The Political Psychology of Fear
The April 29 Special Issue of Breakthrough News described some of the work we've been doing on the relationships between fear and politics. Academics have done some important research, but we are just beginning to understand how this potent emotion interacts with complex and changing socio-political circumstances.
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Against a Fear-Based Politics
Michael Shellenberger takes up the question: how do we turn fear into intelligence, courage, and empowerment rather than stupidity, paranoia, and cowardice?
Fear, Insecurity, & Conservativism: an Interview with Sociologist Robb Willer
"When men are made to feel insecure about their masculinity, they buy more SUVs."
Against Fall Narratives
Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger take Jared Diamond to task for his 2005 bestseller "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed," intending to motivate political action to forestall ecological crises. In this excerpt from "Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility," Breakthrough Institute co-founders argue that political appeals to fear risk backfiring.
Overcoming Fear in Foreign Policy
Iraq, Iran, and Al Qaeda -- the world is a genuinely scary place. How can we overcome our fears to make the world a safer place?
Xenophobia Destroyed Immigration Reform -- Is Health Care Next?
Immigration reform advocates were surprised last year by the grassroots, populist backlash against "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. Now, a xenophobic populist backlash threatens national health care reform. What can be done about it?