DRAFT 5 October 2012 (NOTE: This draft will be refined and updated closer to the start of the Spring term.) George Mason University School of Public Policy PUBP 769-001 Political Violence and Terrorism Tuesdays 7:20-10:00 PM, Room XXX, Founders Hall (Arlington) Spring 2013 Professor Audrey Kurth Cronin Email: acronin2@gmu.edu (preferred) Office Hours: Tuesdays, 5:30-7:15 PM Telephone: (703) 993-4161 (also available after class and by appointment) 530 Founders Hall This graduate seminar examines the persistent threat of terrorism and political violence to international stability generally, and U.S. national security interests in particular. Its primary purpose is to provide students with a long-term analytical and substantive foundation, so as to deepen their knowledge and effectiveness as policy-makers in national security, diplomacy, homeland security, law enforcement, humanitarian law, peace operations, postconflict reconstruction, development assistance, public diplomacy and other related areas in the post-9/11 world. The secondary purpose is to ensure that future policy-makers have the tools to assess the threat of terrorism on the basis of evidence, thus neither overstating it nor understating it. The goal is to respond strategically. The course examines wide-ranging issues, including the essential nature of terrorism, the underlying motivations and psychology of different terrorists or political groups, and the policy tools designed to punish terrorists or to prevent or curtail terrorism. Among other things, we will discuss questions such as: What is the political and historical context for today s terrorist threat? How is the threat of terrorism likely to evolve? How likely is the additional use of weapons of mass destruction? Why do some terrorist organizations eventually transform into more peaceful political movements or disappear? What is the international experience in responding to a terrorist threat? Are there effective strategies for preventing terrorism from arising in the first place? The approach adopted here will integrate history, psychology, sociology, economics and political science, in order to convey a rich understanding of the subject and to develop practical policy options for deterring or confronting terrorism in the twenty-first century. This is a challenging course, and it may interest students to know that it has a history. The course was first taught at Georgetown University in the 1990s and was featured by the New York Times shortly after the September 11 th attacks. 1 From there, it became a model for other university courses on terrorism taught throughout the United States. Of course it has evolved since then, to keep up with ongoing research and evolving events. In addition to Georgetown, Professor Cronin has taught variations of this course at Columbia University, 1 Eyal Press, It s a Volatile, Complex World, The New York Times, Sunday 11 November 2001.
DRAFT - 2 - DRAFT Oxford University, and the National War College. Today her former counterterrorism graduate students are in positions of responsibility in numerous agencies of the U.S. government, in both the Legislative and Executive branches. Objectives: The goal of all School of Public Policy Masters degree programs is to prepare students for professional positions in public policy, including the executive or legislative branches of U.S. government at the federal (both military and civilian), state or local levels; private sector businesses dealing with public policy; non-profit organizations concerned with public policy; non-us governments; and international organizations. Learning Outcomes: This course examines both the history and theory of terrorism, so as to equip students to understand current challenges within their broader political, historical, and ethical context. Students will learn about a wide range of past and present terrorist groups throughout the world and will examine the evolution of terrorist tactics so as to be prepared for the future. Special attention will focus on the history, origins, intellectual arguments and behavior of al- Qaeda, the primary threat to the United States, so as to equip students in analyzing and responding to this movement. Students will also gain facility with the major theoretical arguments and developments in the study of terrorism. The goal is to educate future policymakers to understand and respond to the threat of terrorism, so as to be well-prepared to develop effective strategic policies in response. Readings: The following books are required reading in the course. Mary Habeck, Knowing the Enemy: Jihadist Ideology and the War on Terror ((New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006). Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism, 2 nd edition (Columbia University Press, 2006). Mark Juergensmeyer, Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (University of California Press, 3 rd edition, 2003). Richard P. Mitchell, The Society of the Muslim Brothers (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969; revised edition, 1993). Audrey Kurth Cronin, How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns (Princeton University Press, 2009). Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (New York: Vintage, 2006).
DRAFT - 3 - DRAFT Required for all SPP courses: Diane Hacker, A Pocket Manual of Style (New York: Bedford-St. Martin s, 2000, 3 rd edition). Class Format The course will be conducted in both lecture and seminar formats, mainly relying upon the Socratic method of teaching through interactive questions and answers. It is important that students read each week s assignments prior to arriving in class. Active class participation is mandatory: the instructor will cold call on students, so please prepare. The last hour of some sessions will be devoted to team reports on new and important books, drawn from the list provided by the instructor. Course Evaluation Midterm Examination (in-class, Tuesday 7 March) 20% Team Book Presentation and Outline 20% Research Paper OR Final Examination 40% Class participation* (including résumé due 22 Jan) 20% *Class participation: the average of a weekly mark reflecting whether or not you have done the readings for that day s seminar, can answer questions on them, then go beyond the assignment with material drawn from the press, other readings, and your own creative thinking. Quality is more important than quantity of comments made, but students should contribute to discussion in every class. Reading: This is a challenging course intended for those who are seriously interested in terrorism and U.S. counterterrorism policy. The course averages 200-250 pages of reading per week, which is standard for an advanced Graduate-level seminar. Due Dates: Late papers will be penalized one grade level (e.g., A- to B+) for each calendar day or part thereof, up to a full grade (e.g., A- to B-) each week. Barring officially-validated emergencies, the instructor will not give extra credit assignments or incomplete grades. Class Decorum: Mobile Phones must be turned off during class. Taking notes on your laptop is allowed; other computer activity is not. Our purpose is to engage in discussion, argumentation and debate. By the very nature of the subject, some topics will be sensitive or controversial and will stimulate opposing viewpoints. Civility and respect to all members of the class (including the instructor) is mandatory. Absences: Students who must be absent for work or other foreseeable events should inform the professor beforehand so that make-up work can be arranged, as necessary. You are responsible for getting notes from colleagues for missed class periods. Attendance is
DRAFT - 4 - DRAFT important and has an impact upon the class participation grade: it is difficult to imagine a student earning above a B in the course if more than two classes are missed for any reason. Read the syllabus. You are responsible for the information in the syllabus. Do not email the instructor asking questions that are answered in it. It wastes both our time and is unprofessional. Use email as a last resort, not a first resort. Examinations: The mid-term and final examinations will consist of short-answer questions drawn from the lectures and the readings, as well as essay questions. Research Papers: Subject to the approval of the instructor, students may wish to write a major research paper (20-25 pages) on terrorism instead of taking the final examination. This is a particularly good choice for anyone who wants to do research on terrorism or to work in a related field (now or in the future). All papers must be double-spaced, in 12- point font, on standard 8.5 X 11 inch paper, with the word count indicated on the cover sheet. Do not put papers in a special cover; just staple them on the upper corner. For those who would like to do a final research paper, a 1-2 page prospectus is due at the beginning of class on 20 March 2012. The paper and its topic must be approved by the instructor. The final paper is due no later than the date and starting time of the final examination for this course. Be sure to cite all the sources you use, including websites, for which you should provide the name of the author of the material, the date accessed, and a full url. There should be footnotes (or endnotes either is okay), as well as a Bibliography of sources used (i.e., do not pad the bibliography with sources that you did not actually use). Those who choose to write research papers should submit them in two forms: Hard copy (given to the instructor on the due date) and Electronic copy (exactly the same as the hard copy, sent to the instructor s email address within 24 hours of the due date). Papers that have been submitted for academic credit in other courses or produced for any purpose other than this course may not be submitted for credit in this course. Students with Special Needs: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please inform me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 703-993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the DRC.
