Which statement best defines terrorism?

• A. A natural disaster caused by political factors.
• B. A nonviolent protest aimed at drawing attention to an issue.
• C. Violence or the threat of violence used to achieve a goal.
• D. A state-organized, nonviolent policy.

Answer: (C)

Terrorism centers on using violence or the threat of violence to coerce or intimidate a population in order to push a political, religious, or ideological objective. The defining feature is the intent to influence decisions through fear, targeting civilians or noncombatants rather than engaging in conventional warfare.

The option that matches this idea states that violence or the threat of violence is used to achieve a goal, which captures the coercive and intimidating aspect at the heart of terrorism. The other statements describe situations that do not fit terrorism: a natural disaster isn’t about intentional coercion; a nonviolent protest aims to raise awareness without using violence; and a state-organized, nonviolent policy is governance, not an act of coercive intimidation.