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An Economic Model of Terrorism

Author

Listed:
  • S. Brock Blomberg

    (Economics Department Claremont McKenna College Claremont, California, USA, bblomberg@mckenna.edu)

  • Gregory D. Hess

    (Economics Department Claremont McKenna College Claremont, California, USA, CESifo Munich, Germany)

  • Akila Weerapana

    (Economics Department Wellesley College Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA)

Abstract
We develop an economic model of terrorism. Groups undertake violent activities to change the status quo when they are unable to bring about drastic political change in the face of limited access to economic opportunity. Furthermore, these groups are more likely to resort to terrorist activity when they face powerful policy-making elites who can't be uprooted easily, by legitimate means or otherwise. If, on the other hand, the elite groups currently in power are weak but can't be removed from power legitimately, the dissident groups are likely to initiate rebellion activity, such as civil wars and coups, to take over the rule of the governing elite themselves. In particular, the model exhibits multiple equilibria. For example, one equilibrium can be sustained where groups with limited access to opportunity may find it rational to engage in terrorist activities while policy-maker elites may find it rational not to engage in opening access to these groups. The result is, then, a pattern of reduced economic activity and increased terrorism. An alternative equilibrium can be sustained where access is more abundant and terrorism is reduced.

Suggested Citation

  • S. Brock Blomberg & Gregory D. Hess & Akila Weerapana, 2004. "An Economic Model of Terrorism," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 21(1), pages 17-28, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:compsc:v:21:y:2004:i:1:p:17-28
    DOI: 10.1080/07388940490433882
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blomberg, S. Brock & Hess, Gregory D. & Weerapana, Akila, 2004. "Economic conditions and terrorism," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 463-478, June.
    2. Hess, Gregory D. & Orphanides, Athanasios, 2001. "Economic conditions, elections, and the magnitude of foreign conflicts," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 121-140, April.
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    6. S. Brock Blomberg & Gregory D. Hess, 2002. "The Temporal Links between Conflict and Economic Activity," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 46(1), pages 74-90, February.
    7. Hess, Gregory D & Orphanides, Athanasios, 1995. "War Politics: An Economic, Rational-Voter Framework," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(4), pages 828-846, September.
    8. Garfinkel, Michelle R., 2004. "Global threats and the domestic struggle for power," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 495-508, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Mario COCCIA, 2018. "The relation between terrorism and high population growth," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, KSP Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 84-104, March.
    2. Haldar, Tanushree, 2013. "Understanding Terrorism from an Economic perspective," MPRA Paper 47152, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Abbas, Syed Ali & Syed, Shabib Haider, 2021. "Sectarian terrorism in Pakistan: Causes, impact and remedies," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 350-361.
    4. Eugen Dimant & Tim Krieger & Daniel Meierrieks, 2024. "Paying Them to Hate US: The Effect of US Military Aid on Anti-American Terrorism, 1968–2018," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(663), pages 2772-2802.
    5. B. Peter Rosendorff & Todd Sandler, 2004. "Too Much of a Good Thing?," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 48(5), pages 657-671, October.
    6. Blomberg, S. Brock & Hess, Gregory D. & Orphanides, Athanasios, 2004. "The macroeconomic consequences of terrorism," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(5), pages 1007-1032, July.
    7. Blomberg, S. Brock & Broussard, Nzinga H. & Hess, Gregory D., 2011. "New wine in old wineskins? Growth, terrorism and the resource curse in sub-Saharan Africa," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 27(S1), pages 50-63.
    8. S. Brock Blomberg & Ricardo Fernholz & John-Clark Levin, 2013. "Symposium - Terrorism and the Invisible Hook," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 79(4), pages 849-863, April.
    9. S. Brock Blomberg & Ricardo Fernholz & John-Clark Levin, 2013. "Symposium - Terrorism and the Invisible Hook," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 79(4), pages 849-863, April.
    10. Tilman Br�ck & Bengt-Arne Wickstr�m, 2004. "The Economic Consequences of Terror: A Brief Survey," HiCN Working Papers 03, Households in Conflict Network.
    11. Elie Appelbaum, 2006. "Strategic extremism," Working Papers 2006_12, York University, Department of Economics.
    12. Malik, Saif Ullah, 2014. "Determinants of Currency Depreciation in Pakistan," MPRA Paper 54734, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Blomberg S. Brock & Hess Gregory D., 2009. "Estimating the Macroeconomic Consequence of 9/11," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 15(2), pages 307-330, July.
    14. G. Feichtinger & A. J. Novak, 2008. "Terror and Counterterror Operations: Differential Game with Cyclical Nash Solution," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 541-556, December.
    15. Eugen Dimant & Tim Krieger & Daniel Meierrieks, 2024. "Paying Them to Hate US: The Effect of US Military Aid on Anti-American Terrorism, 1968–2018," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(663), pages 2772-2802.
    16. Hossain, Marup & Hossain, Md Amzad, 2024. "Political alignment and organized violence: Evidence from Nigeria," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 394-426.
    17. Travers B. Child & David Scoones, 2017. "Community preferences, insurgency, and the success of reconstruction spending," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 34-52, January.
    18. Zaman, Nadeem Uz & Ghutai, Gul & Khan, Kaneez Raza, 2012. "The nature, sources and the socio-economic effects of terrorism in Balochistan," MPRA Paper 37075, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Nathan Fiala & Stergios Skaperdas, 2011. "Economic Perspectives on Civil Wars," Chapters, in: Christopher J. Coyne & Rachel L. Mathers (ed.), The Handbook on the Political Economy of War, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    20. Chuku Chuku & Isip Ima-Abasi & Abang Dominic, 2017. "Working Paper 284 - Growth and Fiscal Consequences of Terrorism in Nigeria," Working Paper Series 2410, African Development Bank.
    21. Kirill Zhirkov & Maykel Verkuyten & Jeroen Weesie, 2014. "Perceptions of world politics and support for terrorism among Muslims: Evidence from Muslim countries and Western Europe," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 31(5), pages 481-501, November.
    22. Sarah Brockhoff & Tim Krieger & Daniel Meierrieks, 2010. "Ties That Do Not Bind (Directly): The Education-Terrorism Nexus Revisited," Working Papers CIE 26, Paderborn University, CIE Center for International Economics.
    23. Elie Appelbaum, 2004. "Union militancy and the probability of strikes," Working Papers 2004_4, York University, Department of Economics.

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