New public opinion research: Public attitudes towards political violence
Political violence poses a growing threat to democracy, from high-profile events like the January 6 attack on the US Capitol to local threats of violence to election workers and school boards.
In response to this growing concern, The Joyce Foundation, Trusted Elections Fund, and The Klarman Family Foundation initiated a new public opinion research project at the end of 2021 to better understand public attitudes towards political violence and ways to address it.
This research project sought to:
Better understand the public’s view of political violence and armed political extremism;
If and how threats of political violence may impact the public’s likelihood to participate in (or avoid) civic activity;
Gauge the public’s support for targeted policy reforms; and
Provide guidance on effective messages and messengers on how to talk about these potential threats in a way that doesn’t scare people from voting or participating in other civic activities.