The U.S. response to terrorism, both domestic and transnational, has been rooted in ontological security, meaning that a state will seek to protect and perpetuate its own national identity, resulting in the U.S. government historically overlooking terrorism perpetrated by right-wing groups that aligned with a dominant American national identity.
national identity
A cohesive national identity may be necessary for nonviolent movement success but does not itself fully explain why some such movements succeed while others fail.