This dissertation examines how different forms of state capacity affect the decision of terror groups to end their campaign. Building a theoretical framework about the relationship between state capacity and terrorist group termination, I address the following research questions: How do terror groups respond to the changes in non-repressive forms of state's capacity, such as bureaucratic capacity, extractive capacity, and how do those responses of terror groups affect the chance of their demise? How do the changes in non-repressive forms of state capacity affect the likelihood of termination of particular types of terror groups, specifically ethnic terror groups? And finally, how do security forces representing repressive capacity of states affect the probability of a terrorist group end? I argue that as the state fighting the terror group increases its capacity, that will generate an incentive for the terror group to respond to increasing state capacity to secure its survival and maintain its existence. As the terror group produces responses to increasing state capacity in terms of rebuilding its capacity to operate and keeping its popular support base intact, it will be less likely to end its terror campaign. This argument is particularly relevant for terror groups operating on behalf of a certain ethnic or religious group. I test this theory by doing a cross-national quantitative analysis as well as doing a qualitative analysis on the PKK's terror campaign in Turkey in the period of 1984-2013. I find that increasing extractive capacity and bureaucratic capacity of states encourages terror groups to engage in coercive and non-coercive actions to survive increasing state capacity, thereby reducing the chances of ending its terror campaign. I also argue that security forces, who represent repressive capacity of states, also play a role on the decision of terror groups to end their campaigns. By focusing exclusively on militarized law enforcement forces, I contend that the presence of these forces might either enhance the chances of survival of terror groups or increases the risk of the demise of these groups. Whether having these forces increases or decreases the likelihood of terror group end is a function of the capacity of the state to control the actions and behaviors of security forces. By constructing a time series cross-sectional data set on militarized law enforcement forces, I test these arguments and find that having militarized law enforcement forces decreases the risk of terror group end, but as the state's bureaucratic capacity increases, having these forces increases the likelihood that the terror group will decide to end its campaign. These empirical findings have several theoretical implications for the extant literature on state capacity and terrorism, and they also have implications for policymakers in terms of designing an effective counter-terrorism policy to deal with the threats from terrorist groups.

Au cours des dernières années, le Québec fut durement touché par des vagues massives de licenciements collectifs. Après l’industrie du textile et du vêtement, c’est maintenant au tour de l’industrie forestière de subir, de plein fouet, les contrecoups d’une économie en pleine mutation. Les résultats des entrevues réalisées au printemps 2008, auprès des travailleurs de la Louisiana-Pacific de Saint-Michel-des-Saints, attestent de l’incapacité des dispositions sur le licenciement collectif à prendre adéquatement en charge les travailleurs victimes de ces fermetures d’usines. Pour évaluer le degré d’efficacité des dispositions sur le licenciement collectif, nous partons d’une étude empirique visant le processus de restructuration d’une grande entreprise papetière, qui conduit à la fermeture de son usine de traitement du bois à St-Michel-des-Saints. Des entretiens conduits auprès des travailleurs, des acteurs locaux comme des dirigeants du syndicat et de la communauté locale, et d’autres acteurs syndicaux et gouvernementaux permettent de reconstruire les étapes conduisant aux licenciements collectifs et à leur suite. Seule la mobilisation syndicale (blocus de l’usine) a permis de bonifier les faibles mesures palliatives prévues initialement par la loi. Cette mobilisation n’a toutefois pas empêché de constater des effets négatifs marqués (appauvrissement, sentiment d’exclusion, tensions familiales, etc.) chez les travailleurs victimes de ce licenciement massif. / In recent years, Québec has severely been hit by massive waves of group terminations. After the textile and clothing industry, the forest industry is now facing the after-effects of a changing economy. The interviews obtained in spring 2008 with the Louisiana–Pacific workers in Saint-Michel-des–Saints, show that the provisions on group termination do not take appropriate measures for workers who are victims of such closing down industries. To evaluate the efficiency of group termination provisions, we have undertaken an empirical study on the operational improvement and downsizing process of a large paper company that have lead to the permanent closure of the treated lumber plant in Saint-Michel-des-Saints. Discussions with workers and local actors such as the union leaders and members of the community, other union and government leaders have helped us rebuild the steps leading to these group terminations and to the follow–up. It is only through mobilization called by the union (with a plant blockade) that gains were made in the small dismissal measures initially provided by the regulation. This mobilization, however, did not prevent other important negative effects such as impoverishment, feelings of exclusion and family tensions on workers who have had to live through this group termination of employment.

Au cours des dernières années, le Québec fut durement touché par des vagues massives de licenciements collectifs. Après l’industrie du textile et du vêtement, c’est maintenant au tour de l’industrie forestière de subir, de plein fouet, les contrecoups d’une économie en pleine mutation. Les résultats des entrevues réalisées au printemps 2008, auprès des travailleurs de la Louisiana-Pacific de Saint-Michel-des-Saints, attestent de l’incapacité des dispositions sur le licenciement collectif à prendre adéquatement en charge les travailleurs victimes de ces fermetures d’usines. Pour évaluer le degré d’efficacité des dispositions sur le licenciement collectif, nous partons d’une étude empirique visant le processus de restructuration d’une grande entreprise papetière, qui conduit à la fermeture de son usine de traitement du bois à St-Michel-des-Saints. Des entretiens conduits auprès des travailleurs, des acteurs locaux comme des dirigeants du syndicat et de la communauté locale, et d’autres acteurs syndicaux et gouvernementaux permettent de reconstruire les étapes conduisant aux licenciements collectifs et à leur suite. Seule la mobilisation syndicale (blocus de l’usine) a permis de bonifier les faibles mesures palliatives prévues initialement par la loi. Cette mobilisation n’a toutefois pas empêché de constater des effets négatifs marqués (appauvrissement, sentiment d’exclusion, tensions familiales, etc.) chez les travailleurs victimes de ce licenciement massif. / In recent years, Québec has severely been hit by massive waves of group terminations. After the textile and clothing industry, the forest industry is now facing the after-effects of a changing economy. The interviews obtained in spring 2008 with the Louisiana–Pacific workers in Saint-Michel-des–Saints, show that the provisions on group termination do not take appropriate measures for workers who are victims of such closing down industries. To evaluate the efficiency of group termination provisions, we have undertaken an empirical study on the operational improvement and downsizing process of a large paper company that have lead to the permanent closure of the treated lumber plant in Saint-Michel-des-Saints. Discussions with workers and local actors such as the union leaders and members of the community, other union and government leaders have helped us rebuild the steps leading to these group terminations and to the follow–up. It is only through mobilization called by the union (with a plant blockade) that gains were made in the small dismissal measures initially provided by the regulation. This mobilization, however, did not prevent other important negative effects such as impoverishment, feelings of exclusion and family tensions on workers who have had to live through this group termination of employment.