Posse Comitatus

The Posse Comitatus was a loosely organized, far-right populist social movement that originated in Oregon and California around 1970 and reached its peak in the early 1980s. Its members believed that the county level of government was supreme and the county sheriff could essentially nullify federal or state laws, regulations or taxes that the sheriff believed were "unconstitutional." Supporters asserted that there had been a "subtle subversion" of the Constitution by various arms and levels of government and that there was a criminal conspiracy to "disfranchise citizens and liquidate the Constitutional Republic of these United States." In the early 1980s, Posse members and sympathizers were involved in a number of shootings, standoffs, fraud schemes, and other criminal activities. The modern sovereign citizen movement is descended from the Posse Comitatus.

This database provides an overview of many of the terms and individuals used by or associated with movements and groups that subscribe to and/or promote extremist or hateful ideologies.

Skousenism

Skousenism is a term used to describe the political philosophy of ultraconservative political theorist W. Cleon Skousen (1913-2006). Skousen advocated a philosophy centered on advocacy for extremely limited federal government, anti-Communism, conspiracy theories and Mormon theology. Skousenites... Read more

Key Concepts / Definitions Anti-government

Moorish Movement

An Afro-centric offshoot of the sovereign citizen movement that emerged in the mid-1990s primarily as a result of people merging sovereign beliefs with beliefs from a longstanding religious sect, the Moorish Science Temple. Moorish sovereign citizens often... Read more

Groups / Movements Anti-government

Romana Didulo

Romana Didulo is a Canadian QAnon figure who falsely claims to be the "Queen of Canada." She has frequently called for violent action online, especially against individuals involved in administrating Covid-19 vaccines to children. Didulo has frequently... Read more

People Right-wing

David Straight

David Straight is a prominent sovereign citizen guru and QAnon adherent who teaches sovereignty with a QAnon bent, urging his followers to become "American State Nationals" before Trump is reinstated as president. He works closely with Bobby... Read more