Wait and See? Public Opinion Dynamics after Terrorist Attacks

Epifanio, Mariaelisa ORCID: 0000-0003-1772-5043, Giani, Marco and Ivandic, Ria (2023) Wait and See? Public Opinion Dynamics after Terrorist Attacks JOURNAL OF POLITICS, 85 (3). pp. 843-859. ISSN 0022-3816, 1468-2508

Text JoPsubmissionRR-FINAL_LiverpoolElements.pdf - Author Accepted Manuscript Download (6MB) | Preview

Abstract

We use the occurrence of the London bombings on July 7, 2005, during the fieldwork period of the British Social Attitudes Survey to analyze the dynamics of public support for measures curbing core freedoms. We observe little change in public attitudes toward counterterrorist policies in the first week after the attack. Approval of infringements on privacy and procedural rights surges in the following weeks before stabilizing at an increased level in the medium run. Our findings indicate that, when it comes to restrictive counterterrorist measures, the public adopts a wait-and-see attitude rather than reacting in fear. Ancillary analyses suggest that the media may be the source of attitudinal changes on policies curtailing civil liberties.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	counterterrorism policies, security, civil liberties, media influence
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of Histories, Languages and Cultures
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	30 Aug 2022 09:27
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 14:50
DOI:	10.1086/723978
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3162703
Disclaimer:	The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate.