Abstract
The violent non-state actors (VNSAs) are one of the non-state actors that poses a new and challenging threat to the national security of liberal nations. Considering that the threats from terrorism, which is among the most significant categories of the VNSAs, this paper deals with the notion that a new balance between security and liberty should be articulated, sustained, and ensured. Taking such a contestation into account, the purpose of this chapter is to investigate how security and civil liberty are inextricably linked. It was aimed to point out why it is reasonable for liberal states to enhance regulations so as to protect citizens from the acts of terrorism. It is, however, also crucial for states that all of these measures must be proportionate and adhere to the standards of the rule of law.
TopResearch Approach
In the present paper, the theory synthesis approach (Jaakkola, 2020) was adopted. The approach in question is one of the four approaches (i.e., theory synthesis, theory adaptation, typology, and model) utilised within conceptual papers. The ultimate purpose of a theory synthesis paper is “to achieve conceptual integration across multiple theories or literature streams”, and such papers basically aim at “outlining the conceptual domain of a new phenomenon or idea and structuring a fragmented field by analysing it through a particular theoretical lens,” as it is noted by Jaakkola (2020). In this vein, the current chapter was guided by the theory synthesis approach (Jaakkola, 2020) to shed light on the relationship between civil liberty and terrorism.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Violent Non-State Actors (VNSAs): One of the non-state actors that present new threats to the national security of liberal states.
Violence: All acts that cause physical, psychological, sexual, and economic harm to a person or group in order to consciously gain superiority ( Acar and Karaagaç, 2020 ).
Liberal State: A kind of state that place limits on its power by its constitutional commitment to the values of equality and individual rights ( Joppke, 2005 ).
Terrorism: The use of, or threat of using, violence in covert methods to instill fear in the public or any segment of the public in the goal of political change ( Schmid, 2004 ; Hoffman, 1998 AU35: The in-text citation "Hoffman, 1998" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Minimal State: A type of state that teaches that the only legitimate function of the state is to protect individuals from harms such as aggression, theft, fraud, and breach of contracts.
Liberty: One of the most important interests of an individual, and it is accompanied by both physical and mental integrity, a sense of self-worth, autonomy, as well as a degree of privacy ( Bellaby, 2012 ).
Security: The pursuit of eliminating threats ( Buzan, 1991 ).