Sore Losers: Does Terrorism and Approval of Terrorism Increase in Democracies When Election Losers Refuse to Accept Election Results?

• Author: James A. Piazza
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/10659129211054451
• Published date: 01 December 2022
• Date: 01 December 2022

Article

PoliticalResearchQuarterly

2022,Vol.75(4)1201–1215

©TheAuthor(s)2021

Articlereuseguidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI:10.1177/10659129211054451

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SoreLosers:DoesTerrorismand

ApprovalofTerrorismIncreasein

DemocraciesWhenElectionLosers

RefusetoAcceptElectionResults?

JamesA.Piazza

1



Abstract

Anecessarycomponentofpeacefuldemocraticruleisthewillingnessofelectionloserstoacceptelectiondefeats.

Whenpoliticiansandpartiesacknowledgedefeatindemocraticelections,theyreinforcethepeacefultransitionof

powerthatsustainspoliticalorder.Whenelectionlosersindemocraciesrejectelectionresults,thepublic’scon-

fidenceindemocraticinstitutionsisweakened,grievancesandpolarizationabound,andthepotentialforviolent

mobilizationgrows.Inthisenvironment,terroristactivityismorelikely.Itestthispropositionusingcross-national

timeseriespaneldataandwithin-countrypublicopiniondataforawidesetofdemocracies.Ifindthatdemocracies

experiencesignificantlymoredomesticterroristcasualtieswhenelectionlosersrejectelectionresults.Moreover,I

findthatpublicwillingnesstotolerateandjustifyterrorismasatacticincreasesindemocraticcountrieswhereelection

losersrejectelectionresults.

Keywords

terrorism,elections,electionloser,democracy,publicopinion

Isterrorismmademorelikelywhenpoliticalactorslose

democraticelectionsandthenrefusetoaccepttheresults?

Thisquestionismotivatedinpartbyrecenteventsinthe

UnitedStates.AfterhiselectorallosstoJoeBidenin

November2020,formerUnitedStatesPresidentDonaldJ.

Trumprefusedtoconcede.Almostassoonaspollsclosed,

Trumpproclaimedhimselfthevictor,despitethefactthat

votetallyingwasongoinginseveralkeyU.S.states.

WhenU.S.televisionnetworkscalledtheelectionfor

BidentwodayslaterTrumpalleged,baselessly,thatithad

beenmarredbyfraudandthathewasthelegitimate

winner.TheTrumpcampaignfiled,andlost,over60

lawsuitsseekingtooverturntheresultsofthe2020

PresidentialElection(Durkee2021).ThroughoutNo-

vemberandDecemberfollowingtheelection,Trump

continuedtorefusetoaccepttheofficialelectionresults.

OnthedayoftheElectoralCollegecertification,

January6,2021,TrumpandotherRepublicanelected

officialsaddressedalargecrowdofangrysupportersthat

packedtheWashington,D.C.Mall.Trumprepeatedhis

allegationsofelectionfraudandurgedthecrowdto

marchtotheU.S.Capitolbuildingwherecertification

proceduresweretakingplace.“Ifyoudon’tfightlikehell

you’renotgoingtohaveacountryanymore,”Trumptold

theprotestors(Naylor2021).Oncethespeecheswere

over,theangrycrowdstormedtheCapitolbuilding.Inthe

violentmelee,atleastfourpeoplediedand138police

officersandanunknownnumberofotherswereinjured.

Ultimately,147RepublicanmembersofCongressre-

fusedtocertifytheelectionresults,claimingthatthey

werefraudulentandthatTrumpwasthelegitimatewinner

(Yourish,BuchananandLu2021).Ninemonthsafterthe

election,and8monthsaftertheinaugurationofBiden,

bothTrumpandRepublicanelectedofficialscontinuedto

maintainthatBidenhadlostthe2020electionandTrump

wastherightfulPresident(Shephard2021).

1

LiberalArtsProfessorofPoliticalScience,ThePennsylvaniaState

University,UniversityPark,PA,USA

CorrespondingAuthor:

JamesA.Piazza,LiberalArtsProfessorofPoliticalScience,The

PennsylvaniaStateUniversity,UniversityPark,PA16801,USA.

Email:jap45@psu.edu