Seeking a Safer Society: America's Anxiety in the War on Terror

As societies undergo change, so do phenomena linked to public concern and alarm. Particularly in the US, new sites of social anxiety over terrorism have surfaced since September 11, 2001; indeed, worries over public safety and national security became a central issue in the 2004 presidential election. Such collective uneasiness brings to light the importance of understanding what Beck calls a risk society. In an attempt to contribute to that growing literature, this article focuses on the wide-scale responses to threats of terror along with the dynamics of blaming and dilemmas for accountability. Two major areas of inquiry also are given special consideration. First, the work explores the nature of public anxiety over terrorism and the role that the media plays during moments of hot crises. Second, the emergence of a homeland security-industrial complex – and its tendency to disperse power – is subject to in-depth examination and discussion. Theoretical and policy implications are addressed throughout.