Journal Article - International Security

Rousing a Response: When the United States Changes Policy toward Mass Killing

| Fall 2017

Summary

When do U.S. presidents strengthen the government’s response to mass killing? Three factors account for such shifts: dissent within the president’s inner circle; congressional pressure; and the threat of personal political costs for the president. The 1944 creation of the War Refugee Board, which saved 200,000 Jews during the Holocaust, is a clear example of such a policy shift.

For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation:

Amanda J. Rothschild, "Rousing a Response: When the United States Changes Policy toward Mass Killing," International Security, Vol. 42, No. 2 (Fall 2017), pp. 120–154, doi:10.1162/ISEC_a_00295.

The Author