IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/joupea/v59y2022i3p367-381.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perceived threats and the trade-off between security and human rights

Author

Listed:
  • Scott Radnitz

    (Henry M Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington)

Abstract

It is well established that exposure to threats causes citizens to prioritize security considerations and accept restrictions on civil liberties. Yet most studies on which these findings are based come from longstanding democracies and do not distinguish among types of threat. This article argues that the effects of internal and external threats are conditional on regime type. It tests the argument via an experiment embedded in an original survey of Georgia and Kazakhstan, countries that vary in regime type but face similar levels of threat. In authoritarian Kazakhstan, there is no difference in attitudes by threat type, whereas external threats produce greater support for security than internal ones in more pluralistic Georgia. Contrary to previous research, security preferences are not mediated by the triggering of anxiety. The findings contribute to literatures on the link between threats and authoritarian preferences, the rally-round-the-flag effect, and the ways that political institutions mediate psychological processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott Radnitz, 2022. "Perceived threats and the trade-off between security and human rights," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 59(3), pages 367-381, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:joupea:v:59:y:2022:i:3:p:367-381
    DOI: 10.1177/00223433211020809
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00223433211020809
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00223433211020809?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Margalit, Yotam, 2013. "Explaining Social Policy Preferences: Evidence from the Great Recession," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 107(1), pages 80-103, February.
    2. Darren W. Davis & Brian D. Silver, 2004. "Civil Liberties vs. Security: Public Opinion in the Context of the Terrorist Attacks on America," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(1), pages 28-46, January.
    3. Raghunathan, Rajagopal & Pham, Michel Tuan, 1999. "All Negative Moods Are Not Equal: Motivational Influences of Anxiety and Sadness on Decision Making, , , , ," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 56-77, July.
    4. Folkes, Valerie S, 1988. "The Availability Heuristic and Perceived Risk," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 15(1), pages 13-23, June.
    5. Sergei Guriev & Daniel Treisman, 2019. "Informational Autocrats," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 100-127, Fall.
    6. Ted Brader & Nicholas A. Valentino & Elizabeth Suhay, 2008. "What Triggers Public Opposition to Immigration? Anxiety, Group Cues, and Immigration Threat," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(4), pages 959-978, October.
    7. Leonie Huddy & Stanley Feldman & Charles Taber & Gallya Lahav, 2005. "Threat, Anxiety, and Support of Antiterrorism Policies," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 49(3), pages 593-608, July.
    8. Daniel Treisman, 2011. "Presidential Popularity in a Hybrid Regime: Russia under Yeltsin and Putin," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(3), pages 590-609, July.
    9. McDermott, Rose, 2002. "Experimental Methodology in Political Science," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 325-342.
    10. Marc Hetherington & Elizabeth Suhay, 2011. "Authoritarianism, Threat, and Americans’ Support for the War on Terror," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(3), pages 546-560, July.
    11. Sniderman, Paul M. & Hagendoorn, Louk & Prior, Markus, 2004. "Predisposing Factors and Situational Triggers: Exclusionary Reactions to Immigrant Minorities," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 98(1), pages 35-49, February.
    12. Elena Pokalova, 2020. "Georgia's Experiences with Foreign Fighters: Global Recruitment, Local Roots," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(8), pages 1378-1402, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sergei Guriev & Daniel Treisman, 2019. "Informational Autocrats," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 100-127, Fall.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xinsheng Liu & Kent E. Portney & Jeryl L. Mumpower & Arnold Vedlitz, 2019. "Terrorism Risk Assessment, Recollection Bias, and Public Support for Counterterrorism Policy and Spending," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(3), pages 553-570, March.
    2. Cengiz Erisen & Cigdem Kentmen-Cin, 2017. "Tolerance and perceived threat toward Muslim immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands," European Union Politics, , vol. 18(1), pages 73-97, March.
    3. Steven V. Miller, 2017. "Individual-level expectations of executive authority under territorial threat," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 34(5), pages 526-545, September.
    4. Judith L. Goldstein & Margaret E. Peters, 2014. "Nativism or Economic Threat: Attitudes Toward Immigrants During the Great Recession," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 376-401, May.
    5. Markaki, Yvonni, 2012. "Sources of anti-immigration attitudes in the United Kingdom: the impact of population, labour market and skills context," ISER Working Paper Series 2012-24, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    6. Nikolova, Milena & Popova, Olga, 2023. "Echoes of the Past: The Enduring Impact of Communism on Contemporary Freedom of Speech Values," IZA Discussion Papers 16657, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Deole, Sumit S. & Huang, Yue, 2020. "Suffering and prejudice: Do negative emotions predict immigration concerns?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 644, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Malte Dahl, 2022. "Alike but Different: How Cultural Distinctiveness Shapes Immigrant-Origin Minorities’ Access to the Labour Market," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 2269-2287, December.
    9. Daniele Guariso, 2018. "Terrorist Attacks and Immigration Rhetoric: A Natural Experiment on British MPs," Working Paper Series 1218, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    10. Tiberiu Dragu, 2017. "On repression and its effectiveness," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 29(4), pages 599-622, October.
    11. Facchini, Giovanni & Margalit, Yotam & Nakata, Hiroyuki, 2022. "Countering public opposition to immigration: The impact of information campaigns," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    12. Yvonni Markaki & Simonetta Longhi, 2012. "What Determines Attitudes to Immigration in European Countries? An Analysis at the Regional Level," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1233, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    13. Konstantinos Drakos & Catherine Mueller, 2014. "On the Determinants of Terrorism Risk Concern in Europe," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 291-310, June.
    14. Cigdem Kentmen-Cin & Cengiz Erisen, 2017. "Anti-immigration attitudes and the opposition to European integration: A critical assessment," European Union Politics, , vol. 18(1), pages 3-25, March.
    15. Julia Elad-Strenger & Golan Shahar, 2018. "Revisiting the Effects of Societal Threat Perceptions on Conflict-related Positions," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(8), pages 1753-1783, September.
    16. HORIUCHI Yusaku & ONO Yoshikuni, 2018. "Public Opposition to Refugee Resettlement: The case of Japan," Discussion papers 18050, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    17. Jens Hainmueller & Daniel J. Hopkins, 2013. "Public Attitudes toward Immigration," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1315, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    18. Skarbek, David, 2011. "Governance and Prison Gangs," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 105(4), pages 702-716, November.
    19. Alexandra Filindra & Loren Collingwood & Noah J. Kaplan, 2020. "Anxious About Social Violence: The Emotional Underpinnings of Support for Gun Control," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(5), pages 2101-2120, September.
    20. Shelly C. McArdle & Heather Rosoff & Richard S. John, 2012. "The Dynamics of Evolving Beliefs, Concerns Emotions, and Behavioral Avoidance Following 9/11: A Longitudinal Analysis of Representative Archival Samples," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(4), pages 744-761, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:joupea:v:59:y:2022:i:3:p:367-381. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.prio.no/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.