<COURSE DESCRIPTION>
This course is an introduction to terrorism and counterterrorism policies. The course will explore various academic theories and frameworks regarding terrorism-related issues such as definition, causes, tactics, organizations, and countermeasure, mainly from the U.S. and Western perspectives.
<ATTAINMENT TARGET>
By the end of this course, students will be able to -
（i） understand and explain basic theoretical concepts and terms on terrorism studies,
（ii） understand and explain major questions about terrorism studies for scholars and practitioners,
（iii） understand and explain backgrounds behind daily media reports on terror incidents based on theoretical frameworks, and
（iv） make policy recommendations on counterterrorism based on appropriate theoretical frameworks.
<METHODOLOGIES>
The course consists of lectures by the instructor as well as class discussions with students. While the instructor delivers a brief lecture in a each class on the designated topics based on the below-mentioned text books, students are expected to participate in class discussions.

<INTRODUCTION>
　（01） Syllabus
　（02） Terrorism threat assessment on 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and issues
<BASIC THEORIES>
　（03） Primer on terrorism: definition, nature, and etc. （Sandler 1 & 6; Bakker 1; Martin 1; Forest 1）
　（04） History of terrorism （Bakker 2; Martin 2; Forest 2）
　（05） Causes of terrorism （Sandler 2; Bakker 4; Martin 2; Forest 3）
　（06） Terrorist Environment （i） Asymmetries and terrorism （Sandler 5）
　（07） Terrorist Environment （ii） Terrorist Groups （Sandler 3）
　（08） Counterterrorism （Sandler 4, Bakker 5; Martin 10 & 11）
<MID-TERM PRESENTATIONS>
　（09） Students’ mid-term presentations on research proposals
<PRACTICAL ISSUES>
　（10） Al-Qaida and ISIS （Martin 7; Forest 11 &12）
　（11） Domestic Terrorism in the United States / Right-wing Terrorism （Martin 9; Forest 10）
　（12） The Future of terrorism and terrorism studies （Sandler 7; Bakker 6; Martin 12; Forest 19）
<SUMMARY AND FINAL PRESENTATIONS>
　（13） Summary and Conclusions
　（14） Students’ final presentations

No prerequisite knowledge or experiences are required.

<READING ASSIGNMENTS>
All students are expected to complete reading assignments （in particular, assigned chapters of the below-mentioned textbooks） prior to an each class, getting prepared for class discussions on assigned topics.
<NEWS DISCUSSIONS>
In an each class, the first 15-20 minutes will be allocated to casual discussions on the current news topics related to terrorism or international politics. All students are encouraged to pay attention to relevant news topics in daily life, and to get prepared for class discussions. （This is a part of the grading and evaluation.）
<Class Notes>
After an each class, all students are expected to submit short comments （e.g. new findings, questions and etc） within 24 hours through DISCUSSION Function of Oh-Meiji Class web page. All studentsʼ comments as well as instructorʼs responses will be shared among registered students. （This is a part of the grading and evaluation.）

・ Sandler, Todd （2018）, Terrorism - What Everyone Needs to know （Oxford University Press）
・ Bakker, Edwin （2015）, Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies - Comparing Theory and Practice （Leiden University Press）

・ Forest, James （2019）, Terrorism Lectures （Third Edition） （Nortia Press）
・ Martin, Gus （2019）, Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversies （Fifth Edition） （SAGE Publications）
・ Hoffman, Bruce （2017）, Inside Terrorism （Third Edition） （Columbia University Press））

・ Class Participation: 30％ （This includes the above-mentioned News Discussions and Class Notes.）
・ Individual Class Presentation （2 times）: 30％
・ Individual Term Paper: 40％