Title Counterterrorism and the state : Western responses to 9/11 / Dorle Hellmuth

Published Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, [2016] ©2016

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Description 1 online resource (xiii, 378 pages) Contents The conceptual debate: setting the stage for structural analysis -- Case study I: the United States -- Case study II: Germany -- Case study III: Great Britain -- Case study IV: France -- Comparative analysis of structural effects on counterterrorism decision-making -- Summary of findings and conclusion Summary Dorle Hellmuth argues that the nature of state responses to terrorism is shaped by the particular governmental framework and process within which counterterrorism measures are decided. Using four Western democracies as case studies, Hellmuth measures effects of government structures on counterterrorism decision-making processes and outcomes. In doing so, she examines how similar or different the responses have been in four parliamentary and presidential systems, and clears up common misperceptions about domestic counterterrorism efforts on both sides of the Atlantic. Each of Hellmuth's four case studies reviews the official constitutional powers and informal relationships between executive and legislative branches, outlines decision-making processes leading to counterterrorism policies and reforms since 9/11, and summarizes how structural factors influenced those processes. By measuring and comparing structural effects, and by going beyond the common U.S. and British focus to include counterterrorism decision-making in Germany and France, Hellmuth shows that there are important similarities between those governments designed to constrain executive power (Germany and the United States) and those that facilitate executive power (France and Great Britain). Her analysis further demonstrates that in presidential systems executive and legislative branches have incentives to produce a steady stream of reforms, that presidents have more opportunities than leaders of parliamentary systems to expand their unilateral powers during times of crisis, and that choices designed to strengthen presidential positions influence the direction, nature, and scope of institutional reform. Understanding the nature, scope, and trends of national decision-making processes in Western democracies, Hellmuth contends, is imperative to identifying new mechanisms for containing transnational terrorist networks beyond national borders.-- Provided by Publisher Notes Based on the author's 2009 PhD thesis from the Catholic University of America, titled Effects of government structures on foreign policy decision making : counter-terrorism responses in Germany, the United States, Great Britain and France after 9/11 Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes English Print version record Subject Comparative government. Terrorism -- Prevention -- Law and legislation -- France Terrorism -- Prevention -- Law and legislation -- Great Britain Terrorism -- Prevention -- Law and legislation -- Germany Terrorism -- Prevention -- Law and legislation -- United States Terrorism -- France -- Prevention -- Decision making Terrorism -- Great Britain -- Prevention -- Decision making Terrorism -- Germany -- Prevention -- Decision making Terrorism -- United States -- Prevention -- Decision making POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Security (National & International) Comparative government Terrorism -- Prevention -- Law and legislation France Germany Great Britain United States Form Electronic book ISBN 9780812291834 0812291832

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