Terrorism in the United States: Key Facts, Patterns and Trends

David Sterman was quoted in an article for Politifact about terrorism within the United States.

Terrorist attacks in the United States have not been confined to one part of the country or motivated by just one ideology.

Beyond the casualties, terrorist attacks also yield room for misinformation, confusion and polarized political rhetoric. Under what circumstances are violent attacks classified as "domestic terrorism"? And are more terrorist attacks happening now than ever?

Here are some key questions and answers related to national security and terrorism in the United States.

Is "domestic terrorism" a federal crime?

Public debate after an attack sometimes surrounds the motivations of the attacker and whether law enforcement authorities will call the act domestic terrorism.

Federal law defines domestic terrorism as acts dangerous to human life that violate the criminal laws of the United States or of any state, and which appear to be intended to:

intimidate or coerce a civilian population;

influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion: or

affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.

The FBI injects ideology into its definition for domestic terrorism: violent, criminal acts "to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature."