Tolerating Terrorism in the West investigates the impact of terrorism on Western liberal democratic societies and governments, and establishes whether there are any fixed patterns of behaviour and response. The discrepancy between the moral indignation that terrorism causes, and the measures taken to combat it, is seen to be a measure of the degree of tolerance that is accorded terrorism in liberal democracies. This contention forms the focal point of the book. Each contributor examines the relationship between terrorism and society and government, showing that there is not one response to terrorism but many, ranging from opposition to support for terrorist causes. This plurality of attitudes is seen to be the strength of the liberal democratic system of government. By striking the correct balance between tolerance and repression, liberal democracies safeguard both the rights of the individual and the security of the collective.