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# Taking a political idea to its limits, regardless of unfortunate repercussions, impracticalities, arguments, and feelings to the contrary, and with the intention not only to confront, but to eliminate opposition.

# Taking a political idea to its limits, regardless of unfortunate repercussions, impracticalities, arguments, and feelings to the contrary, and with the intention not only to confront, but to eliminate opposition.

# Intolerance toward all views other than one’s own.

# Intolerance toward all views other than one’s own.

# Adoption of means to political ends which show disregard for the life, liberty, and human rights of others. <ref>Roger Scruton, ''Dictionary of Political Thought, p. 164. (1982).</ref>

# Adoption of means to political ends which show disregard for the life, liberty, and human rights of others.<ref>Roger Scruton, ''Dictionary of Political Thought, p. 164. (1982).</ref>

John George and Laird Wilcox, two of the foremost analysts of right and left-wing extremism, state that this definition reflects a common proposition about extremist behavior: it is more an “issue of style than of content.”<ref>John George & Laird Wilcox, [http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/exhibits/wilcox/5.html ''American Extremists: Militias, Supremacists, Klansmen, Communists and Others''], pg. 54, Prometheus Books, 1996 (ISBN 1-57392-058-4). George is a professor of political science at the University of Central Oklahoma. Wilcox is the founder of the [http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/kc/wilcox.shtml Wilcox Collection on Contemporary Political Movements] at the University of Kansas, one of the largest of its kind in the world, which contains hundreds of thousands of documents on all political movements.  He is also editor and publisher of annual guides on extremism. See Laird Wilcox, [http://www.lairdwilcox.com/publish/right.html''Guide to the American Right''] and [http://www.lairdwilcox.com/publish/left.html''Guide to the American Left''] (1997).</ref>  What the extremist believes is less important than what behavior he exhibits. Rather, extremism can cut across the [[political spectrum]].  George and Wilcox look at extremists as persons psychologically prone to extremism, regardless of political affiliation:

John George and Laird Wilcox, two of the foremost analysts of right and left-wing extremism, state that this definition reflects a common proposition about extremist behavior: it is more an “issue of style than of content.”<ref>John George & Laird Wilcox, [http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/exhibits/wilcox/5.html ''American Extremists: Militias, Supremacists, Klansmen, Communists and Others''], pg. 54, Prometheus Books, 1996 (ISBN 1-57392-058-4). George is a professor of political science at the University of Central Oklahoma. Wilcox is the founder of the [http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/kc/wilcox.shtml Wilcox Collection on Contemporary Political Movements] at the University of Kansas, one of the largest of its kind in the world, which contains hundreds of thousands of documents on all political movements.  He is also editor and publisher of annual guides on extremism. See Laird Wilcox, [http://www.lairdwilcox.com/publish/right.html''Guide to the American Right''] and [http://www.lairdwilcox.com/publish/left.html''Guide to the American Left''] (1997).</ref>  What the extremist believes is less important than what behavior he exhibits. Rather, extremism can cut across the [[political spectrum]].  George and Wilcox look at extremists as persons psychologically prone to extremism, regardless of political affiliation:

{{Cquote|'''''The relative ease with which a young communist could be converted into a Nazi or vice versa was well known, best of all to the propagandists of the two parties.''''' <ref>[http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-publication43pdf?.pdf ''Road to Serfdom'',] Friedrich A. Hayek, Reader's Digest Condensed Version, April 1945, pg. 40.</ref>}}<br />

{{Cquote|'''''The relative ease with which a young communist could be converted into a Nazi or vice versa was well known, best of all to the propagandists of the two parties.''''' <ref>[http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-publication43pdf?.pdf ''Road to Serfdom'',] Friedrich A. Hayek, Reader's Digest Condensed Version, April 1945, pg. 40.</ref>}}<br />

Most people can hold radical or unorthodox beliefs in a more or less reasonable and rational manner. Extremists present their views in uncompromising, bullying, and often authoritarian ways. <ref>George & Wilcox, p. 54.</ref> American politician and [[United States Senator]], [[Barry Goldwater]] highlighted the reasonable and rational use of extremism, by which most people would apply extreme measures, when he said:

Most people can hold radical or unorthodox beliefs in a more or less reasonable and rational manner. Extremists present their views in uncompromising, bullying, and often authoritarian ways.<ref>George & Wilcox, p. 54.</ref> American politician and [[United States Senator]], [[Barry Goldwater]] highlighted the reasonable and rational use of extremism, by which most people would apply extreme measures, when he said:

{{Cquote|'''''I would remind you that extremism, in the defense of liberty, is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation, in the pursuit of justice, is no virtue!''''' <ref>[http://thinkexist.com/quotes/barry_goldwater/, ''Barry Goldwater Quotes'']</ref>}}

{{Cquote|'''''I would remind you that extremism, in the defense of liberty, is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation, in the pursuit of justice, is no virtue!''''' <ref>[http://thinkexist.com/quotes/barry_goldwater/, ''Barry Goldwater Quotes'']</ref>}}

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[[Category:political Terms]]

[[Category:Political Terms]]