Reducing threats is a major challenge for both governments and citizens.
What Is Terrorism?
Terrorists have sought to achieve their political agendas all over the world.
video
4:25
What the World’s Terrorist Groups Have in Common
Strong ideology motivates those who commit terrorism, no matter their goals.
interactive
Who Counts As a Terrorist?
From foreign groups to domestic threats, how does the U.S. government define terrorism?
infographic
Terrorism by the Numbers
What the numbers behind terrorism—and the process of getting to them—reveal.
chart
Radicalization and Right-Wing Extremism
Learn how the domestic terror threat has evolved since 9/11.
photo
Terrorism and the Media
Terrorism is often described as requiring the “oxygen of publicity.”
video
3:30
U.S. Counterterrorism Since 1945
The history of counterterrorism in the United States is more than a list of policies. It shows how the definition of terrorism and the agencies and tools used to pursue those who commit it have evolved over time.
timeline
Tools of Counterterrorism
National security experts have a range of options available as they work to prevent terrorism.
video
2:45
How a Single Phrase Defined the War on Terror
The open-ended scope of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force has justified counterterrorism policy for two decades—and counting.
infographic
The Terrorist Money Trail
What the challenges of targeting terrorists’ finances tell us about the evolving terrorist threat.
infographic
How Terrorism Affects You
The following articles explore the effects of terrorism on individuals, communities, and societies.
Source: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters
This is Your Brain on Terrorism
Although terrorism kills very few Americans, constant coverage makes us perceive a widespread threat.
Source: Sara K. Schwittek/Reuters
How a Decade of Terror Changed America
Reflect on the profound changes to American policy, society, and collective understanding of war in the years following 9/11.
More From CFR
From Tragedy to Prevention: Lessons Learned From Terrorist Attacks
Experts discuss recent terrorist attacks across Europe and how they might shape future counterterrorism efforts.
Photo: Darren Staples/Reuters
Women Are Critical to Counterterrorism
Experts argue that efforts to detect radicalization, challenge extremist narratives, and stop terrorist threats are more successful with women involved.
Photo: Christopher Herwig/Reuters
The Taliban
A multimedia overview spanning the group’s rise in the 1990s to its enduring insurgency against U.S. and allied forces.
Photo: Reuters
