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Nonstate Actors and the Diffusion of Innovations: The Case of Suicide Terrorism

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  • Horowitz, Michael C.

Abstract

Studies of terrorism in general and suicide terrorism in particular tend to view terrorist groups independently. However, what if the propensity for a terrorist group to adopt suicide tactics depends in part on its external linkages and the relationship between the organizational capabilities required to adopt the innovation and the organizational capabilities of the group? This article shows that the organizational change requirements for adopting an innovation significantly influence the overall adoption pattern, along with interlinkages between groups. Additionally, evaluating the universe of terrorist groups, not only those groups that adopted suicide terrorism but those that did not, shows that Pape's key variable of interest, occupation, does not significantly predict the adoption of suicide terrorism. Thinking about suicide terrorism as a special case of diffusion in the military area—an innovation for nonstate groups—can help bring the study of suicide terrorism further into the mainstream and highlight how the phenomenon has not just differences, but similarities, to other innovations.

Suggested Citation

  • Horowitz, Michael C., 2010. "Nonstate Actors and the Diffusion of Innovations: The Case of Suicide Terrorism," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 64(1), pages 33-64, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:intorg:v:64:y:2010:i:01:p:33-64_99
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    Cited by:

    1. Arye Hillman & Niklas Potrafke, 2015. "The UN Goldstone Report and retraction: an empirical investigation," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 247-266, June.
    2. Andra Filote & Niklas Potrafke & Heinrich Ursprung, 2016. "Suicide attacks and religious cleavages," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 3-28, January.
    3. Robert A Pape & Alejandro Albanez Rivas & Alexandra C Chinchilla, 2021. "Introducing the new CPOST dataset on suicide attacks," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 58(4), pages 826-838, July.
    4. Alex Braithwaite & Tiffany S. Chu, 2018. "Civil Conflicts Abroad, Foreign Fighters, and Terrorism at Home," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(8), pages 1636-1660, September.
    5. Charlinda Santifort-Jordan & Todd Sandler, 2014. "An Empirical Study of Suicide Terrorism: A Global Analysis," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 80(4), pages 981-1001, April.
    6. Tynes Robert & Early Bryan R., 2015. "Governments, Rebels, and the Use of Child Soldiers in Internal Armed Conflicts: A Global Analysis, 1987–2007," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 21(1), pages 79-110, January.
    7. Khusrav Gaibulloev & Todd Sandler, 2014. "An empirical analysis of alternative ways that terrorist groups end," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 25-44, July.
    8. Sara M. T. Polo, 2020. "How Terrorism Spreads: Emulation and the Diffusion of Ethnic and Ethnoreligious Terrorism," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 64(10), pages 1916-1942, November.
    9. Ignacio Sánchez-Cuenca, 2014. "Why Do We Know So Little About Terrorism?," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(4), pages 590-601, August.
    10. Manuel Vogt & Kristian Skrede Gleditsch & Lars-Erik Cederman, 2021. "From Claims to Violence: Signaling, Outbidding, and Escalation in Ethnic Conflict," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 65(7-8), pages 1278-1307, August.
    11. Daniel G Arce & Kevin Siqueira, 2014. "Motivating operatives for suicide missions and conventional terrorist attacks," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 26(4), pages 677-695, October.
    12. Michelle Sydes & Lorelei Hine & Angela Higginson & James McEwan & Laura Dugan & Lorraine Mazerolle, 2023. "Criminal justice interventions for preventing radicalisation, violent extremism and terrorism: An evidence and gap map," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), December.

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