Youth, Loneliness and Political Violence in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — While most Americans say it is “never OK” to use violence to achieve a political goal, 16% say it is “sometimes OK.”

Age is the strongest predictor of attitudes toward political violence, with young adults aged 18 to 29 more likely than other age groups to say that it is sometimes OK to use violence to achieve a political goal.

This attitude is also more prevalent among heavy social media users than those who use social media less frequently or not at all and among men more so than women. Differences in views by political affiliation and educational attainment are smaller, and no differences are observed based on income or other socioeconomic factors.

These results are from the inaugural administration of the Kettering Foundation/Gallup Democracy for All Project, a five-year project designed to measure Americans’ views of democracy. Data are based on a multimodal (web and mail) survey of over 20,000 U.S. adults, conducted July 7 to Aug. 25.

Some attitudes toward democracy are associated with views on the use of political violence. People who agree that democracy is the best form of government are less likely than those who disagree to say political violence is sometimes OK. Perceptions of others’ commitment to democracy also matter. Americans who agree that most people in the U.S. are committed to having a strong democracy are less likely to say political violence is sometimes OK, compared with those who disagree with this statement.

Some measures of social isolation and belonging are also closely related to views on political violence. People who regularly feel lonely, feel they or someone in their household has been targeted or excluded in the past year due to a personal characteristic, or do not strongly identify as an American are more likely to say political violence is sometimes OK.

Young, Lonely Men and Political Violence

The relationship between loneliness and political violence varies significantly based on age and gender. Notably, 45% of men aged 18 to 29 who “always” or “often” feel lonely say political violence is sometimes acceptable. This rate is markedly higher when compared with other relevant groups:

• 18- to 29-year-old women who always or often feel lonely (25%)
• 18- to 29-year-old men who sometimes feel lonely (33%)
• 30- to 44-year-old men who always or often feel lonely (32%)

Gender differences in the attitude that political violence is sometimes OK are smaller among older Americans and virtually disappear among those aged 60 and older.

The impact of social disconnection shows a similar trend. For example, among adults aged 60 and older who are often or always lonely compared with those who are never, rarely or sometimes lonely, there is very little difference in rates of saying that political violence is sometimes OK.

Political Violence in Historical Perspective

Seeing how different segments of U.S. society view violence as a way to achieve political goals in 2025 is revealing, but historical trends provide context for how such views have evolved over time.

Gallup asked similar questions on whether violence is justified to achieve societal or political change in December 1970 and September 1995. While response patterns can vary based on question wording, response scale and data collection mode, these historical data points offer suggestive evidence on continuity and change.

Despite significant differences in the political climate across the three times Gallup has asked variations of this question, the overall trend is stable, with around 15% of Americans agreeing that violence is sometimes justified to bring about change. This continuity masks two notable shifts in subgroup trends. First, younger Americans aged 18 to 29 are more likely today than in the past to view political violence as a legitimate tool to effect change. Second, a gender gap in attitudes toward political violence has emerged, in which younger men aged 18 to 44 are now more likely to say violence is justified to achieve societal or political change, whereas older men and women of all ages hold roughly similar views as they did in the past.

Limitations

Caution is warranted in the interpretation of a single survey item that aims to measure the perceived acceptability of political violence. Recent research shows survey items asking about general views on political violence may overstate its prevalence, partly because many respondents do not seem to have the most extreme cases in mind. When asked more specific questions about politically motivated physical assault or murder, far fewer find such actions acceptable.

Bottom Line

Heightened threats of political violence weaken democracy by intimidating public officials and citizens from engaging in vigorous debate and deliberation in the public square.

Although most Americans are united in rejecting political violence, a notable minority say it is sometimes OK. Social disconnection appears to contribute to this belief, especially among young men. These findings take on added urgency amid recent incidents involving violence across the political spectrum — in many cases, perpetrated by young men — and growing awareness of the detrimental effects of loneliness and social isolation, particularly among young adults.

As the Democracy for All Project continues its long-term exploration of Americans’ views on democracy, this early insight underscores the importance of addressing deep-seated societal factors that can undermine democratic political processes.

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