Terrorism drives nationalistic fervor in presidential politics, Stanford sociologist says
Stanford sociologist Robb Willer says terrorism generally serves to sharpen national boundaries and increase nationalist spirit. However, scholars are largely in uncharted territory in regard to how terrorism will affect the 2016 presidential campaign, as prior research has focused primarily on incumbent officeholders.
Terrorism typically ratchets up nationalistic impulses in presidential campaigns, a Stanford sociologist says.
But which candidate benefits from this dynamic is more nuanced than most political observers realize, said Robb Willer, a Stanford professor of sociology. Stanford News Service interviewed him recently about how terrorism may impact the 2016 presidential campaign, which has all challengers and no incumbent vying for the nation's top office.