type of  behavior  responds to perceptions of political environment & responsiveness of institutions  (macro-level)
       a. citizens behave strategically in response to what seems possible, what will work 
       b. type of citizen involvement reflection of citizen perception of how much govt can be trusted to respond

    1. unconventional strategy  (OUTSIDERS)
       a. act outside of  established procedures
       b. highly dependent upon media to rouse public support
    2. put pressure on lawmakers from "outside" to change "inside" 
    3. implies some faith in system's ability to be open to change

B. chosen as most efficacious strategy (little success within conventional channels)
    1. rally public support for cause (equalize power w/ elites)
    2. often  motivated by moral concerns
    3. majority efforts fail or have limited success

   4. Structural weaknesses:
    a. social movements inherently unstable
      1. outside of  established channels and institutions
      2. quickly organized, learning as they go
      3. shoe-string budgets, donations as source of funding

    b. limited politically by reactive stance
       1. movement can only respond, not initiate
       2. policy formation done inside govt. channels
       3. real power is in shaping legislation

   c. the longer the campaign, more advantages to insiders

         1. movement loses members 
                     a. often reliant on volunteers, limited technical/legal knowledge
              b. learning as they go
              c. dfficult to maintain commitment
          2. insiders, get paid for efforts
               a. infrastructure of support
               b. uneven contest, in best of circumstances

   d. limitations by defined end
      a. broad goal (condensed into symbol, concrete objective)
          1. means to organize ppl and issues around
          2. gives movement shape and focus
        
       b. when concrete objective reached, movement loses focus 
         1. ultimate goal may still not be reached 
         2. victory often remains symbolic   

C. Antonio Gramsci  "Why is it so difficult to create true social change?

 1. belief that dominant institutions have "hegemony"
    a. power to define "reality", construct  terrain of  political possibilities
    b. limits ability of public to imagine any other arrangement
        1. reflected in dominant media coverage
        2. limited range of political options offered
    c. coercive force of state & police power back it up
    d. combined effect means difficulty in changing status quo

 2. counter-hegemonic movements need to be developed in response
   a. politics is "art of possible" (aesthetic struggle)
       
      1. counter-vision of reality and political options
          a. re-define the terms of struggle
          b. battle over "meaning"
          c.  re-imagining what could be "possible"
     
   2. symbols and images deployed to construct a narrative
     a. moral authority comes from exposing contradictions between ideology/practice
     b. seek to change  public judgment
         1.counter-vision offered to status quo
         2. through public deliberation--communal public transformation
  3. objective is mass appeal/support- public engagement

 b. best leaders are "organic intellectuals"
       1. combine moral/intellectual/ thinking w/ practical understanding, action
          a. originate from civil society   
          b. use resources and symbols meaningful to  community
          c. credibility comes from shared experience w/followers 
   
       2.  leadership is key, because no institutional base
          a. movements often held together by charisma of leader
          b. loyalty of followers, belief in personal integrity
 
     3. need to move beyond just reacting, "mirror" image (most difficult to achieve)
        a . requires ability to imagine new transformation & will to put in place
        b. ability to move beyond revenge cycle into positive direct action
            1. tremendous discipline of members
            2. mindful actions/ not mindless

        1. symbolism/rhetoric designed to be persuasive to broader public  
             a. inclusive in ideology and rhetoric 
                 1. appeal to American dream, equal access to institutions
                 2. christianity as common base
             b. no contradiction between goals and tactics 
                1. non-violence, key
                 2. greater realization of american ideology   mlk
           c. ultimate goal is transforming public opinion, not strategic victory
                1. create visual argument to persuade public of credibility of vision
                2. appeal to universal, shared values, unifying

5. social movements are healthy expression of  political opinion/action
    1. expression of wide-scale direct public action and change in response to it
    2. full public engagement and persuasion
    3. requires communal  involvement

 Extremist groups- unhealthy expression of public opinion/action
    1. proliferation is sign of serious public distrust of system
    2. distrust in legal, non-violent means of seeking change

  A. Extremist group characteristics
   1. extreme positions
   2. extreme personalities
   3. extreme tactics

    1. extreme or fringe viewpoints
      a.  represent the "tails" of public opinion
      b. far right, far left most likely to be small, (in healthy system)
      c.  constructivist nature of human beings
        1. always some factual basis to belief
        2.  response to scenario of root problems in world  Illuminati
        3. over-simplification
             a. propaganda and media bias-    pricier   mindcontrol  
        4. opposite of "scientific" reasoning 
   d. reflects isolation from mainstream  
      1. not corrected by exposure to other opinions
      2. no public airing of ideas
   e. extreme right/extreme left mirror each other  
     1. both distrust government & conventional politics
      2. feel alienated, excluded from decision-making     
        a. strong belief in police state
        b. shared distrust of increasing govt surveillance   l  left- Patriot Act II
        c. 9/11 conspiracy theories  ex

2. extreme personalities

    a. "terrorist" personality,  ex. Timothy McVeigh, Osama bin Laden, Eric Rudolph, Zarqawi
     1.   inflexible, rigid, fanatical, uncomfortable w/ ambiguity
     2. deeply ideological
         a. "the end justifies the means"
         b. no shades of gray--"black/white" "good/evil" 
    3. looking for simplistic explanations for problems

