U.S. Public Opposition for Armed Political Demonstrations
In analysis for Political Violence At A Glance, an IGCC-supported blog dedicated to political violence and its alternatives, Nathan P. Kalmoe, executive director of the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal, and Lilliana Mason, associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, discuss their investigation into public support for armed demonstrations, and find that the answer depends largely on party affiliation.
Armed political demonstrations are now common in the United States, particularly by right-wing groups. The ACLED research group documented 560 incidents of demonstrators with guns between January 2020 and June 2021.
Recent research tells us much about the nuances of public support for political violence, but we know next to nothing about what the US public thinks about armed demonstrations. We undertake that investigation here.
Read the full blog post at Political Violence At A Glance.