David Rapoport

David Rapoport is a renowned political scientist and conflict researcher known for his work on conflict patterns and terrorism. He developed the Rapoport Cycle theory, which suggests that political violence and revolutionary movements tend to follow a pattern of four waves, each driven by different ideologies—anarchism, anti-colonialism, social revolutionary, and religious fundamentalism—that resurface over time. His insights help explain the evolution of violent conflicts and the recurring nature of certain types of terrorism, offering a framework for understanding how, and why, these waves emerge and decline.