Across the measures we tested, most young people do not endorse political violence. But a substantial minority tell us that they are willing to justify it in certain, situational contexts — and those attitudes reflect emotional and economic strain far more than political identity. Sixty-one percent (61%) fall into the “no violence” category of our index, while 29% show some acceptance (1–2 items) and 10% show high acceptance (3–5 items). In total, 39% of young Americans say political violence is acceptable under at least one circumstance. The item-level data show where this openness comes from:
-
28% say political violence is acceptable when the government violates individual rights.
-
12% say it is acceptable when election outcomes are fraudulent.
-
11% say it is acceptable when someone promotes extremist beliefs.
-
11% say it is acceptable when someone else encourages violence.
-
10% say it is acceptable when peaceful protests fail to accomplish their goals.