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Support at Any Distance? The Role of Location and Prejudice in Public Opposition to the “Ground Zero Mosque”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2013

Brian F. Schaffner
Brian F. Schaffner*
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
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Abstract

In 2010, a debate erupted about plans to construct a mosque (as part of a larger multicultural center) approximately two blocks from Ground Zero in New York City. The main justification given by those who opposed the mosque was that building it so close to Ground Zero would appear to be insensitive. Public opinion appeared to support this notion, as large majorities of Americans registered their opposition to the mosque in surveys conducted at the time. In this article, I examine whether distance was, in fact, an important factor influencing citizens' opposition to the mosque. Using a survey experiment, I asked for opinions on the building of a mosque while randomizing how far the mosque was located from Ground Zero. Results from the experiment indicate that opposition to the mosque was unaffected by how far the mosque would be located from Ground Zero, but strongly influenced by factors such as partisanship, ideology, and tolerance for out groups.

Type
Features
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 46 , Issue 4 , October 2013 , pp. 753 - 759
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2013 

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