Tolerating Terrorism in the West investigates the impact of terrorism on Western liberal democratic societies and governments, and establishes whether there are any fixed patterns of behavior and response. The contributors show that a discrepancy exists between the moral condemnation of terrorism and the political responses taken to combat it, and that this discrepancy indicates a level of tolerance towards terrorism in liberal democracies. This contention forms the focal point of this timely and informative study.

A group of contributors from a range of disciplines examine the relationship of terrorism to society and government, showing that there are a variety of responses to terrorism. These responses range from opposition to support for terrorist causes, and the contributors view this plurality of attitudes as the strength of the liberal democratic system of government. In their correct balance between tolerance and repression, liberal democracies safeguard both the rights ofthe individual and the security of the collective.