Terrorism, Instability, and Democracy in Asia and Africa

There is a flourishing and growing debate among political scientists regarding the links between democracy/democratization and terrorism. Most recent research on international terrorist incidents has a global focus; Instability and Terrorism takes a regional approach, focusing on Africa and Asia, two regions sorely underrepresented in the literature. Cox, Falconer, and Stackhouse will examine how democratization affects the development or suppression of terrorism in African and Asian nations. They will begin by defining terrorism and reviewing the literature on the subject, in particular the ongoing debate about whether democracies are more or less vulnerable to terrorism than other states. Using statistical analysis and case studies of nations in the Horn of Africa, elsewhere in Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, the authors will present and interpret their findings, setting out implications for the broader study of democratization and terrorism in conjunction with effective international counter-terrorism efforts.