The culture of the United States includes a strong and persistent component of "American Exceptionalism,"? the belief that American society is morally superior to other nations. The government of the United States subscribes to a set of international laws, largely derived from Christian principles, to place limits on war. These moral and ethical considerations include rules to protect the lives of non-combatants. Nevertheless, the United States has frequently resorted to using terror and civilian violence as tools for solving its most vexing problems. Although Americans view themselves as the victims of terrorism, and their political leaders disparage terrorist acts as cowardly and despicable, the United States has historically used acts of violence against civilians to induce terror and thereby further its political objectives. Government officials turn to these tactics when they believe opposing populations to be less civilized or less worthy of respect, or to "cleanse"? territory of obstacles to imperialist expansion, or when they believe they have exhausted other conventional means to win in a protracted war. Consequently, the focus of this study is specifically the use of terror as a historic policy of the United States intended to influence civilian behavior.