| ID | 113551 |
| Title Proper | Elite competition, religiosity, and anti-Americanism in the Islamic world |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Blaydes, Lisa ; Linzer, Drew A |
| Publication | 2012. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The battle for public opinion in the Islamic world is an ongoing priority for U.S. diplomacy. The current debate over why many Muslims hold anti-American views revolves around whether they dislike fundamental aspects of American culture and government, or what Americans do in international affairs. We argue, instead, that Muslim anti-Americanism is predominantly a domestic, elite-led phenomenon that intensifies when there is greater competition between Islamist and secular-nationalist political factions within a country. Although more observant Muslims tend to be more anti-American, paradoxically the most anti-American countries are those in which Muslim populations are less religious overall, and thus more divided on the religious-secular issue dimension. We provide case study evidence consistent with this explanation, as well as a multilevel statistical analysis of public opinion data from nearly 13,000 Muslim respondents in 21 countries. |
| `In' analytical Note | American Political Science Review Vol. 106, No.2; May 2012: p.225-243 |
| Journal Source | American Political Science Review Vol. 106, No.2; May 2012: p.225-243 |
| Key Words | Elite Competition ; Religiosity ; Anti - Americanism ; Islamic World ; US Diplomacy |