The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) was tasked
with reviewing the literature relevant to counter‐terrorism and counter‐insurgency in support of the
broader project U.S. Engagement Options in Sub‐Saharan Africa, funded and coordinated by the Strategic
Multilayer Assessment Office (SMA) of the Department of Defense. This report is a summary of the key
findings of a broader literature survey on counter‐terrorism, counter‐insurgency, and countering violent
extremism. The survey focused on empirical evaluations of policies designed to undermine the ability or
motivation of non‐state actors to engage in political violence.
Publication Information
Pate, Amy. "Surveying the Literature on Counter-Terrorism, Counter-Insurgency, and Countering Violent Extremism: A Summary Report with a Focus on Africa." Report to the Strategic Multilayer Assessment Office, Department of Defense, and the Office of University Programs, Department of Homeland Security. College Park, MD: START, 2015. www.start.umd.edu/pubs/START_SMA-AFRICOM_LiteratureReview_Jan2015.pdf