Guides: Intelligence Analysis: Domestic Terrorism

Background Information

Background Information

The following government reports, articles and databases provide background information and data on domestic terrorism and extremism:

Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism
Prepared by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security in May, 2021
Domestic Terrorism: An Overview
Published by the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress includes information on "Domestic terrorists-people who commit crimes within the homeland and draw inspiration from U.S.-based extremist ideology and movements" August, 2017
With Hate in Their Hearts: The State of White Supremacy in the United States
Published by the Anti-Defamation League in 2015, this report describes the resurgence in the extreme right that has led to a significant increase in violent plots, acts and conspiracies since 2000
The War Comes Home: The Evolution of Domestic Terrorism in the United States
From the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, a report on the types of U.S. extremist incidents and their targets.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context: Domestic Terrorism
Includes journal, magazine and news articles as well as numerous viewpoints on domestic terrorism

Books and eBooks

Environmental and Animal Rights Extremism, Terrorism, and National Security by Elzbieta Posluszna
Analyzes the international development of radical movements relating to environmental concerns and animal rights in the context of the threats they pose to national security. In addition to tracing the factors responsible for the rapid growth of these movements over the last 25 years, this text presents countermeasures that governments can deploy to neutralize the risk posed by these threats now and in the future.
Homegrown Violent Extremism by Erroll Southers
Challenges how Americans think about terrorism, recruitment, and the homegrown threat. It contains essential information for communities, security practitioners, and policymakers on how violent extremists exploit vulnerabilities in their communities and offers approaches to put security theory into practice.
Tolerating Intolerance by Amos N. Guiora
Call Number: K 3242 .G85 2014
Examines extremism in six different countries: Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States through interviews with a wide range of individuals including academics, policy makers, faith leaders, public commentators, national security and law enforcement officials. This enables an in-depth discussion of extremism in each country, and facilitates a comparative analysis.
Extremism, Counter-Terrorism and Policing by Imran Awan (Editor); Brian Blakemore
Tives a policing rationale alongside specific community approaches towards tackling extremist threats and provides key details for policy readers as well as academics.
Countering Extremism: Building Social Resistance Through Community Engagement by Gunaratna, Rohan
Explores the development and research of community engagement strategies in countering extremism that have been effectively employed in Asia, the Middle East, and the West.
The Violence of Hate by Jim Nolan
Call Number: HV 6773.5 .L48 2017
Presents a systematic introduction to issues related to the sociology and social psychology of hate and violence as they target people who are different in socially significant ways. It offers an integrated perspective on the causes and consequences of hate-motivated violence and the reasons we have not always been effective in stopping it
Extremism by J. M. Berger
Offers a nuanced introduction to extremist movements, explaining what extremism is, how extremist ideologies are constructed, and why extremism can escalate into violence.

National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism

National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism by U.S. National Security Council
Publication Date: June 2021
"This Strategy is organized around four pillars – the core elements of how the U.S. Government
will tackle the threat posed by domestic terrorism today. First are efforts to understand and
share information regarding the full range of domestic terrorism threats. Second are efforts to
prevent domestic terrorists from successfully recruiting, inciting, and mobilizing Americans
to violence. Third are efforts to deter and disrupt domestic terrorist activity before it yields
violence. Finally, the long–term issues that contribute to domestic terrorism in our country
must be addressed to ensure that this threat diminishes over generations to come."

Statistics

Hate Crime Statistics
Produced by the FBI, these statistics are published annually, Includes "Data on the number of incidents, offenses, victims, and offenders in reported crimes that were motivated in whole or in part by a bias "
Rise of Domestic Extremism
From the Washington Post, 4/13/2021, includes data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies