A large grant to research the challenge of terrorism in the Nordic countries
Three scientists at the School of Social Sciences at the University of Iceland and their Nordic partners have received a grant of 120 million Kronur from Nordforsk to research the impact of the threat of terrorism on citizens, and the impact of counter-terrorism legislation on people's views on democracy, and their trust towards the authorities.
Nordforsk is a Nordic institution under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers that supervises and financially supports research cooperation in the Nordic countries. Three grants were recently awarded by the institution to research on safety in Nordic societies in connection with the plan The Underpinnings of Nordic Societal Security. A total of 17 applications for grants from the plan were received. The three projects that received grants get 9.5 million Norwegian Krona each; the equivalent of 124 million Icelandic Krona.
One of the three projects that were awarded a grant is "The Challenge from Terrorism in the Nordic Countries: An analysis of citizens’ reactions, policy responses and legitimacy". Among the participants in the project are Guðbjörg Andrea Jónsdóttir, director of the Social Science Research Institute, Hulda Þórisdóttir, Associate Professor of political science, and Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson, Professor of Political Science. The project is led by Dag Arni Christensen of UNI Research AS in Norway. Other participants are from Bergen University and the University of Gothenburg.
Democracies, including the Nordic countries, are under pressure from terrorist activities, creating pressure on democratically elected authorities. One of their primary responsibilities is to ensure the safety of citizens. If citizens feel insecure and believe that laws and regulations are not being followed this will diminish trust in the authorities. Measures to improve the safety of citizens can, however, also weaken the foundations of democracy. Harsh measures such as searches without warrants, arrests, wiretapping of phones and prolonged detention without charge may be rational for defending the safety of citizens, but they are also infringements on civil and political rights. The clash between safety and freedom is most significantly felt in democratic states.
The main research question for the project is how resilient are democracies against the challenge of terrorism. The project will seek to answer this question by analysing data from multi-national surveys, and by collecting new data in three research projects with the following themes:
- Does the fear of terrorism have such an impact on citizens that they are ready to give up civil rights?;
- How does counter-terrorism legislation impact people's views towards democracy and their trust in the authorities and their legitimacy?;
- What is the relationship between different forms of government and citizens' fear of terrorism?
The University of Iceland's share of the grant is 32.5 million Icelandic Krona.
