Publication Date
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Liam Anderson (Committee Member), Donna Schlagheck (Committee Chair), Vaughn Shannon (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Abstract
Democratic states are more susceptible to terrorist attacks and yet have the most responsibility to ensure their counterterrorism responses are in accordance with democratic principles. Respect for the rule of law and the freedoms of speech and press are just a few of the principles ingrained in democratic philosophy and likewise, by the very nature of a democracy, democratic states must be held accountable to their citizenries. These factors, however, can be a cause of dissention and can lead to a dangerous overreaction or a disproportionate response by democratic states in their counterterrorism policies, including leading to the very undemocratic response of restricting civil liberties. This thesis researches and analyzes the counterterrorism policies of Britain and Spain and applies the theory of Moral Panics to evaluate how Moral Panics has influenced their respective counterterrorism policies to account for the discrepancy found between the British and Spanish state responses to terrorism.
Page Count
281
Department or Program
Department of Political Science
Year Degree Awarded
2011
Copyright
Copyright 2011, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
