Start‑year bias skews terror counts

Political‑violence tallies can be distorted by where analysts start the clock. Beginning in 1975 omits the late‑1960s wave of left‑wing attacks, and leaving out mass events like Jonestown changes perceived ideological balance. These boundary choices can launder away inconvenient periods and tilt today’s blame. — Recognizing start‑year and inclusion bias forces media and policymakers to demand transparent, historically complete datasets before making ideological claims about violence.