Domestic Terror in the United States - Term Paper Example

ive of excessive force, there must be pressure applied to others in society or government or otherwise persuasive agendas, and the objectives of these acts must be linked with sociological or politically-motivated agendas (FEMA, 1997). Domestic terrorism is characterized as a holistic blend of the aforementioned objectives and activities, which occur within a national region, which are conducted against social systems and ideologies, governmental actors, and citizenry communities. Some of the most common terrorist activities occurring domestically include implementing a variety of illegal pursuits so as to fund hostile or brutal objectives, as well as using a variety of methodologies to elicit threats against government and society so as to establish support or compliance with a specific political or social agenda.

The composition of domestic terrorism is complex and usually consists of multi-faceted objectives of the terrorist party or group which has substantial implications for local, state and federal-level institutions when attempting to contend with terrorist activities and agendas. It often involves a series of complicated analyses and interventions within many diverse federal institutions under a collaborative model with local and state-level authorities to achieve terrorist reduction and opposition.

This essay examines a variety of domestic terrorism attacks that have occurred in the United States, focusing on the politically-motivated or socially-motivated objectives that drove these violent acts. The project further examines the threats and dangers of domestic terrorism today as opposed to international terrorism within U.S. borders and provides an analysis of the programs currently in place at the federal, state and local levels to prevent reoccurrences of domestic terrorism. It is significant and prudent for American citizens and empowered institutions to understand the dynamics of what serves as catalysts for domestic terrorism as domestic