What is it about?
The existing literature tends to describe terrorist groups' life cycles not as cycles at all but as linear pathways. Some terrorist groups follow such pathways from birth to demise. Others are characterized by cyclical ups and downs in their prominence, influence and the violence they inflict and may experience a final decline only after a very long time. This cyclical oscillation in terrorist groups' life cycles can be explained by the intensity of competition for grass-roots support and the switching costs experienced by those supporters. Once they give support to a group, it is more difficult for them to be pried away either by a government or a competing group.
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Why is it important?
The life cycle of a terrorist group reflects, shapes and is shaped by the group's status, influence and brutality. Encompassing all of these features of a terrorist group's existence within a theory of terrorist group life cycles represents an advancement over the mostly linear life cycle models proposed in the literature.
Perspectives
This represents my attempt to develop a theory of the life cycle of terrorist groups that would encompass waxing and waning influence and brutality. It is generally accepted that popular support is essential to the growth of a terrorist group. It follows, then, that competition for this support will sometimes be very intense. A reason for this intensity, beyond the fundamental importance of popular support, is that supporters will face real and psychological switching costs. Once they align with a particular group (or government), it is difficult for another group to win their support. Terrorist groups may compete ferociously for grassroots support which promises to sustain them for a long period of time.
Dr Peter J Phillips
University of Southern Queensland
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Life Cycle of Terrorist Organizations, International Advances in Economic Research, June 2011, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s11294-011-9314-3.
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