Organizational Dynamics

Steven Chermak Michigan State University The Organizational Dynamics of Far-Right Hate Groups in the United States: Comparing Violent to Non-Violent Organizations

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Lecture Outline
Research Study Major Findings Conclusion: Implications of Findings Resources

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Southern Poverty Law Center

Search hate groups & record group for every year (1990-2008) Groups in existence for 3 consecutive years From 550 groups randomly picked half

Data Collection

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Data Collection (cont.)

Searched for information on all groups in open sources

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Data Collection (cont.)

Used search protocol that created the Extremist Crime Database.
Searched generally through 30+ search engines Searched specifically for individuals locations, and events.

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Data Collection (cont.)

Court documents, media documents, academic work, and blogs.

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Research Design
Variables
Dependent Variables 1. Group Violence (0/1)
20% of the groups committed at least one violent act

2. Extreme Group Violence (0/1)

Groups that committed multiple homicides and violent assaults

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Predictors That Differentiate Violent Groups from Non-violent Groups

Relied on Existing Literature Categories:

- Organizational Capacity - Organizational Constituencies - Strategic Connectivity - Structural Arrangements

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Research Design
Organizational Capacity
(Independent Variables)
Most terrorist organizations/hate groups survive less than 1 year
Groups need to mobilize sufficient resources to survive/thrive

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Research Design (cont.)

Organizational Capacity
3 Capacity Variables
Recruitment. Scale combining places and strategies. Funding. Coded 1 if group raised funds legally Age. # of consecutive years note din SPLC reports.

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Organizational Constituencies (Independent Variables)

Groups use Strategies to increase visibility with their constituents Use publicity Engage other extremists These are attempts to gain legitimacy

Research Design (cont.)

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Research Design (cont.)

Organizational Constituencies (cont.) Public Legitimacy. Scale includes group is politically active, has website, newsletter, community programming, conferences, public meetings, membership lists, & appear in media. Extremist Legitimacy. Scale 1 includes items on having a safehouse & operational manual; Scale 2 includes those with literature, training, protests, & leafletting.

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Research Design (cont.)

Strategic Connectivity (Independent Variables)
Linkages. Coded 1 when group participated in activities with other groups, had friendships, were an off shoot, or received public support. Conflicts (two variables). Coded 1 if group had specific conflicts with other far right groups or with the government.

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Research Design (cont.)

Structural Arrangements (Independent Variables)
3 structural variables:
- Led by Charismatic Leader. Coded 1 when group led by charismatic leader. - Leaderless Resistance. Coded 1 if group had practiced and/or publicly advocated the use of leaderless resistance tactics. - Size. Coded 1 if group had 200+ members.

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Research Design (cont.)

Control Variables
Had members in military Scope (local, state, national, international agenda) Area (rural, suburban, urban) Region (South, West, Midwest, Northeast)

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Results
When Comparing Violent/Non Violent Groups
Those who recruited youth tended to be more violent Groups who used or advocated for leaderless resistance tactics were more likely to be involved in violence Groups who distributed ideological literature were less likely to be involved in violence Two regions were significant: West and North-East were more likely to be involved in violence compared to those in the South

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Results
When comparing Extremely Violent and Non Violent groups
Older or larger groups were more likely to be involved in extreme violence Groups that distributed ideological literature were less likely to be involved in extreme violence Groups that had conflicts with other farright groups were more likely to be involved in extreme violence Groups that participated in or advocated for leaderless resistance tactics more likely to be involved in extreme violence Groups in North-East and West were more likely to be involved in extreme violence over those in the South

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Summary Thoughts
Variables related to groups propensity for violence:
- Organizational Capacity Variables: The importance of organizational age & size

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Summary Thoughts (cont.)

Variables related to groups propensity for violence: - Organizational Constituency Variable:
- The inverse relationship between ideological literature & violence

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Summary Thoughts (cont.)

Variables related to groups propensity for violence:

- Structural Variables (The importance of both leadership type and style):
- Charismatic leaders - Leaderless resistance

National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism

Recommended Readings:
Asal, Victor and R. Karl Rethemeyer. 2008. The Nature of the Beast: Organizational Structures and the Lethality of Terrorist Attacks. The Journal of Politics 70:437-449. Chermak, Steven, Joshua Freilich and Michael Suttmoeller. (2013). The Organizational Dynamics of Far-Right Hate Groups in the United States: Comparing Violent to Non-Violent Organizations. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 36 (3): 193-218. Freilich, J.D., S.M. Chermak & D. Caspi. 2009. Critical events in the life trajectories of domestic extremist white supremacist groups: A case study analysis of four violent organizations. Criminology and Public Policy 8(3): 497- 530

National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism

Recommended Readings:
Jones, Seth G. and Martin C. Libicki. 2008. How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering Al Qaeda. Santa Monica: Rand Corporation. Ligon, Gina. 2013. The Organization and Leadership of Violence. START Research Brief, available from the WWW at: http://www.start.umd.edu/start/publications/research_briefs /START_OrganizationandLeadershipofViolence_ResearchBrief _Aug2013.pdf