Characteristics of Terrorism

Arbeitspapier

Individual terrorist are frequently behaving seemingly absurd, e.g. by carrying out suicide operations, while activities of the terrorist organisations as a whole often seem to be conducted in a very effective way. These facts caused many researchers to regard the leaders representing the organisations like rational entities, while the followers are supposed to be just obeying and, hence, to be irrational. In this paper we offer a different approach which postulates rationality of all involved agents. We demonstrate how these agents’ behaviour could be modelled, while taking into account options of the terrorist leaders to influence their followers. From our model approaches to counter terrorism on both the leadership as well as the follower level can be derived.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Economics Working Paper Series ; No. 09/103

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions ; Welfare Economics: Other
• Subject: cognitive dissonance ; joint production ; Lancastrian characteristics approach ; public goods ; rationality ; suicide attacks ; terrorism ; Terrorismus ; Rationalität ; Arbeitsgruppe ; Organisationsstruktur ; Intertemporale Entscheidung ; Entscheidung unter Unsicherheit ; Theorie

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Pittel, Karen ; Rübbelke, Dirk
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): ETH Zurich, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research
• (where): Zurich
• (when): 2009

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.3929/ethz-a-005751080
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/171546
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET