ABSTRACT
Constructing government policy without evidence is building on sand. If the result does not fail and collapse it is only because of luck and good fortune. For a very long time, governments across the globe have developed counter-terrorism policy in the absence of good evidence to guide decisions, resourcing and legalisation. One may think that this is because terrorism is a new problem and, as a result, evidence is lacking in many areas. Consequently, one could argue that hunches, assumptions, anecdotes and personal fears and expectations are acceptable foundations for policy (in the absence of anything better).
