N. Susanne Martin, Ph.D.

Summary

Susanne Martin's work is situated within the fields of comparative politics and international relations. In her dissertation, she investigates cases in which terrorist groups transition to party politics, as well as the more numerous, though less studied, cases in which political parties turn to violence.

Martin uses a multimethod research design, combining large-n statistical analyses of factors related to linkages between political parties and terrorist groups and in-depth case studies in order to explore the conditions under which political groups change their tactics and the types of groups that are most likely to change their tactics.

In her work, Martin challenges existing theories related to regime type and organizational features and develops a theoretical foundation for understanding variations in shifts to and from terrorism across space and time. Martin's research draws on theories of political party adaptation, organization and the causes, logic and end of terrorism. Her research offers insights into the causes, conditions and catalysts associated with political group adaptation; political development and change; and the end of terrorism.  Martin's findings have implications for domestic and international security and foreign policy.

Research interests

• Political violence, terrorism, and warfare
• Extremism and processes of radicalization
• Non-state actors, tactics and strategies
• Organization theory
• Nation-building

Presentations

• "The Endogenous Formation of Terrorist Groups" (with Michael McBride, Natalia Londono, and Sherry Forbes). Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Studies Association, San Francisco, April 2012.
• "Veil and the Voice" (with Bozena Welborne, Aubrey Westfall, Sarah Tobin, and Ozge Celik).  Paper prepared for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in New Orleans, LA, September 2012 (conference canceled).
• "In the Shadow of the Gunman:  The Assassination of World Leaders, 1946-2000" (with Bob Ostergard).  Paper presented at the meeting of the British International Studies Association/International Studies Association, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, June 18-21, 2012.
• "The Impact of Organizational Characteristics on Strategy Choice and Change." Paper presented at the Midwest Political Science Association National Conference in Chicago, April 2010. Dissertation, Chapter 6.

Publications

Books

• The Role of Terrorism in 21st Century Warfare (with Leonard Weinberg), Manchester University Press, 2016.
• Violence, Elections, and Party Politics (edited with Mary Beth Altier and Leonard Weinberg), New York, NY: Routledge, 2013 (previously published as a special issue of Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 25, No. 1 (January 2013), p. 1-159.

Articles and chapters (selected)

• "Terrorism in an Era of Unconventional Warfare" (with Leonard Weinberg), Terrorism and Political Violence Vol. 28, No. 2 (2016), p. 236-253.
• "Evolution of Suicide Attacks" (with Ami Pedahzur), The Handbook of Criminology and Terrorism, Gary LaFree and Joshua Freilich (eds.), Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons (2016).
• "Suicide Terrorism," Routledge History of Terrorism, Randall D. Law (ed.), New York, NY: Routledge, 2015, p. 387-410.
• "Dilemmas of ‘Going Legit': Why Should Violent Groups Engage in or Avoid Electoral Politics?" Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression Vol. 6, No. 2 (2014), p. 81-101.
• "Turning to and from Terror: Deciphering the Conditions under Which Political Groups Choose Violent and Nonviolent Tactics" (with Arie Perliger), Perspectives on Terrorism, Vol. 6, No. 4-5 (2012), p. 21-45.

Projects (selected)

• Is politics becoming less violent? This project adds to a growing literature highlighting evidence and seeking explanations for what appears to be a worldwide reduction in violence.
• Extremism in America. This is a collaboration drawing on insights from social psychology and political science in order to explain support for extremist positions, candidates, and groups with a focus on politics in the United States.
• Shifting strategies. This project is an investigation of the strategies and tactics of violent political actors with attention to the conditions under which these groups are more likely to adopt nonviolent tactics or abandon violence, the types of groups that are more likely to do so, and the rationales underlying these changes.

Conference presentations (selected)

• "Historical triggers of uncertainty and its relationship to support for violent activism in the United States" (with Mauricio J. Alvarez, Lindsay M. Perez, and James T. Richardson), Annual Meeting of the Western Social Science Association, April 14, 2016.
• "Studying Radicalization in the Digital Age: Assumptions and Assessments of Internet Radicalization" (with Mauricio J. Alvarez, Lindsay M. Perez, and James T. Richardson), Annual Meeting of the Western Social Science Association, April 14, 2016.
• "Patterns of decreasing violence in politics," Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 7, 2016.
• "Draft book proposal for ‘From Parliamentarianism to Terrorism and Back Again'," Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, August 29, 2014.
• "Endogenous Formation of Terrorist Groups" (with Sherry Forbes, Michael McBride, and Natalia Londono), National Convention of the International Studies Association, April 2013.
• "In the Shadow of the Gunman: The Assassination of World Leaders, 1946-2000" (with Robert Ostergard), Joint British International Studies Association and International Studies Association (BISA-ISA) Conference, June 21, 2012.
• "Explaining Clusters of Collapse of Democracy" (with Ami Pedahzur and Arie Perliger), Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 14, 2012.
• "Does Participation in Party Politics Pay Off?" Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 13, 2012.

Education

• Ph.D., Government, University of Texas at Austin
• M.A., Government, University of Texas at Austin
• M.A., International Relations, St. Mary's University of San Antonio
• BBA, International Business, University of Texas at Austin