White Nationalism and Support for Political Violence in the United States

In recent years, concerns have grown about escalating political violence directed against

government officials, particularly fueled by white nationalism. The current study examines how

white nationalism is associated with support for violent citizen responses to three different types

of government actions—those that are non-partisan versus those that benefit either left-wing or

right-wing causes. Using data from a national survey experiment (N = 1300), we find sizable

support for political violence, especially in response to non-partisan government actions that

violate citizens’ rights or safety. In addition, white nationalist sentiment significantly predicts

support for political violence, particularly when government actions benefit left-wing causes.

This relationship persists after controlling for respondents’ political views. These results suggest

that the rise of white nationalism poses a critical threat to U.S. political stability, underscoring

the urgent need for national security strategies to counter this rising movement.