Gale Case Studies:

EXAMINE POLITICAL EXTREMISM FROM EVERY ANGLE

A breathless momentum building behind polarizing contemporary political discourse has found expression in modern radical and extremist movements. Questions of election integrity and the politics of COVID-19, rather than bringing communities together, have served to fuel this divide. As tensions grow, society and public policy continue to succumb to the push and pull of contemporary political ideology, threatening the nature of democracy. This dynamic has generated a flurry of political discourse in the study of global comparative politics, backed by various degrees of credibility. It has also inspired a renewed interest in the history of extremism and radicalism and the continuing influence it has had on contemporary political movements in academic circles.

Gale’s Political Extremism and Radicalism is the gold source of content for the in-depth study of global comparative politics at the university level. Political science majors benefit from primary source case study research which offers them the chance to engage in sound methodological study and theory building backed by authoritative research design. Case study research is the culmination of careful study supported by respected source materials, from scholarly articles to journals and more. And case study research encompasses a wide range of content on radicalisms and extremisms in world politics, spanning the United States, UK, Spain, and Australia, and how they impact public policy. University students will find themselves on an exciting educational journey of discovery as they navigate from the cross-national politics of rural Idaho to those of the Australian outback.

IN-DEPTH RESEARCH BY DESIGN

This body of academic work offers curious social scientists extensive case study research and deep theoretical insights at the university level into such disparate radical and extremist political movements as the National Socialist Party of Australia, the Aryan Nations, the Ku Klux Klan, the British Union of Fascists, the UK National Front, the Black Panther Party, the Weather Underground, and the Socialist Party USA.

Gale Case Studies: Political Extremism is based on a qualitative research design strategy that includes an introductory essay, a selection of annotated sources for political science students to grapple with, such as articles and journals, along with related discussion questions, including articles and journals that touch on political theory and link themes unearthed by the case studies to today’s situation. Written by noted international experts and writers (published by Cambridge University Press, American Political Science Review, and the like), these selected primary sources are presented in a way that is easily understandable to university students engaged in political study. Insights from renowned academics, from Edward Glaeser to Joe Feagin, Robert Koehane, Laura Sjoberg, and more, give voice to the extremism and radicalism that echoes throughout contemporary politics.

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON WORLD POLITICS

More importantly, Gale Case Studies reveals what other sources cannot: the internal debates about historical extremist activism and the sensitivities of dealing with radical and extremist actors. In doing so, it sheds fresh light on contemporary social science issues raised in relation to such movements as they relate to politics, government, and democracy. In particular, Gale Case Studies: Political Extremism explores timely intellectual questions about the role of female activists within radical movements, the use of terrorism and political violence within extremist movements, how extremists and radicals use propaganda and marketing techniques to promote their ideas to mainstream audiences, and the effectiveness of state discouragement when dealing with such movements.

Editor in Chief: Dr. William Allchorn, Associate Director, Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right