DRAFT - 5 - DRAFT List of books for team presentations: Students will choose ONE of the following books for team presentations to the class during the second half of the course (Weeks 8-14). You must choose a book that you have not read before. Book choices will be determined during the first class. Philip Bobbitt, Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-first Century (New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 2008). Daniel Byman, A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011). Henry A. Crumpton, The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA s Clandestine Service (London: Penguin, 2012). John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think (New York: Gallup Press, 2007). Thomas Hegghammer, Jihad in Saudi Arabia: Violence and Pan-Islamism since 1979 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010). Daniel Klaidman, Kill or Capture: The War on Terror and the Soul of the Obama Presidency (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012). Matthew Levitt, Negotiating Under Fire: Preserving Peace Talks in the Face of Terror Attacks (New York: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008). Brynjar Lia, Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of al-qaida Strategist Abu Mus ab al-suri (New York: Columbia University Press, 2008). John Nagl, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam (Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, 2005 edition). Mitchell B. Reiss, Negotiating with Evil: When to Talk to Terrorists (New York: Open Road, 2010). Marc Sageman, Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the Twenty-first Century (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008). Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker, Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America s Secret Campaign against Al-Qaeda (New York: Holt, 2011). Michael A. Sheehan, Crush the Cell: How to Defeat Terrorism without Terrorizing Ourselves (New York: Random House, 2008).
DRAFT - 6 - DRAFT Please note the guidelines and outline for Book Presentations on pp. 14-15 of this syllabus. Overview Course Outline PART ONE: Overview of Political Violence and Terrorism 1. Introduction and Overview 2. The Historical and Political Context of Terrorism 3. Ethics, Motivations and Causes of Terrorism 4. Psychological Dimensions, Public Opinion, Old and New Media 5. 9/11 in Context: The Evolution of Religious Terrorism 6. The Role and Evolution of Suicide Attacks PART TWO: Analyzing al-qaeda and Other Emerging Threats 7. The Road to 9/11: The Intellectual and Historical Roots of al-qaeda 8. Al-Qaeda Today: Central Leadership and Regional Affiliates 9. Al-Qaeda Today: Leaderless Jihad and Homegrown Threats PART THREE: How Terrorism Ends: Responding Strategically 10. Capturing or Killing the Leader: Does it work? 11. Negotiations with Terrorists? 12. How do Terrorist Groups Succeed or Fail? Does Repression Work? 13. Terrorism, Crime and Insurgency: Outdated Paradigms, Real Challenges 14. Course Summary and Conclusions
DRAFT - 7 - DRAFT Course Outline (Discussion Questions and Assignments) PART ONE: Political Violence and Terrorism NOTE: Please prepare a concise 1-3-page résumé, including your contact information and a paragraph explaining what you hope to gain from this course. Send this document via email to: acronin2@gmu.edu before the start of the first class on 22 January 2013. 1. Introduction and Course Overview Tuesday, 22 January 2013 Purpose of the Course Requirements and expectations What is Terrorism? How do we study it? What are the differences between terrorists, guerrillas, insurgents, criminals, and assassins? How do they overlap? What are core concepts distinguish terrorism from other types of violence? What are the gray areas that experts argue about? Should the nature of a terrorist organization s motivation or justification be an element in defining terrorism? Or is the phenomenon defined by the act of violence itself? Résumé (due before class begins). Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism, Chapter 1, pp. 1-41. Audrey Kurth Cronin, Behind the Curve: Globalization and International Terrorism, International Security, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Winter 2002/03), pp. 30-58. 2. The Historical and Political Context of Terrorism Tuesday 29 January 2013 Was the use of violence by the Zealots and Sicarii against the Roman Empire justified? Does it fit your definition of terrorism? Do you think the Thugs were a terrorist organization? Many people draw parallels between the Assassins and modern radical Islamist terrorist organizations. In what senses are these parallels accurate or inaccurate? Much of the terrorist violence used in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was used, at least indirectly, in the service of ideals associated with democratization and decolonization. Did the United States oppose all terrorism? Should it have? Hoffman, Chapters 2-4, pp. 43-130. David C. Rapoport, Fear and Trembling: Terrorism in Three Religious Traditions, American Political Science Review, Vol. 78 (1984), pp. 658-677.
