Course Syllabus

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PL SC 836:  Root Causes of Terrorism

Course Overview

CATEGORY INFORMATION
Credits 3
Prerequisites None
Delivery Web (Canvas, https://psu.instructure.com)
Dates See the Calendar.
Instructor See the Orientation module under the Modules tab.

 

Course Overview

This course explores what experts call the “root causes” of terrorism – the economic, social, political and other factors that explain why terrorism occurs, where it occurs.  Some examples of root causes of terrorism that are commonly discussed by experts and policymakers are poverty, socioeconomic inequality and discrimination, political repression, human rights violations, drugs and crime and episodes of state failure.  Root causes are useful for determining patterns of international and domestic terrorism and terrorist activity and are key to informing effective policies to counter terrorism.  The search for root causes of terrorism, and their attending policy implications, has emerged as a critical topic in the Political Science, International Relations, Criminology, and Foreign Policy literatures.  The course investigates the roots of terrorism domestically, cross-nationally, and globally.  The major areas covered in the class include background information on the history of terrorism and major terrorist group actors, an investigation of the qualitative and quantitative academic work on the relationship between socio-political and socio-economic factors and patterns of terrorism, the policy implications and applications of the literature and in-depth case studies of terrorist threats and counterterrorism strategies within the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the United States and Western Europe. 

Course Goals

We have several goals for the course.  We want to be able to: 1) critically understand and relate the body of academic knowledge and research on root causes of terrorism; 2) critically understand the policy context surrounding the root causes literatures; 3) apply, with appropriate social scientific rigor, the academic literature on root causes to contemporary counterterrorism policy; and 4) acquire a familiarity of the status of the terrorist threat in the major world regions we study in the course, and be able to relate the root political, social, cultural and economic root causes in these specific contexts.  In addition to acquiring a substantive understanding of the root causes of terrorism, through the course students will acquire a working understanding of the relevant social scientific literature on the topic, will develop their research and writing skills, will acquire a rudimentary/functional understanding of basics of the quantitative analyses used to investigate the relationship between socio-political and socio-economic factors and terrorism and will develop and utilize in-class presentation skills.

Two Important Notes

Students should note two things prior to undertaking the course.  First, the overarching purpose of the course is to better understand terrorism, what causes it, and, by extension, how to confront it.  This course is an analytical, rather than polemical, exploration of terrorism.  That means that we usually will confine ourselves to reasoned and empirical discussion of terrorism, what might cause it and what effective counterterrorism policies should be put into place rather than expressing our personal political feelings about this controversial topic.  In this class, I require our interactions to be respectful, productive, and scholarly.

Second, please note, that the course is taught from a political science disciplinary perspective.  As such, some of the readings for the course use quantitative political science / social scientific methods.  This can sometimes complicate understanding of the readings.  We will discuss the quantitative results of these studies in class, and I will try to guide you through the methodology of each piece.  Additionally, most of the more difficult, quantitative articles that we read have abstracts and conclusions that relate to the important key findings.

Online Learning and Attendance

This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe.  However, you must adhere to the due dates outlined on the Calendar. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.

Texts and Other Materials

There are electronic resources on reserve for this course that can be accessed through the Penn State Libraries. To access your Course Reserves, use the Library Resources link in the menu.

For any questions you may have about searching, viewing, or printing your Course Reserves, refer to the Viewing/Printing Electronic Reserves page at https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/reserves/usingreserves.html.

Library Services

Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library! The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.

Access to New York Times

As a Penn State student, you have digital access to a variety of local, national, and global newspapers at no cost.  This course may reference New York Times articles, please use the instructions provided on the Student News Readership Program website to activate your complimentary access. 

Grading

Final letter grades will be assigned based on the scale below.

Scale

LETTER
GRADE		 MINIMUM % MAXIMUM %
A 95 100
A- 90 94.9
B+ 88 89.9
B 82 87.9
B- 80 81.9
C+ 78 79.9
C 70 77.9
D 60 69.9
F 0 59.9

Due Dates

Most assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) Please look at specific assignments for earlier times. As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments (you will get a zero for late assignments). It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (hospitalization, jury duty, or family emergency) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.

Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide at https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2891.

Assignments

Basic information about each assignment group is provided below. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information under the Modules tab.

You can expect meaningful feedback on assignments within seven days of their due date.

ASSIGNMENT
GROUP		 % of grade
Quizzes 20
Assignments 20
Discussion Board Participation 20
Policy Paper 20
Final Exam 20

 

Quizzes

Periodic quizzes (noted in the Assignments Summary below) are administered online.  These quizzes typically have 10 multiple choice or true-false questions about the readings and concepts for that week’s worth of material.  Students take the quizzes on the Canvas website during the week indicated in the course schedule.

