The shaping of voter preferences on migration policies are contingent on a wide variety of factors, most notably economic concerns. This thesis aims to develop a comprehensive analysis which builds...Show moreThe shaping of voter preferences on migration policies are contingent on a wide variety of factors, most notably economic concerns. This thesis aims to develop a comprehensive analysis which builds on the general assessments of the performance of government, thereby replacing the need to include complex behavioral models and economic perspective theory with a comprehensive singular government actor. In addition, through the utilization of experimental methods, this study focuses on testing whether government performance has the claimed causal effect on voter disposition towards immigration policies. Using survey data gathered with the use of non-random convenience sampling and a custom survey, this thesis finds through quantitative analysis that individual voters prioritize their stance on migration policies over economic considerations when evaluating governments and their proposed migration (de-) liberalization. Meaning that despite perceiving a decline in economic performance, respondents maintained positive dispositions towards governments which undertook efforts to promote migration liberalization. Moreover, voters seem to demonstrate greater support for governments that exhibit commitments to liberalized migration policies in conjunction with an increased performance on economic matters. The study's findings challenge conventional wisdom that economic concerns are the primary driver of voter attitudes towards migration policies.Show less
In this study the following research question was examined by doing an experimental survey: To what extent is there a difference in the public acceptance of counterterrorism measures against right-...Show moreIn this study the following research question was examined by doing an experimental survey: To what extent is there a difference in the public acceptance of counterterrorism measures against right- and left-wing terrorism? The results indicate that there is not a significant difference noticeable. However, a correlation between right- and left-wing terrorism and public support was found. Nonetheless, the mean difference between the two was too small to state that one of the two types of terrorism had a stronger effect. Even though this difference was not found, the effect of radicalism was present, as an increase in radicalism and more extreme acts led to a higher level of public support for counterterrorism measures. Additionally, the analysis underlined the fact that the public sympathized more with the motives of radicalized left-wing groups than radicalized right-wing groups.Show less
Objectives: This study aims to examine the effects of information on the security perception of people on Dual-Use Technologies (DUT), more specifically genome engineering. Genome engineering is a...Show moreObjectives: This study aims to examine the effects of information on the security perception of people on Dual-Use Technologies (DUT), more specifically genome engineering. Genome engineering is a group of technologies that have made it possible for scientists to construct entire genes and microbial genomes from scratch, in addition to being able to modify an organism’s genetic material (Tucker, 2012a). Design: Self-administered web-based cross-sectional survey, designed using Qualtrics. The data were analysed with version 28.0.1.0 (142) of the statistical software package IBM® SPSS® Statistics. Participants: Participants over the age of 18 were included in the survey. A total of 129 respondents participated in the survey. The results of 9 participants were excluded due to non- completion, leaving 120 participants. Of those, 112 were between 18 and 32 years old. Furthermore, 109 participants lived in Europe, with a majority of 67 participants living in Germany. Outcomes: Baseline awareness surrounding DUT. Risk perception of genome engineering and security perception measures when exposed to different vignettes. Results: The results showed that 45.8% of respondents were aware of DUT and 44.2% knew examples of DUT. The analysis of variance proved not to be statistically significant p = .512. Conclusion: After running an Independent-Samples Kruskal Wallis Test to determine if there were differences in secperception scores between the three vignettes, the results were p = .512 and proved not to be statistically significant. Therefore, the null hypothesis is retained, proving that there is no significant change in security perception when being exposed to different amounts and types of information.Show less
An increase cases on youth crime have been the centre of attention on the news lately and more policies are being implemented to stop this increase on juvenile delinquency. This thesis uses a...Show moreAn increase cases on youth crime have been the centre of attention on the news lately and more policies are being implemented to stop this increase on juvenile delinquency. This thesis uses a photograph-based survey experiment to measure how perceived safety depending on skin colour (brown vs. white) and clothing (hoodie vs. casual) affects policy and initiative support to combat juvenile delinquency. From the obtained data it can be concluded that participants feel least safe encountering a white boy in casual clothes and a brown boy in a hoodie. Moreover, policy and initiative support does not increase as participants feel less safe. Almost all participants support most policies and/or initiatives presented. The Knife Ban Policy receives the most support and the Gathering Ban Policy receives the least support.Show less
