Work

Much Ado about Nothing? Counterterrorist Legislation has Few Effects

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The events of 9/11 not only caused anger and fear among citizens the world over, but also led to counterterrorist legislation (CTL) in many countries. This paper identifies the most important determinants of passing CTL and the effects of such legislation on the likelihood of future terrorist attacks and on civil liberties. We particularly focus on the interplay between constitutionalized emergency provisions and CTL. We find that constitutional emergency provisions seem unrelated to CTL. It is not newly passed CTL, which drives civil liberties down, but, rather, the terrorist attacks themselves and the immediate and unmediated government responses to them.

Source: Eastern Economic Journal

DOI: 10.1057/s41302-024-00279-0

Authors: Christian Bjørnskov, Stefan Voigt

Institutions: Aarhus University, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Universität Hamburg

Language: English

Topic: Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,090