POLITICAL VIOLENCEAttitudes Toward Political Violence
Research reveals a complex mix of attitudes, concerns, and beliefs about the state of democracy and the potential for violence. A small segment of the U.S. population considers violence, including lethal violence, to be usually or always justified to advance political objectives.
A small segment of the U.S. population considers violence, including lethal violence, to be usually or always justified to advance political objectives. This is according to newly published research from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program (VPRP).
The study provides a complex portrait of the attitudes and concerns about the state of democracy in the U.S. It also highlights the underlying beliefs that may inform the potential for violence.
The study was published Sept. 29, 2023, in Injury Epidemiology. A preprint, or version that had not yet been peer reviewed, was shared online in July of last year.
“This study was motivated by the possibility of violence that could put at risk the future of the United States as a free and democratic society,” said Garen Wintemute, first author of the study. Wintemute is an emergency department physician and director of VPRP and the California Firearm Violence Research Center.
A belief in fringe theories and a threatened democracy
The researchers conducted the nationwide online survey from May 13 to June 2, 2022. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish. A total of 8,620 adult members of the Ipsos Knowledge Panel were included in the analysis. The sample was designed to represent the general adult population of the U.S.
The results show a mixture of concern for the state of the country and support for violence to advance political objectives.
Almost 90% of the participants (88.9%) felt it was extremely or very important for the U.S. to remain a democracy. A little more than two-thirds (67.2%) perceived that there is a serious threat to U.S. democracy.
When asked if “American democracy only serves the interest of the wealthy and powerful,” 36% of the participants agreed strongly or very strongly.
A large percentage of the survey participants — 81.7% — said they felt the country was generally headed in the wrong direction.
Three survey questions gave insights into the number of people who believe in conspiracy theories, such as those promoted by QAnon.
Nearly 1 in 10 respondents (9.1%) agreed strongly or very strongly that U.S. institutions are “controlled by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who run a global child sex trafficking operation.”