Using the ITERATE dataset, we explore the origins of transnational terrorist activity, from 1982 through 1997, in 118 countries. We model terrorism, not as a function of a nation's ethnic, religious or linguistic fractionalization, but as an independent measure of perceived ethnic tensions. When...

We deviate from standard practice in the literature on state failure and instead use classification tree methods to predict state failure. We argue that the rarity of state failure, along with classification tree’s simplicity of use and interpretation makes this approach more attractive than...