Which type of terrorism centers on race or ethnicity as the defining characteristic of society?

• A. Ethnocentric Terrorism
• B. Nationalistic Terrorism
• C. Revolutionary Terrorism
• D. Political Terrorism

Answer: (A)

Identity-based violence that aims to organize society around a single ethnicity is what ethnocentric terrorism describes. This form centers on race or ethnicity as the defining characteristic of society, using violence to advance or enforce a racial/ethnic social order and to purge or dominate those deemed outsiders. That focus on ethnicity as the organizing principle is what sets it apart from the others: nationalistic terrorism seeks political self-determination for a nation or group rather than a racial order; revolutionary terrorism aims to overthrow the existing political system; political terrorism uses fear to influence government decisions without a primary emphasis on ethnic identity.