Highlighting a breadth of American individuals and groups that engaged in extremist behavior across history, this book provides a succinct, concise overview of extremist behavior in the past and examines today's increasingly common incidences of hate and extremism. Since the election of Barack Obama in 2008, extremist and hate groups have seen a resurgence on the American political landscape. Members of these subgroups within the American population have become concerned that the America that they have always known is fading into oblivion, with a majority of individuals in these groups holding fiercely anti-immigration views and adhering to the belief that the United States should not admit large numbers of any group that is not white, Christian, or predominantly European. Others believe that the principles and precepts of the U.S. Constitution have gone by the wayside and that drastic measures are required to protect the underlying tenets that were the essential elements of the Constitution and many of "their" nation's founding principles. How did these individuals come to feel this way, is it possible to bring these impassioned extremists back into the fold, and if so, how? This book provides comprehensive, illuminating, and sometimes disturbing insights into the individuals, groups, and events that have illustrated "extremist" behavior in post-World War II America. Ranging from the anti-communist rhetoric and activities of the John Birch Society, to the radical socialist ideals of the Black Panthers, to the goals of a "pure" America articulated by white nationalists, this book documents the various extremist elements that shaped the second half of the 20th century as well as the first two decades of the 21st century. Readers will grasp how events in the histories of individuals and groups as well as perceived injustices have lead to the incidences of hate and extremism in American society. The encyclopedic entries of the book are specifically written to accessible to readers without specific knowledge of extremism, political science, or sociology.

In an unsettling time in American history, the outbreak of right-wing violence is among the most disturbing developments. In recent years, attacks originating from the far right of American politics have targeted religious and ethnic minorities, with a series of antigovernment militants, religious extremists, and lone-wolf mass shooters inspired by right-wing ideologies. The need to understand the nature and danger of far-right violence is greater than ever. In American Zealots, Arie Perliger provides a wide-ranging and rigorously researched overview of right-wing domestic terrorism. He analyzes its historical roots, characteristics, tactics, rhetoric, and organization, assessing the current and future trajectory of the use of violence by the far right. Perliger draws on a comprehensive dataset of more than 5,000 attacks and their perpetrators from 1990 through 2017 in order to explore key trends in American right-wing terrorism. He describes the entire ideological spectrum of the American far right, including today’s white supremacists, antigovernment groups, and antiabortion fundamentalists, as well as the histories of the KKK, skinheads, and neo-Nazis. Based on these findings, Perliger suggests counterterrorism policies that can respond effectively to the far-right threat. A groundbreaking examination of violence spawned from right-wing ideologies, American Zealots is essential reading for everyone seeking to understand the transformation of domestic terrorism.

Offering a fresh perspective on the changing face of terror attacks, Terrorism in America focuses on domestic groups, examining the beliefs, actions, and impacts of American-based terrorists and terror organizations. Editors Robin Valeri and Kevin Borgeson and their contributors draw on theories from criminology, psychology, and sociology to explore the ideologies of right-wing, left-wing, and extremist religious groups—how and why they convert followers, recruit financially, and take extreme action against others. No competing text offers such in-depth and nuanced coverage of the radical ideologies behind these attacks, or the ensuing fear domestic terrorism creates, as well as the strategies to combat violent extremism. A core text for domestic terrorism courses and an excellent supplement for any counterterrorism or homeland security course, Terrorism in America brings its singular focus to the growth and evolution of terrorism in the United States. Interviews, case studies from the field, and chapter themes make this a highly readable text for criminal justice, psychology, sociology, and homeland security students, professors, or practitioners.

Facing Terror is an interdisciplinary effort to examine the sociopolitical roots and consequences of radical right extremism and domestic terrorism in the United States. This work is an analytical treatment of contemporary domestic terrorism and the groups and leaders associated with such extremism. Presented and organized in textbook form, complete with instructional aids, authors Jim Rodgers and Tim Kullman incorporate the social science model of system's based, policy analysis in the study of American policy responses to domestic terrorism from 1970 to the present. Rodgers and Kullman present a tremendous amount of historical and contemporary research on domestic extremism in responses presented in the text. They provide the student with a complete but concise examination of domestic terrorism with an eye toward the future, through the presentation of concrete options and suggestions for change in how domestic terrorism issues are dealt with.

Gathers essays by area specialists to provide an assessment of contemporary American extremism, exploring the views of each group in context and examining the tension between civil liberties and possible threats to society.

More than 75% of the coverage deals with the period since the 1980s, including subjects unavailable in other sources.".

This compendium of information on terrorist groups, violent international criminal gangs, and other extremist groups that have been or are currently operating is intended for use as a reference guide and research tool for academics, students, government officials, security personnel, military personnel, law enforcement personnel, and the public. The publication also lists and describes political organizations and religious or ethnic factions that espouse violence or display the threat of violence in their philosophical or operational standards. The information was collected from a broad range of sources, including interviews with, law enforcement and military practitioners, researchers and academics, and and government officials. The organizations are listed geographically by continent and country. The listing for each organization covers its stated aims, ideology, or policy; areas of operation, numbers of active members, numbers of supporters, structure, headquarters, leaders' names, funding sources, types of activities, publications, network contacts, significant actions and activities, and trends.