TITLE: Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right (2012)
SOURCE: The Combating Terrorism Center @ West Point
AUTHOR(S): Arie Perliger
LINK: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/20/far-right-poses-as-much-danger-to-the-u-s-as-radical-islam/
BITLY STATS: http://bit.ly/VeRjmj+

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) What are the main current characteristics of the violence produced by the far-right?; (2) What type of far-right groups are more prone than others to engage in violence? How are characteristics of particular far-right groups correlated with their tendency to engage in violence?; and, (3) What are the social and political factors associated with the level of far-right violence?  Are there political or social conditions that foster or discourage violence?

FINDINGS: Three branches of Far-Right Extremism: Racist, Anti-Federalist, Fundamentalist. All three use 2nd amendment to self-justify. Terrorism is an act of symbolic discourse. Ideology and behavior interact within and between three branches. Variability of cause, method of attack, etc. argues for flexible anti-terrorism response. Embracing of far-right ideology by mainstream politicians enhances their sense of legitimacy and empowerment. These factors, not economic disparity, seem to be bigger determinant in far-right violence. Greater community, ethnic, etc. integration an effective technique to combat far-right violence. 42% of violent acts directed against specific human targets.

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