EDUCATION, POVERTY, POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM: IS THERE A CAUSAL CONNECTION?

Education Poverty Political Violence Terrorism

That investment in education is critical for economic growth, improved health, and social progress is beyond question. That poverty is a scourge that the international aid community and industrialized countries should work to eradicate is also beyond question. What is less clear, however, is whether poverty and low education are root causes of terrorism. This paper investigates whether there is a causal link between poverty or low education and support for terrorist activities and politically motivated violence.