Transcript Chapter Eleven Political Crime and Terrorism Siegel 10th edition Political Crime  Since 9/11 political crime and terrorism have become important areas of criminological inquiry    Political.

Chapter Eleven
Political Crime and Terrorism
Siegel 10th edition
Political Crime
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Since 9/11 political crime and terrorism have
become important areas of criminological inquiry
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Political crime can be violent and nonviolent
Terrorism is only one type of politically motivated crime
Definition of political crime
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Illegal acts that are designed to undermine an existing
government and threaten its survival, e.g., dissent,
treason, espionage, terrorism, or assassination.
The Nature of Political Crime
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May stem from religious or ideological beliefs
May not be easy to always label political
criminals as antisocial
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Motivations shift between selfish and selfless desires
Behavior is often between conventional and
outlawed behavior
Political criminals may be motivated by conviction
and not greed
Acts are often motivated by a higher calling
The Goals of Political Crime
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Intimidation
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Revolution
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Profit
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Conviction / pseudo-conviction
Becoming a Political Criminal
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No set reason why someone becomes a political
criminal
There is a regularity in the way ideas are formed
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Stage 1 – “It’s not right”
Stage 2 – “It’s not fair”
Stage 3 – “It’s your fault”
Stage 4 – “You’re evil”
Types of Political Crime
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Election Fraud
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Treason
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Espionage
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Spying on governments,
organizations, or society
Industrial espionage
Foreign industrial espionage
Economic Espionage Act of 1996
Election Fraud
The illegal interference
with the process of an election.
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Intimidation or threats
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Disruption, e.g., bomb threats
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Misinformation, e.g., misleading information such as
election date or eligibility requirements
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Registration fraud, e.g., busing in noneligible voters using
“change of address” forms
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Vote buying, e.g., absentee ballots
Treason
According to the United States Criminal Code,
“whoever, owing allegiance to the United States,
levies war against them or adheres to their enemies,
giving them aid and comfort within the United Sates
or elsewhere,
is guilty of treason
and shall suffer death,
or shall be imprisoned not less than five years
and fined under this title
but not less than $10,000;
and shall be incapable of holding
any office under the United States.”
Espionage
(Spying)
The practice of obtaining information
about a government, organization, or society
that is considered secret or confidential
without the permission
of the holder of the information.
Industrial Espionage
Foreign Industrial Espionage
State Political Crime
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Sometimes state authorities commit
crimes against the people they are
supposed to serve
Goal may be to maintain power or to
uphold the race, class, and gender
advantage of those who support the
government
Varieties of State Political Crimes
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Political Corruption
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Illegal Domestic Surveillance
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Human Rights Violations
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State Violence
 Can include various acts of torture
State-corporate Crime
Torture?
Ticking Bomb Scenario?
Political Crime and Terrorism
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Political crime is an act that carries with it the
intent to disrupt and change the government and
must not merely be a simple common law crime
committed for reasons of greed or egotism. These
are sometimes referred to as convictional criminals
– those who believe their actions will benefit
society.
Terrorism generally involves the premeditated
illegal use of force (violence) against innocent
people to achieve a political objective or to commit
a political crime.
Terrorism can also include economic or social
reform efforts.
History of Terrorism
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Acts of terrorism have been known throughout
history.
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Religious Roots
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Gain right to practice their own religion
Establish the supremacy of their own religion over others
Meet the requirements of the blood-thirsty god or gods they
worshipped
Political Roots
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Used as a tactic to gain political rights when rulers had
absolute power
Terrorism
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Terrorism is the political crime that most are concerned
with.
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There is a long history of terrorism.
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Still hard to define it and to separate terrorist acts from
interpersonal crimes of violence.
To be considered terrorism an act must carry the intent to
disrupt and change the government and must not be merely
a common-law crime committed for greed.
Often need illegal force against innocent people to achieve
an objective (not always political).
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Economic or social reform
Characteristics of Terrorism
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Political in aims and motives.
Exploitation of fear (terror) through violence or
the threat of violence.
Psychological effects (fear through intimidation).
Perpetrated by some organizational entity with
an identifiable chain of command capable of
conspiratorial conduct.
Perpetrated by a subnational group or non-state
entity.
Characteristics of Terrorism
(cont’d)
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Designed to create power when there is no
power.
To terrorists, there are no rules of warfare or
codes of conduct.
The goal is that through the publicity generated
from their violence, terrorists will have the
leverage to effect political change.
Terrorist and Guerilla
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“Terrorist” is often used interchangeably with
“guerilla”
Guerilla comes from the Spanish term meaning
“little war”
Terrorists have an urban focus
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Guerillas are located in rural areas
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Operate in small bands of 3-5 members, target the property or
persons of their enemy
Attack the military, the police, or government officials
The two types can infiltrate the other areas
Terrorist and Insurgent
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Insurgents are usually the opposition forces in a
conflict
Goal of insurgents are to confront the existing
government for control of all or part of its
territory
Do not always use violence
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Require support of a significant portion of the population
When they do use violence it is often to inspire
support and gain converts
Terrorist and Revolutionary
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A revolution is seen as a civil war
Fighting occurs between nationalists and a
sovereign power that holds control of the land or,
Between the existing government and local
groups over ideology and power
Can be violent
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American Revolution, French Revolution
Can be nonviolent
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Non-violent demonstrations in Iran (1970s)
Forms of
Terrorism
Revolutionary
Political
Nationalistic
Cult
Based
State-Sponsored
Criminal
Environmental
Contemporary Forms of Terrorism
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Revolutionary Terrorists
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Political Terrorists
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Right Wing Political Groups
Left Wing Political Groups
Eco-Terrorism
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Nationalist Terrorism
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Retributive Terrorism
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State Sponsored Terrorism
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Cult Terrorism
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Criminal Terrorism
Organization of Terror Groups
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Terrorist groups tend to be networked or
hierarchical
Most groups subdivide their affiliates into
terror cells
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Each cell may function independently to one is
not compromised by another’s actions
Cells can be based on location, employment,
family, function
What Motivates the Terrorists?
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Psychological View
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Socialization View
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Ideological View
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Alienation View
Question
How can state sponsored terror
be explained?
Response to Terrorism
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Law Enforcement
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Federal Law Enforcement
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Department of Homeland Security
National Counterterrorism Center
Using the Law
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USA Patriot Act
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Civil Rights Issues
Political Solutions