With regard to acceptability a deep divide exists between opposers and proponents of cancel culture. Zooming into the argument of opposers, who argue that cancel culture curtails free speech, the...Show moreWith regard to acceptability a deep divide exists between opposers and proponents of cancel culture. Zooming into the argument of opposers, who argue that cancel culture curtails free speech, the present experiment investigates if cancel culture affects an individual’s encouragement of others to actively participate in discussion and their sense of safety in expressing unpopular opinions. In a survey experiment, participants were randomly assigned in either one of two vignettes which manipulated the presence of cancel culture discourse. Data was collected over a 2 week period (N = 90). Results showed that exposure to cancel culture discourse does not cause individuals to discourage participation in public discussions. Cancel culture, however, does decrease an individual’s sense of safety in expressing unpopular opinions. These findings highlight the need to investigate the impact of cancel culture on individuals' sense of safety to express unpopular opinions further in order to foster both online and offline environments that encourages open dialogue and the exploration of diverse perspectives.Show less
This paper examines the impact that the salience of the threat of contagious diseases has on Dutch citizens’ support for non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) aimed at battling this threat....Show moreThis paper examines the impact that the salience of the threat of contagious diseases has on Dutch citizens’ support for non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) aimed at battling this threat. During the COVID-19 pandemic, populations in Western countries where the salience of the threat of the coronavirus was elevated, reported high support for preventive measures. This level of support did vary between countries which led to the question of whether the outcomes would be the same for previously excluded countries, like the Netherlands. Analysing how salience influences the support for NPIs can help governments with creating the best and most supported approach to battle contagious diseases in the future. For this research, the emphasis will be on the so far understudied Dutch population. Taking previous literature on the Netherlands and its neighbouring countries, this study argues that the salience of the threat of contagious diseases will increase Dutch citizens’ support for NPIs aimed at alleviating this threat. After conducting a survey experiment, no support was found for this hypothesis since both groups, with salience and without salience of the threat, reported an equal level of support for the implementation of NPIs. Overall, as expected from previous literature, the lowest support was found for implementing a complete lockdown. Unfortunately, these findings were not generalisable to the whole Dutch population. Future research should focus on either sampling a bigger group for a similar study, or on researching what does influence the support for NPIs in the Netherlands if it is not the salience of the threat of contagious diseases.Show less
The “attribution problem.” is, according to numerous studies, an obstacle to deterrence and deescalation strategies in the cyber domain. Finding out the effects of the attribution problem can help...Show moreThe “attribution problem.” is, according to numerous studies, an obstacle to deterrence and deescalation strategies in the cyber domain. Finding out the effects of the attribution problem can help the academic discussion surrounding this characteristic of the cyber domain forward and, with a slight chance, even assist in policymaking or decision-making. This study examines to what extent the certainty about the identity of the cyber attacker increases support for precautionary and retaliatory policies. The study does this with a simple two-condition survey experiment design. The total sample consisted of 59 participants, both men and women, with an average age of 34 years old. The participants were either allocated to the control condition or treatment condition. The certainty about the perpetrator’s identity was “very low” in the control condition. The certainty about the perpetrator’s identity was “very high” in the treatment condition. Data were collected with a convenience sampling strategy and analysed with t-tests. Findings showed a significant difference between the means of both condition groups for both dependent variables. Thus, the key finding is that higher certainty increased the public support for precautionary and retaliatory policies. The finding supported the alternative hypotheses and rejected the null hypotheses.Show less
