A rationalist explanation of terrorist targeting

Why do terrorists select the targets that they do? Existing explanations only provide a partial account. Here, I argue that terrorist organizations are concerned with two competing needs: that of public support and the achievement of their objectives. The interplay between these competing needs then helps to determine the selection of one of two types of targets, civilian or non-civilian. Following previous literatures, I place the terrorist organization in a bargaining interaction with a targeted government. I then condition this model by considering the role of three factors that can influence this interaction: government attributes, public support, and the group environment. I posit each to have an independent effect on targeting, conditioning which target types are prudent. These effects should also work jointly; with each conditioning the effect of the following. These factors then provide an account of terrorist targeting variation that explains why some groups eschew simplicity for symbolism