Fueling the Fire: An Examination of Right Wing Extremism in the United States Over the Last Decade
Abstract
In the past decade, American society has witnessed increased violence from a threat it has suffered in the past: right-wing extremism. The question that arises then is why, or more precisely, why now? This thesis explores the factors that led to the resurgence of right-wing extremism in the United States over the past decade. It argues that the resurgence of right-wing violence in America after 2008 is due to a dynamic interplay of contextual factors, including the existence of a subculture of xenophobia and the near-unfettered access to firearms, along with concrete grievances, such as economic anxiety and resentment toward the government. These contextual factors enabled an environment where extremist violence was more likely to occur, and the concrete grievances provided the motivation. The third set of factors that fueled the 2008 right-wing resurgence were the occurrence of several catalytic events including the election of the first African-American president and the shift in societal behavior afforded by social media. These events provided salience to the context and grievances, thereby intensifying the violent reactions by right-wing extremists.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1114736
Entities
People
- Joshua D. Vitali
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School