Government pressure may push terrorist groups toward escalation and counterproductive violence

Evidence

On the other hand, psychological factors may be at the root of the escalation of terrorism. Perhaps under pressure from the government, members of terrorist organizations grow desperate and lose control. What kinds of pressures and perceptions increase tendencies toward counterproductive violence? Innovation in terrorist strategies is another area of research to which psychology could contribute. Why, for example, did terrorist organizations shift to bargaining tactics after 1968? The answer to the question of why terrorism ends may also lie in the psychology of the terrorists rather than in the countervailing power of the government. Why some terrorists “repent” while others persist to their deaths is an important question. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4182

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why did terrorist organizations shift to bargaining tactics after 1968? A concrete historical question worth chasing.
• XREF: Connects to game-theoretic work on deterrence and coercion (e.g., Schelling’s strategy of conflict) and failed deterrence dynamics.