Female foreign fighters joining ISIS and other Jihadist organisations are a complex topic, with a multitude of policies proposed to tackle the issue of how and whether to reintegrate them and their...Show moreFemale foreign fighters joining ISIS and other Jihadist organisations are a complex topic, with a multitude of policies proposed to tackle the issue of how and whether to reintegrate them and their families in the societies of their home countries. The problem touches on threats from terrorism, but also on compassionate themes such as the children born in the Caliphate, now often residing in refugee camps. This study used a survey experiment (N = 55) to test whether framings evoking either fear or compassion influenced support for harsh or lenient policy aimed at female foreign fighters. Although the sample size only allows for tentative conclusions, no statistically significant ef ect was found, indicating that dif erent framings did not influence policy support.Show less
It is established that (indirect) exposure to violent incidents impacts fear of crime. However, few studies have explored whether an incident in one’s direct neighborhood evokes a higher fear of...Show moreIt is established that (indirect) exposure to violent incidents impacts fear of crime. However, few studies have explored whether an incident in one’s direct neighborhood evokes a higher fear of crime compared to an incident located farther away. In addition, few studies have used this multi-spatial approach to analyze crime-specific fear. This thesis aims to fill both these gaps by investigating public opinion in the specific context of drug-related violence amongst adults in the Netherlands. More specifically, this thesis tests whether the proximity of a drug-related contract kill has a different effect on fear of crime and support for more specific anti-drug legislation based on the location of the incident. The analysis confirmed that both fear of drug-related violence and support for more specified policies are higher when the incident takes place in one’s direct neighborhood. These results are reflected upon and incorporated when discussing recommendations for future studies.Show less
The expanding prominence of the internet in people’s daily lives presents them with having to make increasingly more decisions regarding their privacy online. The privacy paradox brings an...Show moreThe expanding prominence of the internet in people’s daily lives presents them with having to make increasingly more decisions regarding their privacy online. The privacy paradox brings an interesting phenomenon into these decisions. This concept describes the discrepancy between people’s attitude and behaviour towards privacy. Following one of the explanatory models of the privacy paradox, this quantitative thesis investigates the role of privacy awareness on privacy encroaching policies. It does so by an experimental research design consisting of a survey, which resulted in a sample of 69 participants. Results of this study show that, although a negative relationship between the two variables exist, this relationship cannot be concluded with certainty as the results prove not statistically significant. Therefore, this thesis aligns with the argument of the ongoing debate on privacy awareness that states that privacy awareness does not have a significant influence on support for privacy encroaching policies. Concluding, this thesis emphasizes the need for reassessment of the factor privacy awareness in other conditions, as well as the continuation of research of other explanatory factors.Show less
This thesis has analysed the public perception of Co2 reduction policies and the willingness of people to these policies. By using surveys, this thesis found that people are not willing to increase...Show moreThis thesis has analysed the public perception of Co2 reduction policies and the willingness of people to these policies. By using surveys, this thesis found that people are not willing to increase their personal costs in order to implement Co2 reduction policies.Show less
Islamist extremists are often viewed as the primary threat within extremism by the public, both in its violent and non-violent form, according to existing literature. However, numerous scholars...Show moreIslamist extremists are often viewed as the primary threat within extremism by the public, both in its violent and non-violent form, according to existing literature. However, numerous scholars would argue that right-wing extremists are an equally significant threat, and should be put next to Islamist extremists on the security agenda. This paper sought to explore whether perceptions of fair countermeasures against an extremist are influenced by the extremist’s ideological identity, specifically between right-wing extremism and Islamist extremism. This paper’s literature review identified the Social Identity Theory (SIT) and the role of mass media as primary reasons for public perceptions of Islamist extremists as the bigger threat. Nevertheless, through a quantitative survey experiment with 124 respondents, it was found that the study participants perceived the right-wing extremist to be equally as big of a threat as the Islamist extremist. These results are opposing previous literature, but at the same time confirming statistical evidence of both extremist branches being equally great threats. Should these results be confirmed by experts, a shift has happened in the Western population’s perceptions of and attitudes toward right-wing extremists. Hence, policy-makers need to critically review and consider this enhanced public fear and spend more resources to counteract right-wing extremism, and to restore feelings of safety.Show less