DRAFT - 8 - DRAFT David C. Rapoport, The Four Waves of Modern Terrorism, Chapter two of Attacking Terrorism: Elements of a Grand Strategy, edited by Cronin and James Ludes (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2004), pp. 46-73. Karen Rasler and William R. Thompson, Looking for Waves of Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 21, No. 1 (January 2009), pp. 28-41. 3. Ethics, Motivations and Causes of Terrorism Tuesday 7 February 2013 Is one person s terrorist another person s freedom fighter? Is the use of terrorist violence ever justified, in your view? Why or why not? What was the attitude of the international community toward terrorism in the midtwentieth century? Has it changed? Why? Is there an international norm against the use of terrorism? If not, should there be? How would you develop one? Does it matter? How can an understanding of terrorist organizations use of common ethical concepts give us insight into how to fight them? Is it important to know what causes terrorism? Why? What are your assumptions about the causes of terrorism? Are they supported by the evidence? Robert Kennedy, Is One Person s Terrorist Another s Freedom Fighter? Western and Islamic Approaches to Just War Compared, Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Spring 1999), pp. 1-21. R.G. Frey and Christopher W. Morris, Violence, Terrorism, and Justice, a selection from Chapter 1 of Violence, Terrorism and Justice, edited by R.G. Frey and Christopher W. Morris (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1991), pp. 1-11. (Note: This is not the complete chapter.) Max Abrahms, What Terrorists Really Want: Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy, International Security, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Spring 2008), pp. 78-105. Audrey Kurth Cronin, Sources of Contemporary Terrorism, Chapter one of Attacking Terrorism: Elements of a Grand Strategy, edited by Cronin and James Ludes (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2004), pp. 19-45. 4. Psychological Dimensions, Public Opinion, Old and New Media Tuesday 12 February 2013 Is terrorism, essentially, psychological warfare? If not, explain why not. If so, what are the implications for counterterrorism? Is terrorism a rational strategic activity or the result of psychological and sociological forces? What evidence would you provide for either assertion? How would you determine this for a given group? [In-class film: One Day in September.]
DRAFT - 9 - DRAFT Hoffman, Chapters 6-7, pp. 173-228. Martha Crenshaw, The Logic of Terrorism: Terrorist Behavior as a Product of Strategic Choice, Chapter 1 in in Walter Reich, ed., Origins of Terrorism (Washington, D.C.: Woodrow Wilson International Center Press, second edition, 1998), pp. 7-24. Jerrold Post, Terrorist Psycho-logic: Terrorist Behavior as a Product of Pscyhological Forces, Chapter 2 in Walter Reich, ed., Origins of Terrorism (Washington, D.C.: Woodrow Wilson International Center Press, second edition, 1998), pp. 25-40. Jeff Victoroff, The Mind of the Terrorist: A Review and Critique of Psychological Approaches, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 49, No. 1 (2005), pp. 3-42. Gabriel Weimann, The Psychology of Mass-Mediated Terrorism, American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 52, No. 1 (September 2008), pp. 69-86. Jarret Brachman, Watching the Watchers, Foreign Policy, November 2010, pp. 62-67. 5. 9/11 in Context: The Evolution of Religious Terrorism Tuesday 19 February 2013 Does religious violence have a strategic goal? Or it is mainly a symbolic statement? Is there a unique connection today between spiritual concepts and terrorist violence? Is the use of religious imagery merely a feint for a political agenda? How can you tell? What difference does it make either way? Does religious terrorism require different counterterrorist techniques or approaches? According to Juergensmeyer, why does religion turn violent? Do you agree with him? How does this examination of religion and terrorism relate to our ethics discussion from Week #3? For example, how do the Christian organizations Juergensmeyer describes justify the use of terrorist violence against civilians? How do these justifications relate to the just war tradition we have studied? How about other religious terrorist groups and their longstanding ethical traditions? Assignment: Mark Juergensmeyer, Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence, 1-243 (all). 6. The Role and Evolution of Suicide Attacks Tuesday 26 February 2013 What is the history of suicide attacks? What are the individual and organizational motives for using them? Why are suicide attacks becoming more widespread? How has the technology evolved? How do suicide attacks compare to more conventional terrorist and insurgent tactics?
