How do threats of terrorism affect the opinions of citizens? Speculation abounds, but until now no one had marshaled hard evidence to explain the complexities of this relationship. Drawing on data from surveys and original experiments they conducted in the United States and Mexico, Jennifer L. Merolla and Elizabeth J. Zechmeister demonstrate how our strategies for coping with terrorist threats significantly influence our attitudes toward fellow citizens, political leaders, and foreign nations. The authors reveal, for example, that some people try to restore a sense of order and control through increased wariness of others - especially of those who exist outside the societal mainstream. Additionally, voters under threat tend to prize 'strong leadership' more highly than partisan affiliation, making some politicians seem more charismatic than they otherwise would. The authors show that a wary public will sometimes continue to empower such leaders after they have been elected, giving them greater authority even at the expense of institutional checks and balances. Having demonstrated that a climate of terrorist threat also increases support for restrictive laws at home and engagement against terrorists abroad, Merolla and Zechmeister conclude that our responses to such threats can put democracy at risk.

About the Author
Jennifer L. Merolla is the Mary Nicolai - George Blair Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Policy at Claremont Graduate University. Elizabeth J. Zechmeister is assistant professor of political science at Vanderbilt University.

Reviews
"This book brings good contemporary social science to the public debate about the role of terror in the modern democracy. In the natural world, we typically see that people who find terrorism threatening will be more likely to support authoritarian and security-minded policies, but it is hard to say how much of this set of beliefs stems from a genuine concern about terrorism rather than personality or political interests. Merolla and Zechmeister's original experiments give real purchase on these questions." - Michael MacKuen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill"



Book Information
ISBN 9780226520551
Author Jennifer L. Merolla
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 425g
Dimensions(mm) 23mm * 16mm * 2mm