The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Political Science

Authors: Bogdanor
Summary: This entry, in slightly less than 1900 words, offers a definition of terrorism, describes some of the concept's characteristics, and distinguishes between war, political terror and terrorism.
The entry describes terrorism as a special kind of violence, and not simply a synonym for general violence and insurgency. It briefly defines terrorism as "coercive intimidation" or the systematic use of violence or the threat of violence "to create a climate of terror, to publicize a cause, and to coerce a wider target into submitting to its aims."
Political terror has a few major and specific characteristics that distinguish it from general warfare. Its indiscriminate nature leads to widespread fear among the targeted audience. Also, political terror is both unpredictable and arbitrary, and generally uses extreme and ruthlessly destructive methods. Another fundamental difference between political terror and war is the former's amorality and willingness to sacrifice humanitarian consideration for a political end.
The entry concludes by clearly distinguishing between political terror and political terrorism. Political terror may occur either as isolated acts or mass violence. Political terrorism, however, is a sustained policy of organized political terror and implies some sort of organizational structure and ideology.