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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Domestic Terrorism in the United States Joe B. Williams Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Joe Williams has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Lori Demeter, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Tamara Mouras, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Eliesh Lane, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018 Abstract Domestic Terrorism in the United States by Joe B. Williams MS, Kaplan University, 2010 BA, University of North Florida, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University May 2018 Abstract Lone wolf terrorism has received considerable media attention, yet this phenomenon has not been sufficiently examined in an academic study. National security officials must distinguish between terrorist activities carried out by lone wolves and those carried out by terrorist networks for effective intervention and potential prevention. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the phenomenon of the leaderless lone wolf terrorist and the underlying mechanisms and processes that lead individuals to be drawn to or away from an existing radical movement. The theoretical framework for this study was leaderless resistance theory. Secondary data from interviews, field notes, and surveys from the RAND-MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base and the Global Terrorism Database were analyzed using open and selective coding. Findings revealed 3 individual-level underlying mechanisms and processes (personal and political grievance, risk and status seeking, unfreezing) that lead individuals to be drawn to or away from an existing radical movement and to act unilaterally without direction toward violent ends. Findings also indicated that no single typology fits all perpetrators. The findings benefit national security officials and intelligence agencies by identifying lone wolf individuals, weighing the actual threat versus the perception, developing better counterterrorism strategies for the lone wolf phenomenon, and enhancing relations with outside agencies. Results may improve understanding of lone wolf terrorism and may be used to develop new policies to predict and track future threats. Domestic Terrorism in the United States by Joe B. Williams MS, Kaplan University, 2010 BA, University of North Florida, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University May 2018 Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my daughter, Janiyah Williams; to my brother, James Rentz; and to parental figures, Dr. J. Stephen Waters and Shelley Waters. If it were not for them, I would not be where I am today, as they have encouraged me to soar to new heights. In addition, I would like to thank the rest of my friends and colleagues who have offered their support during this doctoral journey. Most importantly, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me the strength, courage, and patience to continue throughout this doctoral journey. To God Almighty, I am forever indebted. Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge and show appreciation to the faculty at Walden University, and friends who were of assistance in leading me in this direction of my academic career. I would like to commend Dr. Demeter, my doctoral committee chairperson, who has assisted me in developing a quality research study. In addition, I would like to thank my committee member, Dr. Tamara A. Mouras, whose experience has proven to be invaluable in helping me complete this journey. Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................3 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................8 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................9 Research Questions ........................................................................................................9 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................10 Operational Terms .......................................................................................................12 Assumptions .................................................................................................................13 Limitations ...................................................................................................................13 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................14 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................14 Implications for Social Change ....................................................................................16 Summary ......................................................................................................................17 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................18 Lone Wolf: A Definition Melee ...................................................................................19 Review of Literature ....................................................................................................21 Gaps in Literature ................................................................................................. 23 Historical Perspective ........................................................................................... 26 i Research Strategy.........................................................................................................27 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................27 Leaderless Jihad: The Modern Face of Terror ...................................................... 31 Shift Toward Leaderless Resistance ..................................................................... 33 Lone Wolf: Characteristics, Psychological Factors, Risk Factors, and Mindset ..................................................................................................... 36 Psychological Factors ........................................................................................... 38 Risk Factors .......................................................................................................... 39 Mindset ................................................................................................................. 40 Lone Wolf: The Most Significant Threat to U.S. National Security .................... 41 How the Theory Translates Into Practice .............................................................. 45 Preventing Lone Wolf Terrorism .......................................................................... 47 Social Change Mechanism ...........................................................................................49 Summary ......................................................................................................................50 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................53 Research Question .......................................................................................................53 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................54 Qualitative Approaches ......................................................................................... 54 Phenomenological Design .................................................................................... 55 Secondary Data Selection Process ...............................................................................56 Data Collection ............................................................................................................57
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