Shoot a Stranger, Save a Neighbor: Civilian & Combatant Networks Under Fire

"Shoot a Stranger, Save a Neighbor: Civilian & Combatant Networks Under Fire"

Matthew Simonson (Northeastern University)

Abstract:

"Terrorists target an audience beyond their victims, and many scholars claim that terrorism often succeeds in shifting public opinion and behavior. People exposed to violence are said to exhibit a backlash against the perpetrator’s identity group, a rightward political shift, and heightened political engagement. We test these theories through a mixed-methods analysis of a natural experiment: during a multiyear panel survey on young Americans’ political opinions and behavior, a subset of respondents experienced a terrorist attack in their community. Difference-in-differences estimates show no meaningful causal effects on terror-exposed respondents. Furthermore, field interviews suggest that these individuals did not interpret this emotionally-jarring attack through a political lens, despite their own interest in politics and political leaders framing the attack in a highly politicized way. Our results call into question the scope of existing theories, suggesting that even close encounters with terrorism can fail to sway public opinion."

Discussants:

Sabina Čehajić-Clancy (Stockholm University)

Connor Huff (Rice University)

Joseph Young (American University)

OSPC Coordinator:

Cassy Dorff (Vanderbilt University)