ABSTRACT
Terrorism has attracted public attention and been high on the political agenda of advanced democracies for decades. Whether separatist or nationalist, as found in the Basque Country, Corsica, or Northern Ireland, revolutionary in the struggle to topple capitalist states, right-wing extremist, such as the 22 July attacks in Norway in 2011, or internationally jihadist, as exemplified by the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks in the U.S., followed by large-scale attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005, terrorism is often seen as an increasing threat to society. In particular, terrorism is often presented as a challenge to democracy, or democracies, in that non-democratic perpetrators target democratic societies by taking advantage of their openness, freedom, and rule of law. Democracies are then portrayed as especially vulnerable and more exposed than other regimes to terrorism.
