{
  "id": 8919689,
  "title": "Support for political violence drops across the board, though MAGA supporters remain the most likely to justify it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/support-for-political-violence-drops-across-the-board-though-maga",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-21T12:00:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/support-for-political-violence-drops-across-the-board-though-maga-supporters-remain-the-most-likely-to-justify-it/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new survey indicates that support for political violence has declined across the United States as the 2026 midterm elections draw near. While partisan tensions persist, a vast majority of adults reject the notion of resorting to physical force to achieve political goals. Political violence refers to the use of force to further a political cause, ranging from damaging property to harming or killing individuals based on ideological reasons. The study, published as a preprint, is set to be peer-reviewed and was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis. Concerns about a highly polarized political climate driving violence have been raised, but the survey design could influence how support for political violence is perceived. The research team, led by Professor Garen J. Wintemute, launched an annual survey in 2022 to monitor attitudes towards political violence. Previous research found that MAGA Republicans were more likely to view political violence as justified, but not necessarily willing to personally engage in it. Despite concerns that public support for political violence might rise, the survey revealed that it has decreased for all political groups. Only a small fraction of respondents ever believed that violence was justified, with the percentage only slightly higher in 2026 (13%) compared to the previous year (12.7%). Even those who thought violence could be justified were unlikely to act personally, with only about 2% of respondents willing to damage property, threaten, injure, or kill someone in support of a political goal.",
  "summary": "A new survey finds that American support for political violence decreased heading into the 2026 midterms. While MAGA supporters remain the most likely to justify violence, overall willingness to commit physical harm dropped across the ideological spectrum.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}