The Spread of Anti‐Islamic Sentiment: A Comparison between the United States and Western Europe

Abstract

Since the 1980s, anti‐Islamic sentiment has grown in both the United States and Western Europe. However, the political and electoral success of anti‐Islamic actors has been asymmetrical between these regions. In most countries in Western Europe, anti‐Islamic sentiment is still contained to the fringes. Conversely, it has become highly influential in decision‐making circles in the United States. In this article we show that the demand for anti‐Islamic sentiment and the rhetorical strategies of anti‐Islamic actors have been similar in both parts of the world, but differ in their organizational strength and opportunity structures. In Western Europe, such sentiments are contained to radical right‐wing parties, activists, and think tanks. In contrast, anti‐Islamic forces in the United States have formed a strong, well‐funded, and organized coalition capable of influencing the White House, most recently through Donald Trump's presidency. Using a supply and demand theoretical framework, we argue that these differing supply‐side organizational and opportunity structures help explain the relative differences in success between the two regions.Related ArticlesAntwi‐Boateng, Osman. 2017. “The Rise of Pan‐Islamic Terrorism in Africa: A Global Security Challenge.” Politics & Policy 45 (2): 253‐284. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12195Maggio, Jim. 2007. “The Presidential Rhetoric of Terror: The (Re)Creation of Reality Immediately after 9/11.” Politics & Policy 35 (4): 810‐835. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00085.xStockemer, Daniel. 2016. “Is the Turnout Function in Democracies and Nondemocracies Alike or Different?” Politics & Policy 44 (5): 889‐915. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12174