestic terrorism informs this theory that a lack of political freedom breeds political instability leading to domestic terrorism. The intention to cause violence is usually uprooted from the discontent of the actions of the state, usually liked to issues of freedom of speech and political grievances. If people within a certain country feel that they are being oppressed or being discriminated against politically, they are bound to resort to violence that either targets the oppressing community or institution. A study by Lozada reveals that repressive tactics that are usually linked to authoritarian regimes to tame political dissent should be avoided to reduce the likelihood of political instability and, eventually, domestic terrorism (Lozada, 2020). This is evident in most countries in the Middle East, South Asia, South, and Central America as well as some parts of North America.

Concepts Operationalization and Possible Measures

Political oppression forces people in countries where domestic terrorism is high to be easily radicalized and eventually commit acts of violence. People in this country usually resort to the violent nature of domestic terrorism because they are not being addressed. For example, in North Africa and the Middle East, domestic terrorism is usually measured based on the extent of the violence and which group committed. The same applies to Europe and North America, where domestic terrorism is usually linked to the country’s political ideology. However, in order to tame these acts of violence, eliminating barriers to political freedom is one way that can reduce the need for people to commit violence leading to less domestic terrorist activity in the country.

References

Lozada, C. (2020, February 27). Does Poverty Cause Terrorism? Retrieved from The National Bureau of Economic Research: https://www.nber.org/digest/may05/w10859.html

Ritchie, H., Hasell, J., Appel, C., & Roser, M. (2019, November). Terrorism. Retrieved from ourworldindata.org: https://ourworldindata.org/terrorism