Investigating the Effects of Right-Wing Terrorism on Government Satisfaction: A Time Course Analysis of the 2019 Christchurch Terror Attack

Abstract We examine political attitude change using data from a large national probability sample collected over the months leading up to, and following, the 2019 March 15 terror attacks against a Muslim minority community in Christchurch, New Zealand. Satisfaction with the government declined in the months prior to the attack, rose sharply immediately following the attack, and returned to pre-attack levels roughly 3 months after the attack. Support for the ruling centre-left Labour party followed a similar trend, whereas centre-right National party support was unchanged. These results provide valuable comparison to studies focusing on the effects of Islamist attacks, and insight into the time-course of attitude change by examining the effects of far right terrorism toward a minority community.