Defining Documents in American History: Domestic Terrorism

While there are many definitions of domestic terrorism, it is largely characterized as terrorism in which the perpetrator targets his/her own country. Also called homegrown terrorism, domestic terrorism is defined by the U.S. State Department as premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. The two largest categories of domestic terrorism (DT) or domestic violent extremism (DVE) are: racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism; and anti-government or anti-authority extremism.