Note:  The quizzes are “open book” but are timed.  You will have a relatively short amount of time once you start to quiz to finish it.  I would strongly suggest that prior to attempting to take the quiz you have completed all parts of the lecture and readings for the week and are very familiar with the material.  Students who attempt to take the quiz without being prepared should not expect to rely upon the open book nature to perform well on the quiz.

Assignments

Periodic assignments (noted in the Assignments Summary below) are also required.  These are less frequent in the course schedule than the quizzes, but they require more time to complete.  Most assignments require students to engage some of the material we have covered and to do some background research, often using data about terrorism and terrorist movements.  The assignments can be found in the lesson modules in Canvas.  Like the quizzes, assignments can be handed in by uploading them to the specific Canvas assignment.  Late assignments will not be accepted.

Discussion Board Participation

On various weeks (noted in the Assignments Summary below) students are also required to participate in class discussion boards via Canvas.  These discussion boards both pose some open-ended questions about the course material and student’s opinions about the material for the week, while also giving students a chance to ask for clarification about anything they have encountered in the class in past weeks.  The discussion boards will help us flesh out the material for the week, clarify anything that did not make sense and provide a forum for your feedback.  Students are required to post on the discussion board between 12:00 a.m. Monday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday the week they are held.

It is recommended you make an initial post by Thursday to help facilitate discussion with your classmates.

Note: please use the General Questions message forum to post any questions you have about the administration of the class – grading, class schedule, how to access the readings, etc. – or if you are having any problems that are not related to the actual substance of the material for that week.  Do not post items like, “When is our final exam?” or “A link does not work” to the discussion boards.  Use General Questions instead.

For technical issues in the course, the Technical Support message board should be the first recourse for communicating specific questions or problems. Students are encouraged to respond to the problems and questions posted there by their peers. To access the World Campus HelpDesk, Persons needing General Canvas assistance may call (800) 252-3592, option 4 between 8:00 a.m. and midnight (ET), Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on weekends. Please use the forms available on the Help website whenever possible and an support expert will assist you (http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/technical-support/contact-us). Turnaround time is generally less than one business day.

I will grade you on the quantity and quality of your participation in discussion board sessions using the regular grade scale (noted below).  To give you an idea of what I am looking for in discussion board sessions, I will use the following short rubric:

Grade Points Grading Criteria
A

90 to 100

 Students in this category make multiple postings that demonstrate that they have read lessons and the required readings for the week, thought about them, and try to apply them to themes in class.  Students in this category also pose questions or make comments (either on their own or in response to others’ comments) that clarify the material being presented or perhaps bring in a different angle to the discussion.  They are prepared, engaged, and pose regular, thoughtful, and productive questions and comments about the material.  Moreover, students in this category post several times over the week, rather than just on Sunday, right before the discussion board closes.
B 80 to 89 Students in this category might be productive contributors to the discussion board, but are less engaged with the discussion.  They might show evidence that they have read the lessons and readings, but make fewer postings throughout the week, do not pose as strong of questions and perhaps do not really engage with other students’ comments and questions.  Students who have done a reasonable job with the material, but not an exceptional job, frequently fall in this category.
C 70 to 79 Students in this category make a discussion board posting during the week, but often it will be mundane, will exhibit little interaction with the material, illustrate that they are not fully prepared or will be off-topic.  Students in this category typically do not respond to other’s comments and questions.  They also frequently post at the last minute, after the mainstay of the discussion is over.  This grade can also be used for students who pose administrative questions or comments in the discussion board sessions that really should be posted on the General Questions or Technical Support boards.
D 60 to 69 Students in this category are like category C above but are post “unproductive” comments or questions.  Examples of this might be overly argumentative – rather than analytical – postings that disrupt the discussion.
F 59 to 0 Students in this category either fail to post at all, or make an extremely superficial post, often right before the discussion board closes.  This category is also reserved for students who are disruptive or disrespectful in discussion board sessions.

 

Policy Paper

See the Policy Paper for information.

Final Exam

The Final Exam is a cumulative examination of the material presented in the course.  Like the quizzes, the Final is taken online via Canvas during the time indicated. You will have only two hours from when you “open” the Final to complete it.  Again, you are free to look over your notes or course material when taking the Final, but I strongly suggest, given you have limited time, not attempting to take the Final without completing all lessons and materials in the class and studying them very carefully.

