■ Research Note The Perils of Deduction: Limitations of Theoretical Models in Terrorism Studies John Maszka* Al Ain Men’s College, GARD, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates This article explores the limitations of both systemic and lower-level theories, as well as the limitations associated with the use of theoretical models in the field of Terrorism Stud- ies. They are useful to a degree, as they allow analysts to parse out various facets of a phe- nomenon and examine them independently. However, this approach involves a trade-off, offering a measure of parsimony and greater generalizability at the expense of accuracy. For those who desire more accuracy, their models must be more complex and, therefore, generate less generalizable results. What is more, the deductive process becomes increas- ingly more difficult as theoretical models increase in complexity. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Keywords terrorism; theoretical models; systemic variables; individual-level variables; strategic theory The primary purpose of any theory is to clarify con- cepts and ideas that have become, as it were, con- fused and entangled. Not until terms and concepts have been defined can one hope to make any prog- ress in examining the question clearly and simply and expect the reader to share one’s views. Clausewitz 1 INTRODUCTION According to Clausewitz, the primary purpose of theory is to provide clarity to terms and concepts. However, in Terrorism Studies, theory often clouds more than it clarifies because it has largely been stripped of the data needed to make it useful. To paraphrase Clausewitz, theory is great if you want to learn about war from books. Like- wise, theory is perfect for the armchair terrorism scholar who never goes out into the field. How- ever, the minute you set foot in the real word―Clausewitz’s realm of chance and uncertainty―theory has to take the back seat to empirical fact. Most graduate students in America are taught to view terrorism as an abstract phenomenon. In- side the classroom, terrorism is explained via the- ories and models and causal variables. Students are trained not to be too descriptive in their ap- proach and not to base their conclusions on * Correspondence to: John Maszka, Al Ain Men’s College, GARD, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. E-mail: jmaszka@hct.ac.ae 1 Clausewitz, On war, p. 132. Received 18 August 2017 Accepted 28 January 2018 Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Systems Research and Behavioral Science Syst. Res (2018) Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/sres.2511