Options for U.S. Policy on Terrorism

Gail V. Bass-Golod, Brian Michael Jenkins, Konrad Kellen, David Ronfeldt, Joyce E. Peterson

ResearchPublished 1981

Summarizes the most policy-relevant findings and conclusions from nine years of RAND research on terrorism. The government faces complex issues in developing effective anti-terrorist policies and capabilities. These issues include (1) the trends in hostage-taking; (2) the interaction between policy in hostage situations and overall policy on terrorism; (3) the implications of countering terrorist action with force; and (4) the future threat of terrorism. Having discussed these issues, the report recommends means of developing effective long-term strategies against terrorism and improving the U.S. response to terrorist incidents. It suggests that flexible-response policy may be more appropriate than a fixed-response policy in dealing with individual terrorist actions but that the United States should adopt a firm, consistent overall policy to fight terrorism. It stresses the essential role of international agreements in containing terrorism and urges the U.S. government to enlist other nations' cooperation in establishing such agreements.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 1981
  • Paperback Pages: 20
  • Document Number: R-2764-RC

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Bass-Golod, Gail V., Brian Michael Jenkins, Konrad Kellen, David Ronfeldt, and Joyce E. Peterson, Options for U.S. Policy on Terrorism, RAND Corporation, R-2764-RC, 1981. As of September 24, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2764.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Bass-Golod, Gail V., Brian Michael Jenkins, Konrad Kellen, David Ronfeldt, and Joyce E. Peterson, Options for U.S. Policy on Terrorism. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1981. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2764.html.
BibTeX RIS

This publication is part of the RAND report series. The report series, a product of RAND from 1948 to 1993, represented the principal publication documenting and transmitting RAND's major research findings and final research.

This research in the public interest was supported by RAND using discretionary funds made possible by the generosity of RAND's donors, the fees earned on client-funded research, or independent research and development (IR&D) funds provided by the Department of Defense.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.