Extremism & Violence

Extremism denotes holding views that lie outside the norms and attitudes of the mainstream social consensus within a given society. Extremists may use violence to pursue their ideological project or use a non-violent approach to reorient society around new values aligned with their extremist position. 
In democracies, we examine how hateful or inflammatory discourse — especially online — can fuel extralegal or vigilante violence against marginalised groups. In authoritarian and hybrid regimes, we analyse how governments use extremism as a legal and rhetorical tool to justify repression and tighten political control.