This kind of phenomenon reminds me of terror management theory, which suggests that when presented with the threat and possibility of death (as bombarded to us by the media), most people are inclined to quell their existential anxiety by affirming their values and conforming to traditional social institutions. Especially in the post 9/11 era, some existential psychologists have been explaining the general return to conservatism and the slippery slope towards intolerance by this theory.