647The Threat of Terrorism
As the Gallup poll here indicates, a substantial percentage of Americans worry that
they or members of their family will be the victims of a terrorist attack—in fact, these
concerns even predate the September 11 attacks. Are these fears justified? How great is
the risk? What do the facts say?WHAT DO
THE FACTS
S AY?% Very/Somewhat worried1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 201760
50
40
30
20
10
070 %Hazard Annual Fatality Risk
Traffic accidents 1 in 8,200
Homicide 1 in 22,000
Industrial accidents 1 in 53,000
Natural disasters 1 in 480,000
Drowning in bathtub 1 in 950,000
Home appliances 1 in 1,500,000
Deer accidents 1 in 2,000,000
Commercial aviation 1 in 2,300,000
Peanut allergies 1 in 6,000,000
Lightning 1 in 7,000,000
Terrorist attack 1 in 110,000,000- Is the public’s concern over the dangers of terrorist attacks justified by the fatality data?
- Suppose you were a bureaucrat from the Department of Homeland Security who was testifying
before Congress on the need to increase funding for antiterrorism programs. One of the
members of Congress at the hearing argued that such funding was unnecessary because the
likelihood of dying from a terrorist incident was so low. How would you respond?
Think about it
Sources: Gallup Poll, “Terrorism in
the United States,” http://www.gallup.com
(accessed 8/16/18); John Mueller and
Mark G. Stewart, Chasing Ghosts: The
Policing of Terrorism (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2015).How Worried Are You That You or Someone in Your Family Will Become a Victim of Terrorism?
The politics of foreign policy todayFull_18_APT_64431_ch17_614-654.indd 647 16/11/18 11:22 AM