In the United States there are more than 25,000 activists which form the core of hate groups such as Aryan Nations, the Ku Klux Klan, Christian Patriots and racist skinheads. There is another 150,000 people which can be referred to as "armchair racists" which attend occasional rallies, buy literature and are "active sympathizers." These groups believe that they have a duty to defend the white master race. They have singled out other groups including Jewish people, people of color, and members of the gay and lesbian community as targets of their hatred and violence. Hate activity is any negative activity directed at any broad category of people, with hurtful intentions. These white supremist groups have committed many bias crimes against humanity. Bias crimes are hate activities that have been declared illegal by law. Groupthink and post decisional dissonance plays a large part in why and how hate crimes are committed and how these groups still exist.

Groupthink is defined as a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment that results from in-group pressures. Some of the symptoms that directly apply to white supremist groups are an illusion of invulnerability, shared by most or all group members, that leads to overoptimism and excessive risk taking. Many of the groups employ religion as a way to unite the group. They feel that their acts of violence are acceptable because their God given rights are being taken away by others. A second symptom of group think that can be seen in white supremist groups are the stereotyped views of adversaries as too evil to make negotiating worthwhile. The white supremist groups recruit people into their groups in environments where there is frustration about an issue such as the spotted owl in the Northwest. They turn the issue into a Jewish government conspiracy and unite the frustrated workers. If the unemployed workers are taught to believe that their work situation is part of a larger conspiracy against them and that the conspiracy is from Jews which are evil they cannot negotiate. A third symptom that can be seen is the unquestioned belief in the group's inherent morality. White supremist groups believe that their way is the only way and is backed by the bible. A fourth symptom of groupthink is self-appointed "mind guards" who protect the group from information that might challenge the group's complacency. White supremist groups have many different "educators" and leaders like Richard Butler and George Eric Hawthorne. These people serve as the mind guards that protect the others and they also spread information which supports the groups ideals.

Post decisional dissonance is discordant feelings that occur after a decision has been made to take a certain course of action. After the action has been done, a person reduces dissonance by owning the action. That person has a stronger belief in the purpose of the action. It is arguable that as white supremists take actions that they may have discordant feelings about, like causing harm to another individual, this only strengthens the faith in their beliefs and enables them to commit more actions in support of the movement goals in the future. An initial act of violence for some will cause dissonance which, will in turn, cause them to feel like they must have enjoyed the act and believed that it was truly the right thing to do.

In order to combat the ideas that are being spread by the white supremists we must spread the word of tolerance and acceptance for all. We must identify racism for what it truly is about. Immigration problems, crime or the spotted owls are not excuses for racism. Since white supremist groups rely on groupthink and post decisional dissonance to continue their existence we should educate people about these phenomena and teach people how to avoid them.