PRL has collected data on Americans’ support for political violence since 2022. We also fielded a survey on attitudes toward partisan violence in the week following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Executive Summary
Public support for political violence in the United States is virtually nonexistent, with less than 1% of Americans endorsing acts like partisan murder. Despite this consensus, an overwhelming majority of citizens across the political spectrum perceives political violence as a major national threat, leading many to curtail their own political expression out of fear. This pervasive fear has created a dangerous appetite for authoritarian solutions, with a substantial portion of the public supporting policies that infringe on civil liberties—from shutting down media companies and disqualifying political candidates to using the military for domestic law enforcement—in the name of preventing violence. The primary threat to American democracy is not a widespread desire for violence, but rather the public’s willingness to trade fundamental freedoms for a sense of security from a fringe phenomenon.
Key Findings
Attitudes on violence
- 1% of Americans support partisan murder
- 93-97% of all partisans view political violence as a major problem
- 75% think the shooting of Charlie Kirk is part of a broader problem
Who is to blame
- 73% of Democrats blame Republicans for political violence
- 50% of Republicans blame Democrats for political violence
- 81% of Democrats blame Republicans for hostile and angry political speech
- 86% of Republicans blame Democrats for hostile and angry political speech
- 45% of Americans think political violence is coordinated by larger political organizations
Americans support curtailing civil liberties
- 61% support disqualifying candidates from ballots for their speech
- 49% support trading civil liberties for protection from political violence
- 35% support shutting down media companies that promote hostility
- 25% think prosecuting politicians is the best way to hold politicians accountable for extremists peech
- 31% report they will avoid political expression due to fear of violence
MAGA Republicans
- MAGA Republicans consistently report the highest level of support for curtailing civil liberties.