Discussion Policies

Written communication is different than oral communication. The policies and pointers listed below cover common issues that crop up in an online discussion forum. They are designed to enhance organization, help you convey your ideas more clearly, and prevent misunderstandings.

  1. Try to think of discussion forums as an extension of your real-life classroom.
    1. Endeavor to share ideas among your classmates, not to prove that you are right and they are wrong.
    2. Be aware that differences of opinion are going to occur in any forum. Multiple perspectives on a topic or problem are often valuable.
  2. Compose long messages in NotePad (or TextEdit) and then copy/paste into Canvas. Or add an attachment and provide a simple explanation of its contents.
  3. Keep closely related ideas organized under a single post.
    1. To respond to the original post, click in the Reply field, type your response, and click Post Reply. Title your post so that individuals know what your post is about. The title of your post should be a brief phrase that summarizes your post.
    2. To respond to another individual, click the Reply button just below the individual's original response. Type in your response and then click Post Reply.
    3. To express a new idea, click in the Reply field again, similar to adding your original post. Remember to add a title.
    4. Don’t feel obligated to make a reply to a post if you feel it does not warrant one. Numerous posts that contain no essential new ideas may create more work for everyone.
    5. Don’t be offended if no one replies to your message. Often people will read postings on a discussion forum but not make a reply.
  4. Act professionally and be considerate of others.
    1. Remember that not everyone comes from the same background, or shares the same values and ideals as you.
    2. Be mindful of your “tone.” If you are unsure of your tone, try reading your discussion forum post out loud before you submit it. When you read it out loud, does it sound the way you would speak to another student in the classroom?
    3. Remember that a message can easily be misunderstood. Making a joke or being ironic in a discussion forum is a great way to break the ice, but you have to let people know your intentions. If you wish to convey a humorous tone, try using emoticons or adding comments like “Just kidding!” Do not use slang.
  5. Alert your instructor as soon as possible if there is a message on the discussion forum that strikes you as inappropriate or offensive.
    1. Keep in mind that the author may not realize how the message “sounds” to you. Try to think of the situation as a growth opportunity facilitated by the instructor.
    2. Allow the instructor to handle the situation. Rest assured that your instructor is determined to prevent breakdown of group process.
    3. Be aware that the instructor has the right to remove any inappropriate or offensive messages.
    4. Be aware that any student who posts an inappropriate or offensive message will be blocked from participating in the discussion forum and will receive an F for that assignment. Students are also subject to relevant policies in the student code of conduct.

University Policies

Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.   

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic sanctions, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes (see G-9: Academic Integrity).

Unless your instructor tells you otherwise:

  • Always include an in-text citation that includes the author(s) last name(s) and the year the source was published at the end of any sentence or below any image that includes words, images, or ideas you found in a source, always included quoted text within quotation marks, and always include a reference for any source at the end of your paper (ask your instructor about the format you should use).
  • All of your graded coursework must be created by you without help from anyone in the course or otherwise. If you have questions about this, you should ask your instructor before submitting work for evaluation.
  • All course materials you receive or access are protected by copyright laws. You may use course materials and make copies for your own use, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct and/or liable under Federal and State laws.

Disability Access

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus at https://equity.psu.edu/offices/student-disability-resources/campus-offices. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation described at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office offers residential and distance-based Penn State students non-emergency mental health services in the form of case management, community resource referrals, supportive listening, care giver support, and much more.

Students may request assistance from CAPS regarding a variety of common mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. CAPS services are designed to enhance students' ability to fully benefit from the University environment and academic experience. Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 (8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday EST) or submit an inquiry online at https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/form/caps-contact-form to schedule an appointment with a mental health advocate, who can help you address mental health concerns that may interfere with your academic progress or social development. This appointment will include a one-on-one session that can be conducted via telephone, teleconference (Skype, FaceTime, etc.), or locally at Penn State University Park. For more information on services provided through CAPS, please visit the Penn State CAPS website at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/. Students enrolled at the World Campus are also encouraged to visit its Mental Health Services page at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/mental-health-services.

Reminder: These services are for non-emergencies only. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local crisis center or 911.

Nondiscrimination

Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office website at https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/.

Reporting a Bias Incident

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage at http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/.

TEACH Act

The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

University Emergency Procedure

In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.

In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website at https://www.psu.edu or Penn State News website at https://news.psu.edu.

To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to the PSU Alert website at https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cell phones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.

Syllabus Subject to Change

The class will likely adhere to the information outlined in this Syllabus and the Calendar, but adjustments may be made based on what actually transpires during the semester. Remaining in the course after reading this Syllabus will signal that you accept the possibility of changes and responsibility for being aware of them.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due