The Rise of American Extremism: an Exploratory Analysis of American Religious and Political Extremism from Presidents Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama: 1977-2016 Alwyn J
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Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses CAHSS Theses and Dissertations and Dissertations 1-1-2019 The Rise of American Extremism: An Exploratory Analysis of American Religious and Political Extremism from Presidents Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama: 1977-2016 Alwyn J. Melton This document is a product of extensive research conducted at the Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. For more information on research and degree programs at the NSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, please click here. Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd Part of the Criminology Commons, Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Law Enforcement and Corrections Commons, and the Political Science Commons Share Feedback About This Item This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses and Dissertations at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Rise of American Extremism: An Exploratory Analysis of American Religious and Political Extremism from Presidents Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama: 1977-2016 by Alwyn J. Melton A Dissertation Presented to the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences of Nova Southeastern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Nova Southeastern University 2018 Copyright © by Alwyn J. Melton October 2018 Dedication I dedicate this paper to my grandmother, my mother and my family. There is an old adage that states “Behind every great man is a great woman” and my grandmother, Dorothy Jean Deleveaux and my mother, Phyllis A. Melton, were living testaments to the truth of this statement. From the time I was young man until the day she passed away, my grandmother stressed the importance of education and learning. She would always quip, “Learn all you can, whenever you can, regardless if the situation is positive or negative. Boy, don’t just live life! Learn life!” Although my grandmother had a second-grade formal education, she read the newspaper intently every day, stayed abreast of current events, and prided herself on learning. In times when I decided to quit, she would not hear of it and forced me to continue by encouraging me that I could do anything if I put my mind to it and its okay to “give out, but never give up.” In her 60s, she decided to enroll in school, attain her GED and went on to become a nursing assistant, graduating at the top of her class. Her resiliency inspired me to pursue advanced degrees. If my grandmother was the inspiration, my mother, was the consummate teacher. She laid the foundation. Because of my mother’s persistence and insistence, I excelled in reading, writing, and spelling. She would read to me just about every night. As I got older, she would make me read every day. Her dedication to my education is and will always be a testament to my academic and professional achievements. I also would like to dedicate this paper to my daughter Melissa and my wife Doris. I have always stressed to my daughter the importance of hard work and expressed to her that education and learning “levels the playing field” because the opportunity is available to those who diligently pursue its benefits. My pursuit of a doctoral degree caused us to miss many weekends and quite a few family nights. Now that my journey is finally complete, I look forward to spending more time with my family, doing more in my community, and being more involved in my church. To my wife Doris, I say your support and confidence in me throughout this process helped me immensely. My father, who taught me the value and importance of critical thinking, was instrumental in my life. He taught me the value of character and integrity. More importantly, he taught me many life lessons, most important was never to seek validation in people or “things.” I can honestly say that my father’s guidance was equally instrumental in providing me the confidence to achieve anything I set my mind to by making every interaction a teachable moment. Acknowledgements There are many people I need to thank for helping me finish the dissertation journey. First and foremost, I would like to thank my committee Chairperson, Dr. Jason J. Campbell, for his overwhelming support and feedback throughout this process. His tutelage and guidance provided me with the opportunity to learn from a recognized expert in the field of National Security and Terrorism. I would also like to thank committee member Dr. Gregory M. Vecchi. Not only did I appreciate his expert advice and him taking me on as a teaching assistant, the way he successfully managed his education and professional career was nothing short of inspiring and motivational. I would also like to thank Dr. Robin Cooper, who put my doctoral journey back on the “right track” when it was close to being derailed by life circumstances during one of the most challenging periods of my academic pursuits. Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................... vii List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................... viii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................... 6 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................. 7 Importance of the Study ............................................................................................. 9 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................... 9 Characteristics of Domestic Terrorism .................................................................... 11 Potential Causes of Domestic Terrorism ................................................................. 13 Encouraging Extremism ........................................................................................... 14 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 2: What is Domestic Terrorism? ..................................................................... 17 Defining Terrorism .................................................................................................. 17 Defining American Extremism ................................................................................ 18 Typologies of Domestic Terrorism .......................................................................... 21 Religious Extremists ................................................................................................ 25 Political Extremists .................................................................................................. 30 National Extremists .................................................................................................. 33 Eco-Terrorists .......................................................................................................... 35 Anti-Abortion Extremists ......................................................................................... 37 i Left-wing Terrorism ................................................................................................. 39 Right-wing Terrorism .............................................................................................. 42 Militia and Paramilitary Groups .............................................................................. 47 Lone Wolf Terrorism ............................................................................................... 50 Sovereign Citizens ................................................................................................... 53 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 3: Literature Review ........................................................................................ 55 U.S. Public Policy on Terrorism from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan ................. 56 President Jimmy Carter ....................................................................................... 56 Ronald Reagan .................................................................................................... 63 U.S. Public Policy on Terrorism from George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton ............. 77 George H. W. Bush ............................................................................................. 77 Bill Clinton .......................................................................................................... 82 U.S. Public Policy on Terrorism from George W. Bush to Barrack Obama ........... 90 George W. Bush .................................................................................................. 90 Barrack H. Obama ...........................................................................................