Publication

This thesis explores the linkages between democracy and terrorism by using Chile as a case study. The author analyzes the five observable features of strategic capacity – mission, hierarchy, membership, tactics and violence level – arguing that democratic characteristics positively influence some dimensions and constrain others. She concludes that high-functioning democracies and highly repressive autocracies are unlikely to experience violence, due to the high constraints that they place on different features of strategic capacity. However, democracies with weak representation and autocracies with some individual liberty allow strategic capacity to strengthen, making violence more likely.