BSST699A

Students will examine political assassinations, their societal consequences, and the possible means for their prevention, from profiling assassins to protection of potential targets. Research on political assassinations has developed from many different disciplines and so we will be drawing on theory and research from across a range of different fields, including political science, criminology, psychology, sociology and economics. In each lecture we will review the scholarly issues associated with political assassinations, including how we can study them in a scientific way, and what we can learn from research on celebrity stalkers and the impact of conspiracy theories. Finally, we consider the practical, counter attack challenges faced by security and law enforcement.