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Since the 1990s, there have been many books written on both the militia and white supremacist movements. While each new book inevitably offers some new facts and analysis, it seems like less original research is being conducted and there is more repetition of previous work. Daniel Levitas' The Terrorist Next Door rises above this stagnation. Levitas brings new research and analysis to the table, and the book is more thorough than most tracts on the racist and militia movements. It not only tracks the creation and evolution of the racist and anti-Semitic Posse Comitatus, but it illustrates how the Posse contributed to the formation of today's radical right wing.

The Terrorist Next Door begins with William Potter Gale, the founder of the Posse Comitatus. It would be impressive enough if the book only discussed Gale's military service, conversion to the racist theology of Christian Identity, and creation of the Posse Comitatus. However, along with these topics, Levitas reveals Gale's Jewish ancestry and the role it played in his racist activities. Levitas also delves into the impact that the anti-tax movement had on Gale and how Gale's initial concept of the Posse was plagiarized by Henry Lamont Beach. Beach helped "popularize" the Posse and spread it nationwide.

As Levitas chronicles the creation and spread of Posse ideology, important dynamics of the radical right appear. Levitas' account shows how the Posse went from local and regional settings to the national stage. It also provides an understanding of how rhetoric and propaganda can vary from community to community. While the Posse message in some areas was overtly racist and anti-Semitic, in other places the focus was more on gun rights/paramilitary training or property rights. Despite the change in the message presented publicly, the baseline ideology stayed the same and could be discovered by peeling away the superficial layers.

The Terrorist Next Door also illustrates the impact that the radical right can have on mainstream organizations. One example Levitas explores is how the Posse influenced and divided the American Agriculture Movement (AAM) in the 1970s. In an effort to help farmers combat bad economic times, AAM was started by farmers who pledged to not buy, sell or produce any commodities until the U.S. Congress raised prices for the commodities. Along with protesting farm foreclosures, AAM set up shop in Washington D.C. to lobby, organized massive ™tractorcadesš and other protests in the nation's capital, and had satellite offices throughout the country. As the "farm crisis" worsened into the 1980s, the Posse and other anti-Semites began co-opting AAM and interjecting anti-Semitic banking conspiracies into the group. Focus shifted away from legitimate economic variables that impacted the price of farm goods. Instead, the Posse sector of AAM began blaming the banking system which they claimed was run by greedy, evil, Jews. As a result, "Grass Roots AAM," a Posse-influenced contingent, splintered off from AAM. This type of group takeover and capitalization on hot-button issues remains common in today's racist and militia movements.

Levitas also explores the impact that the Posse and other radical groups had on the mainstream public institutions. There are many examples in The Terrorist Next Door of the Posse courting elected officials and vice versa. This give-and-take between politicians and elements of the radical right continues today. Levitas also examines the response of law enforcement to the Posse. In too many cases, authorities took the "wait-and-see" approach and only took the Posse seriously after violence had occurred. This approach has slowly changed, as law enforcement began to take radical groups more seriously following Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City.

Levitas' book is a must read for anyone interested in knowing how and why today's racist and militia movements evolved. While the work is written from an academic perspective, it is obvious that Levitas has first-hand knowledge of his subject, which he honed as an activist with both PrairieFire Rural Action and the Center for Democratic Renewal. The Terrorist Next Door makes the complexities of the radical right wing understandable and accessible through in-depth research, concise writing and very descriptive examples. It is no wonder that the book has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and has received ringing endorsements since being published.