The politics of fear and unsafety: A comparison of Australia and the United States in the 2010s

Politicians have long leveraged public fears about crime and safety to support, a strategy that intensified alongside growing political polarisation in the 2010s. This study analyses data from Waves 6 (2011—2012) and 7 (2017—2018) of the World Values Survey to examine changes in perceived unsafety in Australia and the United States over this period. Using multivariate analysis, the study explores how demographic, socioeconomic and political factors shaped safety perceptions at the start and end of the decade. Findings reveal that while global trends such as political polarisation and a rhetorical shift from crime to immigration concerns influence both countries, national contexts play an equally—if not more—significant role. In Australia, perceptions of unsafety became more politically polarised between 2012 and 2018, with anti—immigrant sentiment emerging as a key mediator. In contrast, the United States saw little change in political divides over safety perceptions from 2011 to 2017, likely reflecting the entrenched demographic and ideological silos of the electorate. However, U.S. immigrant communities—particularly Latino/as—reported consistently high levels of perceived unsafety during this period. Social cohesion was a significant predictor of safety perceptions in Australia but had limited explanatory power in the U.S. context. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for nationally specific political, cultural and institutional dynamics in understanding how fear and feelings of unsafety are shaped and mobilised. The study also raises concerns about the continued use of fear—based political messaging in recent electoral cycles, including the 2025 Australian federal election and the return of Donald Trump to office in the United States.