Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book seeks to extend the literature on the relationship between political opportunities and participation in forms of violent political protest, such as terrorism. It presents a broad overview of the uprisings that occurred in Egypt, Libya, and Syria in the aftermath of Tunisia's 2011 revolution, and how dissent in each state was organized. The book also analyses the existent literature, and identifies how the literature on social capital, interpersonal trust, and reciprocity may provide insights into why individuals may join terrorist organizations. It also analyses three cases of Salafist political mobilization in Egypt, Libya, and Syria during the Arab Spring, and demonstrates how social order influenced the manner in which they mobilized and the tools of resistance that they used. The book explains the relationship between generalized trust and the amount of domestic terrorism produced within a state at the country level.