Summary
Susanne Martin's work is situated within the fields of comparative politics and international relations. Martin’s current book project offers an investigation of why and how violent non-state groups adapt to changing political conditions and the bigger-picture implications of these changes.
Martin has used a multi-method research design, combining large-n analyses with in-depth case studies to explore the conditions under which violent political groups alter their strategies and the types of groups that are most likely to do so. Martin’s prior research has offered insights into the causes, conditions and catalysts associated with group adaptation, with implications for domestic and international security and foreign policy.
Martin’s recent publications include a series of papers on theories of terrorism and suicide terrorism and children in terrorism and insurgency. Susanne Martin is co-author with Leonard Weinberg’s of the piece: “The Role of Terrorism in 21-Century Warfare”.
Research interests
- Political violence, terrorism, insurgency and warfare
- Violent non-state actors and their tactics and strategies
- Extremism and processes of radicalization
- Nation-building and regime change
Presentations
- "The Endogenous Formation of Terrorist Groups" (with Michael McBride, Natalia Londono, and Sherry Forbes). Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Studies Association, San Francisco, April 2012.
- "Veil and the Voice" (with Bozena Welborne, Aubrey Westfall, Sarah Tobin, and Ozge Celik). Paper prepared for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in New Orleans, LA, September 2012 (conference canceled).
- "In the Shadow of the Gunman: The Assassination of World Leaders, 1946-2000" (with Bob Ostergard). Paper presented at the meeting of the British International Studies Association/International Studies Association, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, June 18-21, 2012.
- "The Impact of Organizational Characteristics on Strategy Choice and Change." Paper presented at the Midwest Political Science Association National Conference in Chicago, April 2010. Dissertation, Chapter 6.
Publications
Books
- The Role of Terrorism in 21st Century Warfare (with Leonard Weinberg), Manchester University Press, 2016.
- Violence, Elections, and Party Politics (edited with Mary Beth Altier and Leonard Weinberg), New York, NY: Routledge, 2013 (previously published as a special issue of Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 25, No. 1 (January 2013), p. 1-159.
Papers (selected)
- “.” Handbook on Democracy and Security, edited by Nicholas A. Seltzer and Steven L. Wilson, Edward Elgar Publishing (2023), p. 344–59.
- “.” Theories of Terrorism, edited by Murat and Melissa M. Sloan, 1st ed., vol. 1, Routledge (2022), p. 172–98.
- “.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, edited by Edna Erez and Peter Ibarra, Oxford University Press (2021).
- “.” In Handbook of Terrorism Prevention and Preparedness, edited by Alex Schmid, 1st ed. (2020), p. 764-789.
Projects (selected)
- Is politics becoming less violent? This project adds to a growing literature highlighting evidence and seeking explanations for what appears to be a worldwide reduction in violence.
- Extremism in America. This is a collaboration drawing on insights from social psychology and political science in order to explain support for extremist positions, candidates, and groups with a focus on politics in the United States.
- Shifting strategies. This project is an investigation of the strategies and tactics of violent political actors with attention to the conditions under which these groups are more likely to adopt nonviolent tactics or abandon violence, the types of groups that are more likely to do so, and the rationales underlying these changes.
Conference presentations (selected)
- “Evaluating provocation as a militant strategy,” accepted for presentation at IPSA-AISP, Seoul, South Korea, July 2025.
- “Targeted instability: A Cross-regional analysis of political leader assassinations and conditions in MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa (1950-2018)” (with Robert Ostergard and Laura Blume), accepted for presentation at IPSA-AISP, Seoul, South Korea, July 2025.
- “Reconsidering the Assassin's Gambit: Factions, Violence, and the Assassination of Political Leaders” (with Robert Ostergard and Laura Blume), accepted for presentation at AMEI-ISA, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico, June 2025.
- “Provocation and popular support,” APSA, Philadelphia, PA, September 2024.
- “The Paradox of special operations forces” (with A. Pedahzur), APSA, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, September 2023.
- “Abandoning violence: Global and regional correlates of changing insurgent tactics,” IPSA, Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 2023.
- “In the Shadow of the gunman: Assassinations of world leaders, 1946-2021” (with R. Ostergard and L. Blume), IPSA, Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 2023.
Languages (highest level achieved)
- Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and German (intermediate-advanced)
- Spanish (intermediate)
- French and Czech (beginner)
Education
- Ph.D., Government, University of Texas at Austin
- M.A., Government, University of Texas at Austin
- M.A., International Relations, St. Mary's University of San Antonio
- BBA, International Business, University of Texas at Austin