| Course Description |
Course Description
When is violence used against noncombatants for political purposes and what is the impact of
such violence? This course focuses on political violence by individuals and groups, whether or
not is sanctioned by a state. We will examine a variety of explanations for such violence,
including rationalist, psychological/emotion-based, and organizational approaches. We will also
discuss the impact of political violence: Does it get the job done, so to speak? Does violence
move terrorist groups closer to their goals? Does indiscriminate violence by the state spur
rebellion or suppress insurgencies? Does insurgent violence against civilians make them more or
less effective?
Our focus on just two questions—why does this violence happen and what is its impact?—allows
us to explore how social scientists explore such questions. Students will learn how to approach
academic journal articles and book chapters—identifying the authors’ purposes and the different
sections, and figuring out what they may gain from their reading. They will distinguish between
critiques of a theoretical claim based on its logic and premises and critiques based on empirical
evidence. They will understand what it means to evaluate theoretical tools on the basis of their
usefulness for understanding how things work. They will practice explaining new cases (and
predicting their outcomes) using these theoretical tools.
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