Matteo Vergani: How is Terrorism Changing Us? Threat Perception and Political Attitudes in the Age of Terror.

Abstract

This book examines how the perception of terrorism threat erodes civil
liberties, sows doubt about the loyalties of immigrants, and heightens the
left-right ideological divide. The book presents original analysis of survey
data and experiments conducted in Australia, Europe and the United States.
Research in the book posits questions that others have largely avoided:
How does the threat of terrorist violence undermine multicultural
democracies? What are the psychological and social mechanisms that
explain how the threat of terrorism can change political attitudes? What is
the relationship between terrorism and death threats? What is the role of
media in shaping the perception of terrorism threat? And what are the
ethical responsibilities of journalists? This book will help readers distinguish
between groundless speculation and solid scientific knowledge of the topic.
Moreover, it provides concrete recommendations on how to prevent the
most negative consequences of the polarization of political attitudes, such
as social divisions, exclusivism and conflict. Given the broad geographical
scope of the research presented in the book, specifically North America,
Europe and Australia, this book will appeal to broad scope of readers.