In the wake of major terrorist attacks, calls for ever more draconian policies to prevent further outrages are common. Such responses raise the pressing question: is it possible to effectively fight terrorism while respecting democratic values of equality and trust?

Examining recent examples of terrorist atrocities - from the murder of Muslims in New Zealand and Jews in Pittsburgh to the Charlie Hebdo attacks - Patti Tamara Lenard considers how democracies should tackle terrorism within the constraints imposed by democratic principles. For many, the tension between liberty and security necessarily means that the only way to protect security is to sacrifice liberty-but Lenard rejects this claim, and instead argues that security's goal should be to keep all citizens equally secure in the face of terrorist threats. Critiquing existing policies, from exile to racial profiling, she outlines what ethical counter-terrorism policies should look like, arguing for strategies that respect equality and thereby maintain trust among diverse communities in democratic states.

This erudite guide to how states might ethically fight terrorism will be essential reading for any student or scholar of public affairs, security, counter-terrorism, and democratic governance.

About the Author
Patti Tamara Lenard is Associate Professor of Applied Ethics at the University of Ottawa.

Reviews
Lenard offers a powerful account of how states should respond domestically to terrorism. Well researched, precisely written, extremely thoughtful, and compelling, this is an outstanding book.
James Pattison, University of Manchester

As well as making a highly original contribution to the theoretical debates on counterterrorism, this outstanding book guides the reader skilfully through the relevant literature and uses real-world examples to engagingly illustrate its main points. Recommended.
Isaac Taylor, The Alan Turing Institute

Reading Patti Lenard s book is like sitting down with a wise and learned friend who carefully, calmly, yet succinctly, guides the reader in how to think fairly and rationally about one of the greatest challenges to liberal democratic states: who to respond to the phenomenon of domestic and international terrorism without corroding the fundamental values that those states claim as definitive. To travel so far and so deep in so few pages, and to do it with such clarity, is truly an achievement.
Audrey Macklin, University of Toronto

Book Information
ISBN 9781509540761
Author Patti Tamara Lenard
Format Paperback
Page Count 140
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 159g
Dimensions(mm) 191mm * 125mm * 10mm