Perceived national security threat is the most powerful predictor of hostility toward out-groups.

Evidence

A cross-national study, conducted in the United States, Germany, France, Spain, and Britain, found that perceptions of an impending threat to national security drive negative attitudes toward Muslims, in addition to negative out-group attitudes. This study argued that “threat perception is a major, and perhaps the single most important predictor, of ingroup attitudes toward outgroups.” — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 254

Categorization

• SHARE: A crisp comparative finding across five Western nations that threat perception outweighs other predictors of outgroup hostility — good for anyone studying security-driven xenophobia.
• QUESTION: If threat perception drives outgroup attitudes cross-nationally, does the feared ‘threat’ vary by target group, or is it the same generic insecurity projected onto whichever outgroup is salient?
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 254
• XREF: connects to: Attacks on out-groups divert attention from real crises and expand state power — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 43; Structural Islamophobia operates through laws and policies that presume Muslims threaten national security — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 123; States manufacture paranoia so the public welcomes the very power that created the anxiety

Broader Connections

• Structural Islamophobia operates through laws and policies that presume Muslims threaten national security #exemplifies (0.70) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 123
• States manufacture paranoia so the public welcomes the very power that created the anxiety #expands (0.55)