America has never actually welcomed the world’s huddled masses

… The outcry over resettling a relatively small number of Syrian refugees — far fewer than France vowed to take in even after the attacks — isn’t an exception; it’s more like the rule. Yes, the United States has been generous: Since 1948, close to 4 million refugees have come […] Read more »

Terrorism Fears Rise Post-Paris; Most Back Force, Oppose Refugees

With terrorism fears near a post-9/11 high in a new ABC News-Washington Post poll, majorities of Americans back increased use of military force, including ground forces, against the Islamic State, and more than half oppose admitting Mideast refugees to the United States. CONT. Gary Langer, ABC News Read more »

How terrorist attacks can change opinions and elections — including the 2016 election

… For the past 10 years, we have researched the connection between terrorist threat and public opinion. In our book, “Democracy at Risk,” and in our more recent work, we argue that public attitudes and evaluations shift in at least three politically relevant ways when terrorist threat is more prominent […] Read more »

U.S. public seldom has welcomed refugees into country

Last week’s Islamic State attacks in Paris have heightened concerns about possible security threats posed by the hundreds of thousands of Middle Eastern refugees pouring into Europe. And Europeans aren’t the only ones concerned: Opposition is building in the U.S. to the Obama administration’s plans to admit up to 10,000 […] Read more »

NBC Online Poll: A Majority of Americans Oppose Accepting Syrian Refugees

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, more than half of the nation’s governors have declared they will not accept new Syrian refugees into their states, and a new poll shows that a majority of Americans disapprove of President Obama’s plans to accept increased numbers of Syrian refugees. […] Read more »