In Washington — and in many state capitols — legislators and activists have cast voting legislation in apocalyptic terms, claiming that any change in voter law represents an existential threat to democracy as we know it. New rules on obtaining a ballot are decried as suppression, while anything that opens […] Read more »
Half of Republicans believe false accounts of deadly U.S. Capitol riot
Since the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have pushed false and misleading accounts to downplay the event that left five dead and scores of others wounded. His supporters appear to have listened. Three months after a mob of Trump […] Read more »
Most Americans Agree on Four Foundations of Democracy, but Execution of Those Ideals Receives Failing Grades
While Americans have high ideals for what makes up our democracy, a new Grinnell College National Poll shows our country gets failing grades when it comes to executing those ideals in real life. The poll, a partnership between Grinnell College and J. Ann Selzer of Selzer & Company, was released […] Read more »
Politics & Polls: Conspiracies in American Politics
Conspiracy theories are embedded in American history, though today they circulate at speeds we haven’t seen before. Qanon, or Q, is a modern-day example of the power of conspiracies in American political discourse. Loyalty to Q is a common theme among those involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the […] Read more »
Many QAnon followers report having mental health diagnoses
Data indicates QAnon believers may be more likely to be mentally ill. AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma Sophia Moskalenko, Georgia State University QAnon is often viewed as a group associated with conspiracy, terrorism and radical action, such as the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. But radical extremism and terror may not be the […] Read more »
Large Majority of the Public Views Prosecution of Capitol Rioters as ‘Very Important’
As the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies continue to pursue charges against participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the American public generally expresses strong support for continuing these efforts. Yet there are sizable partisan differences in attitudes about the riot at the Capitol, with […] Read more »