The American Security Project is sponsoring a continuing series of studies and events to examine the threat of Islamist extremism, assess the current approach to that struggle, and prescribe an innovative strategy for security in an age of terror.

Three initiatives comprise this project: the Origins Initiative, the Status Initiative, and the Strategy Initiative.

The Origins Initiative seeks to improve the public’s understanding of the sources and causes of extremism and violence. To be successful in defeating extremism, the country must understand its causes and its proponents' motivations in order to create sustainable, effective policies to keep America safe.  The results of this initiative are outlined in the report, "The Causes of Violent Jihadism."

The Status Initiative attempts to assess America’s progress in the struggle against radical Islamists over time. Counts of killed or captured Al Qaeda leaders alone do little to actually indicate whether U.S. policies are having a positive, lasting impact on terrorist actions or the violent jihadist movement. The Status Initiative examines multiple metrics for progress in the “war on terror.” The results of this initiative are outlined in the report, "Are We Winning? Measuring Progress in the Struggle Against Violent Jihadism."

Finally, the Strategy Initiative will build on the work of the Origins and Status initiatives to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat extremists.