Violence in
Democracies

Negative Partisanship and Acceptance of Violence Against Politicians

Hanne Fjelde and Joelle Tasker

Does dislike of a political party make violence against its politicians more acceptable? Using an original survey experiment in the UK, this study compares how attachment to one’s own party and hostility towards other parties shape acceptance of violence against politicians. We also examine how acceptance of violence is influenced by norm violations by the politician and the justification by the perpetrator.

Public evaluations of electoral integrity and preferences for security enforcement in polarized societies

Annekatrin Deglow, Hanne Fjelde and Kathleen Klaus

When elections are contested, do citizens judge disruptive conduct and law enforcement by consistent standards, or by partisan advantage? A survey experiment fielded ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections varies protesters’ partisanship, harassment of election workers, candidate endorsement, and the response and partisan alignment of local law enforcement. We examine whether citizens excuse their own side’s conduct while favouring enforcement against opponents, and how distrust and elite cues shape these judgments.

Whose rights are worth defending? Organized violent crime and public support for liberal rights

Annekatrin Deglow and Hanne Fjelde

Under what conditions do citizens support restrictions on civil rights and liberties in response to violent threats? This study asks whose rights citizens are willing to protect, and whether support for identical crime-control measures depends on who is targeted. A survey experiment among Swedish adults varies fictional individuals’ names, citizenship, and connections to organized crime. We examine whether group-based cues shape judgments about who deserves liberal protections, particularly when a person’s connection to crime is weak.

Who gets targeted and how?

Juan Diego Duque-Salazar, Felipe Botero, Luisa Salazar-Escalante, Hanne Fjelde and Sandra Håkansson

How do gender and ethnicity shape electoral violence against political candidates? Drawing on a post-election survey of 9,500 candidates in Colombia, this study examines the forms of violence political candidates experience and who perpetrates it. The findings reveal distinct patterns of vulnerability: women face more sexual violence and targeting within personal networks, while ethnic minority candidates experience more physical violence.

Marching against freedom: Anti-liberal mass mobilization movements from 1900 to 2019

Marianne Dahl, Sirianne Dahlum, Hanne Fjelde, Amalie Nilsen and Ida Rudolfsen

Mass mobilization is often considered a force for democratization and political liberalization. Yet, many mass movements articulate explicit anti-liberal claims. What characterizes these anti-liberal mass movements, and under what conditions do they emerge? This study maps anti-liberal mobilization worldwide from 1900 to 2019 and compares it with liberal campaigns. Economic downturns are associated with both liberal and anti-liberal mobilization, particularly campaigns supporting authoritarian regimes—showing that economic hardship can spur mobilization against democratic freedoms.