In this book, Yuval Feinstein examines the "rally-round-the-flag" phenomenon in public opinion in the United States, which shows a sudden and sharp increase in the public approval ratings of the sitting presidents in response to a war or security crisis. One of the most extensive investigation of the rally phenomenon to date, Feinstein covers the administrations of thirteen US presidents, from Harry Truman to Donald Trump, seeking to understand why some wars and security crises have led the public to rally behind the sitting president, but other wars and security crises did not have a similar impact on the public assessment of the president.

Yuval Feinstein is Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Haifa and a Visiting Associate Professor of Sociology at Harvard University. His research examines the ways ethnic and national identities affect people's attitudes about peace and war, ethnic minorities and other policy issues in settled and during crisis.

• Preface


• Acknowledgments


• INTRODUCTION


• Chapter 1. The Puzzling Rally-round-the-Flag Phenomenon


• PART I. THEORY


• Chapter 2. The Rally Phenomenon in Light of Competing Approaches to Public Opinion


• Chapter 3. Why do People Really Rally? Context, Actors, Meaning. and Emotions


• PART II. INVESTIGATION


• Chapter 4. A Plan for Solving the Rally Puzzle


• Chapter 5. Saving the Nation's Face: Rallies in Militarized Conflicts


• Chapter 6. Standing Up Proudly: Rallies in the Aftermath of an Attack on the Nation


• Chapter 7. On the Verge of a Rally: Borderline Cases


• Chapter 8. Chivalrous Struggles: Rallies for Saving the Free World


• Chapter 9. War that Feels Good: The Role of Emotions in the Emergence of Rally Periods


• CONCLUSION


• Chapter 10. Moving Forward: Directions for Future Research on the Rally-round-the-Flag Phenomenon


• Appendix


• Notes


• References


• Index