Political Violence

Since 2022, researchers at the Centers for Violence Prevention at UC Davis have surveyed Americans on how they feel about political violence, including whether it is ever justified and, if so, whether they would personally get involved in it. This fact sheet provides updated key findings of the research and citations to peer-reviewed publications.

Click here for the full PDF. 

These findings are clear. Entrapment in a spiral of escalating political violence is not inevitable in the United States. Those who promote political violence should recognize that they do not have the public’s support and that promoting violence may exact a political cost.

-Garen Wintemute, director of CVP, professor, and lead author

Despite its recent scandals, the NRA may remain capable of mobilizing large numbers of people who are armed and willing to use violence to advance political objectives. At the same time, NRA approvers who reject political violence might be uniquely credible messengers in efforts to create a population-wide culture of non-acceptance for political violence.

-Garen Wintemute, director of CVP, professor, and lead author

• Using social media, text-based messaging, and right-biased news were each positively associated with support for political violence. 
• Consuming news via television and middle/balanced media was inversely related to participants’ belief they would use a firearm to advance a political objective. 
• Neither television nor print media modified the association between social media and political violence support. 

Political violence is rising in the US and considered a public health concern.

Database of state laws (2000-2024) regulating the carrying of firearms at parades, demonstrations, rallies, and similar events.
Note that to determine whether firearm carrying is allowed or disallowed at such events, users must additionally review state concealed and open carry laws.

The database is publicly available via the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) on OpenICSPR. Access the database here.

(SACRAMENTO) A large, nationally representative survey of U.S. adults finds that support for, and willingness to engage in, political violence remained largely stable from mid‑2024 to mid‑2025, despite a highly contentious national election and ongoing political polarization, according to a new study published in Injury Epidemiology.

“Entrapment in a spiral of escalating political violence is not inevitable. Those who promote violence, whether in government or not, must recognize that they do not have the public’s support. The large majority of us who reject political violence must make our rejection known, creating a climate of unacceptability for violence that will help prevent its occurrence.”

-Garen Wintemute, director of CVP, professor, and lead author

• Support for political violence decreased for 19.9% of respondents, increased for 14.2%, and remained unchanged for 65.9%.
• "Things improved for me financially" was associated with decreased support for political violence.
• "I gave up on politics" was associated with increased support for political violence.
• Those who reported that violence was usually or always justified for at least 1 political objective in 2022 had no events associated with change in support in 2023.
• Among those who

While some modest differences emerged between military and non-military respondents, overall, findings indicated that military service and combat experience did not act as risk factors for support for and willingness to engage in political violence, or approval of extremist organizations and movements.