DRAFT - 10 - DRAFT Hoffman, Chapters 5, 8-9, pp. 131-171 and 229-295. Stephen F. Dale, Religious Suicide in Islamic Asia: Anticolonial Terrorism in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 32, No. 1 (March1988), pp. 37-59. Robert A. Pape, The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism, American Political Science Review, Vol. 99, No. 3 (August 2003), pp. 343-361. Scott Atran, The Moral Logic and Growth of Suicide Terrorism, The Washington Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Spring 2006), pp. 127-147. PART TWO: Analyzing al-qaeda and Other Emerging Threats 7. The Road to 9/11: The Intellectual and Historical Roots of al-qaeda Tuesday 7 March 2013 **First 90 minutes: In-class Midterm examination** (Last Hour: Lecture) How has al-qaeda evolved? Why has it evolved in this way? Why did it become the most powerful of the Islamist groups? What is the historical relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and al-qaeda? Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (New York: Random House, 2006), Preface, Chapters 1-5, pp. 3-138. Mary Habeck Knowing the Enemy, Chapters 1-4, pp. 1-81. Quinton Wiktorowicz, A Genealogy of Radical Islam, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Vol. 28, No. 2 (March/April 2005), pp. 75-97. SPRING BREAK. NO CLASS 13 MARCH 2012. [A friendly word of advice: Read ahead in The Looming Tower over Spring Break.] 8. What Does Al-Qaeda Want? Tuesday 19 March 2013 [1-2 page prospectus due at the beginning of class for those doing a final research paper.] What are al-qaeda s aims? How have those aims evolved? Why the 9/11 attacks? Do the United States and its Western allies understand al-qaida s aims? How do they measure success? What are their timelines? Who holds them accountable for success or failure? Is al-qaeda achieving its aims? [This class will begin with a short film clip by Ayman Zawahiri.]
DRAFT - 11 - DRAFT Wright, The Looming Tower, Chapters 6-13, pp. 139-268. Habeck, Knowing the Enemy, Chapters 5-8, pp. 83-177. Book Presentations: John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think (New York: Gallup Press, 2007). Richard P. Mitchell, The Society of the Muslim Brothers (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969; revised edition, 1993). 9. What is Al-Qaeda Today: Central Leadership, Regional Affiliates, Leaderless Jihad and Homegrown Threats Tuesday 26 March 2013 Wright, The Looming Tower, Chapters 14-20, pp. 269-421. Vahid Brown, Chapter 4: Al-Qa ida Central and Local Affiliates, Self-inflicted Wounds, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, 16 December 2010, pp. 69-99. Accessible at http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/self-inflicted-wounds. (Strongly recommend reading the entire report.) Book Presentations: Marc Sageman, Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the Twenty-first Century (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008). Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker, Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America s Secret Campaign against Al-Qaeda (New York: Holt, 2011). PART THREE: How Terrorism Ends: Responding Strategically 10. Capturing or Killing the Leader: Does it End Terrorist Campaigns? Tuesday 2 April 2013 Cronin, How Terrorism Ends, Introduction and Chapter 1, pp. 1-34. Jenna Jordan, When Heads Roll: Assessing the Effectiveness of Leadership Decapitation, Security Studies, Vol. 18, No. 4 (December 2009), pp. 719-755. Book Presentations: Daniel Byman, A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011). Dalton Fury, Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander s Account of the Hunt for the World s Most Wanted Man (London: St. Martin s Paperbacks, 2011).
