Violence, Politics & Democracy

As shocking events in the United States and elsewhere show, political violence is real. The scope of the threat is unclear, as are the motivations that drive people to harm others they disagree with and the effects of such violence on the outcomes of elections and the health of democratic institutions.

While media reports convey the sense that incidents of political violence are increasing in frequency and intensity, assessing the actual likelihood of politically motivated acts of physical harm remains challenging, as does determining what to do about such threats.

Violence, Politics & Democracy (VPD), a multi-year initiative of The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, aims to examine the threats and root causes that, if left unchecked, have the greatest potential to lead to violence in the US and other democratic systems.

Through research, convenings, and publications, VPD will explore these issues and seek to identify ways to preempt and respond to such dangers.

Read more about the initiative.

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