Who stands up for liberal democracy in the face of organized crime? Micro-level evidence on public opinion in the context of violent organized crime

Over the past decade, Sweden has seen a dramatic increase in the level of organized violent crime.

Following in its wake has been a string of policy proposals to extend the powers of the executive and legal branch to pre-empt and punish crimes.

Extensive policies in the pursuit of security could, however, come into conflict with important principles of a liberal democratic state, such as civil liberties and non-discrimination in the provision of justice.

In spite of these tensions so salient in the current political debate, we know little about the consequences of violent crime for citizens’ political attitudes.

This project addresses this gap by examining how the presence of organized violent crime impacts citizens’ willingness to defend liberal democratic principles.

It takes an interdisciplinary approach, building on insights from peace and conflict research, political science, criminology and cognitive psychology, to propose a theoretical framework that recognizes the complex processes that go into citizens’ evaluation of the costs and benefits associated with the trade-off between liberal democracy and security.

It combines observational analyses, cutting-edge experimental approaches and focus group interviews to identify causal effects and mechanisms.

Beyond illuminating how deep democratic commitment in Sweden runs in the face of violent threats, it will expand our understanding of the micro-foundation of democratic erosion that is challenging democracies worldwide.