Support for political violence has moved from the fringe into the mainstream. According to researcher Robert Pape on The Daily, the segment of Americans who endorse using force to achieve political goals has doubled, reaching 14% to 21% of adults. This means roughly 20 million people on each side of the political spectrum now condone violence.
"This is not a fringe movement led by small militia groups. It is a mass phenomenon involving roughly 20 million adults on each side of the aisle."
- Robert Pape, The Daily
This broad social acceptance provides dangerous cover. Pape argues that when millions signal approval, volatile individuals feel they have a mandate to act. It also complicates law enforcement, as people are less likely to report threats they believe serve a righteous cause. The phenomenon is bipartisan, with simultaneous radicalization on the left and right creating a self-reinforcing spiral of retaliation.
The profile of the modern political extremist has also changed. Pape’s analysis of January 6th arrestees revealed a surge of business owners, doctors, and lawyers - "insurrectionists in business suits" - rather than the unemployed militia members of past eras. These are often middle-class professionals who fear permanent exclusion from the political process, viewing violence as a last resort against perceived existential lockout.
Pape identifies two deep structural fuels: the transition to a white-minority democracy and the massive wealth concentration in the top 1% that began in the 1980s. Immigration becomes a lightning rod as groups fight for future political power, while economic hollowing out creates bipartisan rage that neither party has successfully addressed.
"Social media and inflammatory rhetoric act as gasoline, but these demographic and economic shifts are the fire."
- Robert Pape, The Daily
While rhetoric can be cooled, Pape argues a long-term solution requires addressing the pace of social change and wealth inequality. Without it, the structural pressure for violence will persist.
