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Is There a Trade-off between Security and Liberty? Executive Bias, Privacy Protections, and Terrorism Prevention

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  • DRAGU, TIBERIU

Abstract

I develop a game-theoretic model of an interaction between an antiterrorist agency and a terrorist organization to analyze how the probability of a terrorist attack varies when the level of privacy protections changes. I derive two implications. First, privacy and security from terrorism need not be in conflict: when accounting for strategic interactions, reducing privacy protections does not necessarily increase security from terrorism. Second, and more important, the antiterrorist agency will always want less privacy. The very agency whose expertise affords it disproportionate influence on policy making will prefer a reduction in privacy protections even when that reduction harms security from terrorism. The analysis has implications for understanding the relationship between government powers and civil liberties in the context of terrorism prevention and times of emergencies more generally.

Suggested Citation

  • Dragu, Tiberiu, 2011. "Is There a Trade-off between Security and Liberty? Executive Bias, Privacy Protections, and Terrorism Prevention," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 105(1), pages 64-78, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:105:y:2011:i:01:p:64-78_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Christian Bjørnskov & Stefan Voigt, 2022. "Terrorism and emergency constitutions in the Muslim world," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 59(3), pages 305-318, May.
    2. Tiberiu Dragu, 2017. "On repression and its effectiveness," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 29(4), pages 599-622, October.
    3. Christian Bjørnskov & Stefan Voigt, 2022. "This time is different?—on the use of emergency measures during the corona pandemic," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 63-81, August.
    4. Christian Bjørnskov & Stefan Voigt, 2021. "Is constitutionalized media freedom only window dressing? Evidence from terrorist attacks," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 187(3), pages 321-348, June.
    5. Kolb, Aaron & Conitzer, Vincent, 2020. "Crying about a strategic wolf: A theory of crime and warning," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    6. Sætra, Henrik Skaug, 2022. "The ethics of trading privacy for security: The multifaceted effects of privacy on liberty and security," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Forand, Jean Guillaume, 2015. "Useless Prevention vs. Costly Remediation," Quarterly Journal of Political Science, now publishers, vol. 10(2), pages 187-220, June.
    8. David Cingranelli & Skip Mark & Mark Gibney & Peter Haschke & Reed Wood & Daniel Arnon, 2019. "Human Rights Violations and Violent Internal Conflict," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-33, January.
    9. Iain Osgood & Corina Simonelli, 2020. "Nowhere to Go: FDI, Terror, and Market-specific Assets," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 64(9), pages 1584-1611, October.
    10. Afiq bin Oslan & T. Ryan Johnson, 2023. "Spies in a Barrel: When To Reel In Espionage," Working Papers tax-mpg-rps-2023-22, Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance.
    11. Kim, Jin Yeub, 2018. "Counterthreat of attack to deter aggression," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 112-114.
    12. Kirill Chmel & Israel Marques II & Michael Mironyuk & Dina Rosenberg & Aleksei Turobov, 2021. "Privacy Versus Security In Trying Times: Evidence From Russian Public Opinion," HSE Working papers WP BRP 82/PS/2021, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    13. Ursula Daxecker, 2017. "Dirty Hands," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 61(6), pages 1261-1289, July.
    14. Haritz Garro, 2019. "Terrorism prevention with reelection concerns and valence competition," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 31(3), pages 330-369, July.
    15. Economou Athina & Kollias Christos, 2015. "Terrorism and Political Self-Placement in European Union Countries," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 21(2), pages 217-238, April.
    16. Christian Bjørnskov & Stefan Voigt, 2020. "When Does Terror Induce a State of Emergency? And What Are the Effects?," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 64(4), pages 579-613, April.
    17. Kelly Morrison, 2024. "Named and Shamed: International Advocacy and Public Support for Repressive Leaders," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 68(2-3), pages 294-321, March.
    18. Bjørnskov, Christian & Mchangama, Jacob, 2023. "Freedom of Expression and Social Conflict," Working Paper Series 1473, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.

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