Extremists, Groups, & Ideologies

Conspiracy propagandist groups aim to delegitimize government institutions or government officials by stoking fears concerning door-to-door gun confiscations, martial law, supposed takeover of the U.S. by the “New World Order” and anxieties around the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Militia groups are characterized by their obsession with field training exercises (FTXs), guns, uniforms typically resembling those worn in the armed forces and a warped interpretation of the Second Amendment. Antigovernment militia groups engage in firearm training and maintain internal hierarchical command structures.

The origins of constitutional sheriff ideology lie in the two concepts of the county supremacy movement: The county – not the state or federal governments – should control all land within its borders, and the county sheriff should be the ultimate law enforcement authority in the U.S. These ideas were pioneered by Christian Identity minister…

Antigovernment groups are part of the antidemocratic hard-right movement. They believe the federal government is tyrannical, and they traffic in conspiracy theories about an illegitimate government of leftist elites seeking a “New World Order.” In addition to groups that generally espouse these ideas, the movement is composed of sovereign citizens, militias, overt conspiracy propagandists and…

Christian supremacy is the idea that Christians have the God-given right or duty to rule, govern and control society, culture and politics. Those who espouse Christian supremacist theologies or ideas understand “Christian” in a very limited sense. Christians who do not agree with supremacist claims are often cast as part of the larger “enemy,” against…

Men’s rights activists (MRAs) are a subgroup of male supremacists who believe they are fighting against a feminist conspiracy to oppress men. While they claim to advocate for men, their primary focus has been attacking women and feminism.

Pickup artists (PUAs) and alpha males – their more recent iteration – are a male supremacist community of heterosexual men who share predatory and coercive strategies aimed at manipulating women into sex. PUAs and alpha males endorse engaging in sexual harassment, stalking and even sexual violence. This community contains influencers who, in some cases, profit…

Content warning: This article contains references to suicide, sexual assault, and rape. Reader discretion is advised. Misogynist incels are a male supremacist movement of heterosexual men who believe they are entitled to sex with attractive women, but that feminism and women’s supposed inherent selfishness have denied them of this right.

Men going their own way (MGTOW) is a separatist male supremacist movement of heterosexual men who have chosen to remove themselves from the perceived toxicity of women.