 3. Extremist tactics used in response to perceptions about political environment
   a. most dangerous/challenging to political order

   b. impact of media partially drives this
     1.type of media coverage/need for media coverage
       a. role of media is key, double-edged
         1. strategically used to focus public attention on issue
         2. amplify concern before public "audience"
           a. theatre performance before public audience
           b. visuals,slogans and sound bites tailored to media
           c. terrorism is modern crime- designed for media 

      3. symbiotic relationship between extremists/media
         a. media's focus on drama & tension to attract viewers
         b. if official opposition or repression, more drama, more support for "cause"
         c. without media attention, it never happened 

 c. for short-term goals,  use of media-very successful strategy
    1.long-term, more structural change, use of media less successful
    2. over time, media attention will wane
       a. saturation of coverage
       b. public gets bored, if nothing new
   3. dynamics of media coverage
       a. most "colorful" chosen to focus on
       b. over-emphasis on conflict & drama
       c. short attention span of public 

  4. movement leaders forced into more extreme tactics
      a. distorted tactics by need for continuing media attention
      b. means become confused w/ ends 

     c. getting media coverage becomes primary goal
         1. lose track of primary objective  (Todd Gitlin)
         2. ex. student anti-war movement in late 1960's
             a. bombing of Sterling Hall, Madison campus, 1970 
                1. media-driven decision
                2. destroyed credibility of the movement
                3. death contradicted "peace" message
            b. lost support of public, viewed as "too extreme" 

     3. current movements alienate public w/ tactics to attract media attention
        a. ex. PETA article 
            1. "in your face" tactics, "pie-throwing"    peta stuff
            2. "goddess squad-dess" in Northern California

        b. portrayed as "fringe" movement, however serious, in eyes of public
           1. loses public support
         2. movement fragments
              a. moderates disassociate themselves, join other groups
              b. only remaining members "true believers"
                1. more extreme sense of alienation   image
                2. more secretive , conspiracy theorists
                3. goal of public persuasion no longer exists
                     a. public isn't trusted
                     b. paranoia develops  

     c. membership becomes exclusive, not inclusive
       1. tactics become more extreme  rhet
        2. no moderating influence, no debate
        3. goal becomes destabilizing system, not trying to change it.

3.  Mutation to more extreme tactics viewed as only way to overthrow corrupt system groups
    a.  cuts across entire ideological spectrum
    b. all most movements fought on many fronts (conventional--unconventional)
    c. pro-life movement  (ex.)
         1.   lobbying, interest groups (Insider strategies)
         2. non-violent protests, picketing abortion clinic (legal)
         3. extremist groups, Missionaries to the Pre-Born,   website
              a.bomb clinics, assassinate doctors, 
              b. Eric Rudolph, Olympic Park bombing
              c. William Krar, 2003.

  d. militia movement-   (right)
     1. Ruby Ridge and Randy Weaver  1992
     2. govt storming of Branch Davidians in Waco 4/19/93
     3. lost supporters after Oklahoma City bombing in 4/19/95 
          a. anti-govt not same as "killing babies"     
          b. reflects impatience & lack of trust in established rules for change

  e. environmental movement  (left)

      1. sierra club, (conventional)
      2. "tree-sitters" non-violent protest   luna
     3. Earth Liberation Front- "eco-terrorism"     
          a. "From Tree-hugger to Terrorist"
          b. evolution from mainstream to extreme tactics 

 F. Why does this happen?

       a. assumption that system is unresponsive to any other tactics oklahoma
         b. radicalizes groups of citizens that would otherwise not be
           
       c. the greater perception of repression,  more extreme tactics and messages
          1.not about public persuasion
          2. winning tactical & symbolic victory
      d. govt crackdown becomes self-fulfilling prophesy
         1. endless cycle or repression/reaction

 3. Violent tactics become easier to justify

     1. traditional thinking-unsuccessful strategy, self-defeating
        a. discredits movement- contradiction of means & ends
        b. mainstream members disassociates w/ fringe members   cartoon
          1. lose public support
          2. defeat movement
   
 c. some argue violence now necessary in today's "envelope-pushing" media climate
        1. w/o violence, no attention paid at all
        2. heightened demand for "good" copy, drama

HOW?
1. extremist violence will persuade public to support cause, but w/ mainstream tactics
       a. comparison of Southern Christian Leadership Conference & Nation of Islam in 1960's
       b. some support for SCLC, fear of Nation of Islam
       c. Sierra Club gets more support because of  ELF

2. Dilemma for democratic, "open" societies
      a. government response  to terrorist activities
         1. suspension of  civil liberties to restore order  ex
         2. punish illegal behavior/ protect citizens 
     b. but, over-reaction will create support/sympathy for movement
        1. confirms belief in  evidence of  repressive state
          2. creates "martyrs" to the cause
          3.  govt. repression becomes the story
             a. Randy Weaver & Ruby Ridge (8/21/92)
             b. Waco, 4/19/93
             c.  Oklahoma City Bombing 4/19/95

      4. Iraq- bad treatment of prisoners in Abu ghraib helped fuel insurgency, image that US was hostile to Muslims
         a. impact of waterboarding reports by CIA give fuel to attacks that US is evil empire
         b. increases level of distrust by iraqi citizens towards US motives

3. w/o stable, civil society, more likely to morph out of control

social movements                  extremist movements

non-violent tactics                       any means necessary

broad public appeal                     restricted to true believers

need for media                             shuns mainstream media

shift public judgment                     score tactical victories

perception of responsiveness       unresponsiveness to any other tactics

communal deliberation                   fragmentation of pub. opn

healthy                                               unhealthy