Final answer:
David Altheide suggests that decision makers use fear to push their political agendas and control citizens, utilizing fear as a strategic tool to influence public opinion and maintain power.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to David Altheide, decision makers promote and use fear in order to push their own political agendas and control citizens.
This tactic is seen as a means by which policymakers and those in positions of authority manipulate public perception and opinion to achieve their own objectives and maintain their power.
Fear can serve as a convenient tool for political leaders and elites who wish to influence government policy and public sentiment, aligning with David Altheide's assertion that fearmongering is employed as a strategy for political control and agenda-setting.