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Murder Capital of the World

Which of the following Latin American countries has the highest murder rate?a. Nicaraguab. Mexicoc...

Are Muslims More Likely to Justify Violence for a Noble Cause?

Over the years, some global opinion surveys and analysts have estimated that as many as 10% of...

Global Crime Wave?

In the April 6, 2009 Edition of The Nation, Professor Michael T....

Common Themes In Violent Extremist Ideologies

Are there common structures or patterns to violent extremist ideologies, even when the content...

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Randy BorumRSS Feed of this column.

Dr. Randy Borum is Professor in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at the University of South Florida, where he holds a joint appointment the College of Public Health. He recently... Read More »

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Weak governments may be hazardous to your health (and your rights)

Weak governments may be hazardous to your health (and your rights)

May 13 2009 | comment(s)

Human rights abuses are commonly associated with despotic, totalitarian regimes, not with weak and failing states. But Professor Neil Englehart’s recent study of 140 nations suggests that weak states may actually put personal security rights at the greatest risk.

Englehart defined state "capacity" as "the willingness and capability of the state apparatus to carry out government policy" not by a particular government’s stability, longevity, or popularity. He used three measures of capacity: (1) expert opinion on law and order (impartial legal system and general respect for the law); (2) expert opinion on state corruption; and (3) the state’s tax (which fund state services) as a proportion of gross domestic product.
Social/Behavioral Science And Global Security

Social/Behavioral Science And Global Security

May 09 2009 | comment(s)

Throughout the post-industrial era, science and technology have been central  to understanding both global security threats and possible solutions. Within the US and across the globe, major scientific organizations have developed Committees and working groups to integrate science with security policy, however, those efforts have focused almost exclusively on physical/life sciences and been applied predominantly to WMD-related threats．