Over the last 60 years, fear has seeped into every area of American life. Americans own more guns than citizens of any other country, sequester themselves in gated communities, and retreat from public spaces. We have tolerated the installation of metal detectors in public buildings and full-body scans at airports, and permitted unprecedented government intrusion into our private lives. Yet crime rates have plummeted, making life in America safer than ever. Why, then, are Americans so afraid -- and what does this fear lead to? This course seeks to examine these questions and propose some answers.
