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This paper makes explicit negative ramifications of conceptual confusion surrounding the notion of "terrorism", evaluates whether and to what extent existing literature on concept formation offers a solution to this problem and concludes by suggesting to shift our anlalytical focus from issues of conceptualization per se to constructing problem-driven definitions. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, understanding terrorism and devising effective counter-terrorist strategies has become a top priority of national security decision-makers and the academia. Yet, at present there exists no agreed-upon definition of what constitutes terrorism. Consequently, scholars face a number of crippling substantive and methodological issues (conceptual stretching, indeterminate population boundaries, inability to generalize, biased inferences). This paper combines Giovanni Sartori's concept of the "ladder of generality" with the logic underlying Linnaean binomial taxonomy to offer a framework for thinking about constructing cases and populations for comparative research. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History demonstrates that actions of violent non-state actors are internationally consequential. Yet the question about the conditions under which violent non-state actors (VNSAs) can present a real challenge to great powers has been under-theorized. Pursuing a dual goal of theory building and theory testing, this paper conceptualizes “effectiveness” of violent non-state actors and discusses the extent to which great powers are vulnerable to violent non-state actors under different circumstances. Hypotheses are tested qualitatively and conclusions are based on examples drawn from two country case studies of Russia and Great Britain. Specifically, cases include medieval piracy, anti-imperial movements and mutinies, Fenians, the IRA, and revolutionary and anarchist movements. Findings show that VNSAs’ influence is more complex and extensive than suggested by mainstream IR literature. Specifically, depending on the extent of “slack” resources available to great powers, VNSAs can not only exacerbate great power decline but also can retard and arrest great power rise. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]