This study investigates the spread of far-right radicalization in the US from 2005-2017 using an epidemiological approach. The findings suggest that far-right radicalization behaves like a complex contagion, requiring multiple exposures for adoption. Social media usage and group membership significantly enhance the spread, while poverty rates positively correlate with radicalization probability. The study highlights the importance of online and physical organizing in recruitment and suggests that interventions like online counter-narratives could be effective in mitigating the spread of far-right extremism.

Mason Youngblood