Explain how and under what circumstances the terrorists’ beliefs about the government affect their strategies, and how this, in turn, can affect the government’s beliefs about the terrorists and the government’s strategies.

What will be an ideal response?

Ans: There are three possible types of terrorists: true believers, complacent opponents, and reluctant terrorists. True believers always prefer to engage in violence, and complacent opponents never prefer to engage in violence. For them, the government’s type is irrelevant. The government’s type matters only when it comes to reluctant terrorists. Their beliefs about the government’s response to negotiation determine whether they engage in violence or negotiate. If they believe the government is responsive, they prefer to negotiate, and if they believe the government is repressive, they prefer to engage in terrorism. If they underestimate the probability that the government is responsive and engage in terrorism, the government will see it as a sign that they are true believers, not reluctant terrorists, and will respond with force instead of negotiating.

Political Science

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