Anti-government extremism – an emerging threat to democracy?

Anti-government extremism (AGE) finds different expressions. One form of AGE is movements, networks and individuals that reject the legitimacy of the government as a matter of principle and refuse to obey or submit to any authorities and regulations. A second form of AGE refers to the spreading of conspiracy theories that undermine the legitimacy of governments, institutions, policies, and political opponents. A third expression of anti-government activism is issue-oriented demonstrations and opposition to specific policies. A fourth form of anti-government extremism is violent attacks, plots, threats, and harassment against politicians and governmental representatives. These different expressions are loosely connected or combined in the sense that specific AGE movements tend to adhere to some conspiracy theories to justify certain forms of action, whether that be collective demonstrations or individual violence. In some cases, the conspiracy theory (e.g. QAnon) is the driver behind the formation of a social movement that takes a variety of action routes, such as mass demonstrations or violent attacks by individuals.