DRAFT - 12 - DRAFT 11. Should We Negotiate with Terrorists? Tuesday 9 April 2013 Cronin, How Terrorism Ends, Chapter 2, pp. 35-72. Peter Neumann, Negotiating with Terrorists, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 86, No. 1 (January/February 2007), pp. 128-139. Book Presentations: Mitchell B. Reiss, Negotiating with Evil: When to Talk to Terrorists (New York: Open Road, 2010). Matthew Levitt, Negotiating Under Fire: Preserving Peace Talks in the Face of Terror Attacks (New York: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008). 12. How and Why do Terrorist Groups Succeed or Fail? Does Repression Work? Tuesday 16 April 2013 Cronin, How Terrorism Ends, Chapters 3-5 and Appendix, pp. 73-145 and 207-222. Mark Lynch, Chapter 7: Jihadis and the Ikhwan, and Reuven Paz, Chapter 8: Jihadis and Hamas, in Self-inflicted Wounds, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, 16 December 2010, pp.155-201. Accessible at http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/self-inflictedwounds. Book Presentations: Scott Atran, Talking to the Enemy: Faith, Brotherhood and the (Un)making of Terrorists (New York: Harper Collins, 2010). Michael A. Sheehan, Crush the Cell: How to Defeat Terrorism without Terrorizing Ourselves (New York: Random House, 2008). 13. Terrorism, Crime and Insurgency: Outdated Paradigms, Real Challenges Tuesday 23 April 2013 Special Guest: John Nagl Cronin, How Terrorism Ends, Chapter 6, pp. 146-166. David Kilcullen, Countering Global Insurgency, Strategic Studies, Vol. 28, No. 4 (august 2005), pp. 597-618. John Rollins and Liana Sun Wyler, International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, U.S. Policy, and Considerations for Congress, CRS Report for Congress #R41004, 18 March 2010; accessible at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/r41004.pdf.
DRAFT - 13 - DRAFT Book Presentations: John Nagl, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam (Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, 2005 edition). Brynjar Lia, Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of al-qaida Strategist Abu Mus ab al-suri (New York: Columbia University Press, 2008). 14. Course Summary and Conclusions Tuesday 30 April 2013 Cronin, How Terrorism Ends, Chapter 7, pp. 167-206. Prepare for Final Examination or finish Final Research Paper.
DRAFT - 14 - DRAFT Guidelines and Basic Format for Book Presentations Your task is to collaborate with your classmate(s) to give an oral presentation summarizing the book, explaining the author s argument and thoroughly critiquing it. Your book presentation occurs during the week that the class is considering topics related to the subject of the book. Since the rest of the class will likely not have read your assigned book, your first task is to tell them the most important things that it says. Boil down the crucial points and arguments: What s new about this book? Which arguments are most relevant and unique? What does the author contribute that is of interest to the class? You should also read the required course readings so as to be conversant with agreements and disagreements with what other authors have written and be able to point out meaningful discrepancies or relevant points of agreement to the class. While pictures or graphics (such as charts or maps) may be used for reference, if desired, the oral presentation should be made referring only lightly to notes or an outline and may not be a power point briefing with the student reading directly from a series of slides. Relevant photographs, charts, maps and other visual aids that illustrate your points are welcome (though not required). It is not a formal briefing: the goal is to have a lively interaction within the seminar about the author s ideas. (That s obvious, right?) Also, you should know the book well enough that you can argue its content without directly reading anything. Immediately after the presentation, you should hand out a concise written outline of the book and the main points of critique, given both to classmates and the instructor. (A sample format for the outline is on the next page.) Prepare what you would give a superior who does not have the time to read your book but needs to know what it says and, very important, what you think about the book. You can literally use an outline form (with explanations of what the headings mean) or a written-out paper; but it should be clear and concise not longer than three pages. The key thing is to give your boss what s/he needs to know, and (conveniently) also give the class a neat packet of summaries of important current books on terrorism.
DRAFT - 15 - DRAFT I. Introduction Book Presentation Suggested Outline: A quick overview of what the central argument of the book is, and what its strengths and weaknesses are. Like a brief roadmap of what is ahead. II. The book and its author in more detail Give background about the author of the book. Explain the book s organization or approach. Summarize the main sections, main arguments. (Include enough that the class understands who the author is and what he or she wrote.) III. Strengths and weaknesses of this book the critique (These are just some examples of things you might address not all are relevant to every book, and you may think of others yourself.) Strengths: What great new ideas has this book contributed? Did it make you think about the subject differently? Is it impressively researched? Well-written? Well-organized? Is the methodology sound and rigorous? Is the author creative in his/her approach? Does it add to our knowledge? (And so on.) Weaknesses: What is it missing? Where is the research incomplete or suspect? Where is the methodology weak or questionable? What assumptions has the author made that might not be correct? Is there another source that you know of that is better, or complementary? Is the book policy-relevant, and accessible to policy-makers? (And so on.) IV. Concluding summary On balance, is this a good book? What would you add or subtract? If you were writing a sequel, what would you write? What about it is MOST valuable? What did you learn from it?
DRAFT - 16 - DRAFT Research Paper Prospectus (Due 19 March 2013) If you wish to do a 20-25 research paper IN LIEU OF the final examination for this course, you must submit a research paper prospectus and have it approved by the instructor. (If you are planning to take the final examination, these instructions do not apply to you.) Your paper prospectus should be three pages (maximum) and contain the following elements: 1. Proposed Title 2. Your name and email address. 3. Concise paragraph explaining the question or problem or issue you plan to research, including why it is under-studied and important. How do you hope to make a useful contribution through this research? (i.e., Why bother? What do you hope to accomplish that s new?) 4. Research Methodology: How will you go about researching this topic? 5. Basic tentative outline. (I realize that this will probably evolve and change; but what do you THINK you re going to do? How do you THINK you re going to structure this analysis?) Just the broad headings and subheadings. 5. Tentative Bibliography: major books, articles, interviews, archives, etc. that are important to this topic and that you plan to use for your research. Remember that you should strive to use both PRIMARY and SECONDARY sources. * Please submit these to me electronically at acronin2@gmu.edu by the beginning of class on 20 March 2012, and bring me one paper copy in class. Thank you. [*Note: If you are not sure about the difference between primary and secondary sources, see this site: http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html. For most public policy work, great primary sources include government documents, raw data, transcripts, interviews, official records, eyewitness accounts, etc. Secondary sources are books, papers, articles, etc. that interpret primary sources. Your goal is to get as close as possible to doing objective and original research so you should strive to use primary sources whenever possible.]
DRAFT - 17 - DRAFT School of Public Policy Policy on Plagiarism The profession of scholarship and the intellectual life of a university as well as the field of public policy inquiry depend fundamentally on a foundation of trust. Thus any act of plagiarism strikes at the heart of the meaning of the university and the purpose of the School of Public Policy. It constitutes a serious breach of professional ethics and it is unacceptable. Plagiarism is the use of another s words or ideas presented as one s own. It includes, among other things, the use of specific words, ideas, or frameworks that are the product of another s work. Honesty and thoroughness in citing sources is essential to professional accountability and personal responsibility. Appropriate citation is necessary so that arguments, evidence, and claims can be critically examined. Plagiarism is wrong because of the injustice it does to the person whose ideas are stolen. But it is also wrong because it constitutes lying to one s professional colleagues. From a prudential perspective, it is shortsighted and self-defeating, and it can ruin a professional career. The faculty of the School of Public Policy takes plagiarism seriously and has adopted a zero tolerance policy. Any plagiarized assignment will receive an automatic grade of F. This may lead to failure for the course, resulting in dismissal from the University. This dismissal will be noted on the student s transcript. For foreign students who are on a universitysponsored visa (e.g., F-1, J-1, or J-2), dismissal also results in the revocation of their visa. To help enforce the SPP policy on plagiarism, all written work submitted in partial fulfillment of course or degree requirements must be available in electronic form soi that it can be compared with electronic databases, as well as submitted to commercial services to which the School subscribes. Faculty may at any time submit student s work without priori permission from the student. Individual instructors may require that written work be submitted in electronic as well as printed form. The SPP policy on plagiarism is supplementary to the George Mason University Honor Code; it is not intended to replace it or substitute for it. (http://www.gmu.edu/facstaff/handbook/ad.html) Professor Cronin s Addendum: This policy will be strictly enforced. Ignorance cannot be considered an excuse. Please: never cut-and-paste from the Internet into your paper unless the selections are put in quotation marks and the source credited. Making minor changes to someone else s work and then presenting it as one s own is still plagiarism. Remember: When in doubt, CITE!