Nationalist ideology and the U.S. patriot militia movement

Abstract

This thesis describes ideological commonalities of U.S. Patriot Militias and extreme Nationalism. A perceptible increase of American militia organizations in recent years prompted an intensive research project that explores historical movements of far-right extremism in the U.S., correlative features of Nationalism, and current Patriot Militia groups. During this process, systematic literature research was conducted to determine the extent to which extreme nationalist ideology contributes to Patriot Militia discourse and organization. The subsequent findings revealed shared elements of nationalist thought in past and present far-right movements, demonstrated by critical theory and comparative analysis. This thesis supplements the available scholarship of far-right organizations in the U.S. and theoretical frameworks of Nationalism.