Background: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the theory of urban crime preventions through environmental design (CPTED). In particular, it will investigate the relationship of the...Show moreBackground: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the theory of urban crime preventions through environmental design (CPTED). In particular, it will investigate the relationship of the public safety and security perception in regard to physical design in order to determine the support for new policies regarding formal and informal surveillance designs in public space. Methods: An experimental survey with four conditions was distributed through a convenience sampling and conducted a total of 168 participants. Results: Statistical test such as tests of normality, chi-square tests, post hoc t-tests and an ANOVA were utilized with the attempt to answer the research question. The results for the ANOVA were insignificant (p>0.05), and thus accepts the null hypotheses. Conclusion: Changes in the environmental design did not directly contribute to a successful alleviation of fear for crime among the citizens. Further research assessing long-term impacts of CPTED on a wider sample size with additional qualitative research are recommended, to identify whether the salience of crime and fear of crime support the implementation of surveillance design.Show less
This research has the goal to uncover the effects of framing on the attitude of EU citizens and residents towards climate-induced migration (CIM). Based on survey research, this experimental study...Show moreThis research has the goal to uncover the effects of framing on the attitude of EU citizens and residents towards climate-induced migration (CIM). Based on survey research, this experimental study investigates how different framings of an average family from Mozambique moving to the EU because of environmental catastrophes impacts respondents’ attitudes towards their acceptance in the EU. More precisely, it studies the effects of the human rights, and safety and security frames. As an introduction to this study, I provide a literature review to define climate-induced migration, reveal existing framings of this specific type of migration and study which characteristics of migrants influence attitudes and in what ways. This is followed by an explanation of the survey and research designs. I then analyze the data collected thanks to the survey before concluding and discussing the findings and limitations of the study. This research uncovers that framing has no effect on EU citizens’ and residents’ attitude towards climate-induced migration.Show less
This quantitative study investigated the relationship between the label assigned to a terrorist act and the fear of terrorism and consequent support for anti-terrorism policy in Western Europe....Show moreThis quantitative study investigated the relationship between the label assigned to a terrorist act and the fear of terrorism and consequent support for anti-terrorism policy in Western Europe. Previous research has linked the fear of terrorism and the support one has for policy tackling it. A survey experiment (N = 210) was conducted making use of vignette manipulations to evoke emotional responses within respondents. Next, a statistical analysis was performed making use of ANOVA tests. The results suggested that the label of jihadist terrorism incites incrementally more fear and support for anti-terrorism policy than the right-wing terrorism label; despite the tests not resulting in statistical significance. It is suspected that statistical significance could be reached if a larger sample were employed. It was further concluded that because of the European contextuality right-wing terrorism is not as feared, and support for anti-right-wing terrorism policy is not as high in comparison to its jihadist counterpart.Show less
Governments worldwide are faced with unique challenges during the current COVID-19 pandemic. To limit the threats that this virus causes to public safety, governments need to ensure that their...Show moreGovernments worldwide are faced with unique challenges during the current COVID-19 pandemic. To limit the threats that this virus causes to public safety, governments need to ensure that their citizens follow the measures set out by them. Previous research has shown that information that contains specific types of messages can have an influence on the extent to which people are willing to adhere to government measures. The current study builds on these strategies and theories and investigates the extent to which the communication of either fear or hope has an influence on (1) people’s understanding of COVID-19 related information and (2) people’s willingness to adhere to government measures. In a survey experiment participants read a scenario in which the government issued a statement regarding the measures that they had put in place previously. Results show that the communication of hope increases people’s understanding of COVID-19 related information but does not have an effect on people’s willingness to adhere to government measures. These findings suggest that when governments want to increase people’s understanding of the pandemic situation during future pandemics they need to communicate hopeful messages, but these findings also suggests that more research needs to be done into ways in which actual willingness to adhere to government measures can be increased.Show less
