Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vi
About the Author vii
Introduction to the Second Edition 1
Why a Second Edition? 3
Understanding Right-Wing Populist Social Movements 4
A Note on Terminology 7
A Note on Methods 9
Plan of the Book 10
1 The Foundations of the Militia Movement and the Alt-Right 13
Political Culture, Ideology, and Myth in Political Life 14
A Brief History of Right-Wing Populism in the United States 24
Myth, Ideology, and Culture in Popular Culture: The Patriot and Red Dawn 28
Conclusion 31
2 The Rise of the Militia Movement in the 1990s 34
The Siege at Ruby Ridge 34
The Fire in Waco 47
The Militia Wave of the 1990s 58
Conclusion 70
3 The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Decline of the 1990s Militia 76
Coming to Oklahoma City 76
The Aftermaths of Oklahoma City-First Responses 80
The Decline of the 1990s Militia Movement 88
Conclusion 104
4 The Revival of the Militia Movement in the 2010s 109
The New Media Environment and the Rise of the Militia and the Alt-Right 110
The Iraq War and the Fraying of American Political Discourse 118
The Financial Crisis of 2008 and the Politics of Resentment 119
Mobilizing Anti-Government Activism in the United States after 2008 121
The New Militia 128
The Militia and the Bundy Family 137
Conclusion 144
5 Donald Trump and the Alt-Right 148
The Rise of the Alt-Right 148
The Rise of the Alt-Right in the Age of Trump 158
Donald Trump and the Alt-Right 163
The Aftermath of Charlottesville and the Decline of the Alt-Right 177
Conclusion 180
Epilogue: A Struggle for the American Soul 186
Index 190
