ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the reader with a clear understanding of what is meant by a violent political movement and its related outcomes. It outlines the definitions of guerrilla movements, terrorist organizations, political parties, and criminal organizations. The chapter defines a guerrilla movement as a collective of individuals organized into military-style units who use a variety of techniques similar to terrorism to target primarily military and government sites and who are attempting to gain physical control over a defined geographical area. The increase came as the international community attempted to address the issue of terrorism and distinguish between legitimate rebellious movements and transnational terrorist organizations and their activities. A political party will be defined as: an organization with a particular ideological focus that is centered on the election of individuals to legislative, executive, or judicial components of the government.
