Dictionnaire de la Science Politique

Authors: Hermet, Badie, Birnbaum & Braud
Summary: For this 125-word lenght entry, terrorism is the political use of violence out of law. It questions the interstate nature of the international community and finds its chief target in creating a fear climate which allows to keep high the level of attention on the claimed issue and also to constraint the manoeuvre margins of the governments.
As research subject terrorism is analyzed according to its origin (e.g. as reactions to the post-industrial societies vulnerability) and to its functions (e.g. to be at the centre of international attention).