Political violence has no place in a democracy. 

Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen an alarming increase in incidents of physical harm, threats, and intimidation in American politics. Candidates, elected officials, election workers, voters, and even members of law enforcement have been subjected to appalling violence and threats, upending their lives and the lives of their families, our communities, and our nation.

Protect Democracy condemns all acts of violence, whether they attract national attention like the attacks on high profile figures like Paul Pelosi and Donald Trump or harm those in our local communities.

But there are things we can do to prevent and discourage further violence. 

• We can intentionally avoid spreading false narratives, fueling conflict, or providing platforms to extremists.
• We can use legal tools to hold those accountable who spread dangerous misinformation, put others at risk, or threaten those engaged in the political process.
• We can all collectively choose to obtain our information from trusted, official sources, avoiding the contentious and inaccurate information that often circulates online.

At Protect Democracy, we are committed to supporting a future where Americans of all ideological backgrounds can enjoy freedom and safety, and have their voices heard through a peaceful, democratic process. 

The Violence and Democracy Impact Tracker

The Violence and Democracy Impact Tracker (VDIT) — a resource from Protect Democracy and the SNF Agora Institute — calculates the impact of political violence on eight distinct pillars of democracy in the United States. On a quarterly basis, the tracker assesses political violence’s impact on the freedoms of expression and association, access to the vote, election administration, equality before the law, individual liberties, and the independence of the judiciary and legislature. VDIT also collects a global panel of experts’ insights into the most concerning emerging trends and top issues to watch.

VDIT began collecting data in July of 2023. The most recent tracking confirms that political violence is eroding American democracy on multiple axes — especially when it comes to the administration of elections. Here are the key takeaways from the latest results:

Latest Data

Threat Scores

Significant Threat Threat Level: 2.5 - out of 5

Current Impact

2.5 out of 5

Significant Threat

Threat Level: 0 - out of 5

United States

0 out of 5

• Elections 2.57/5 Significant Threat

  • The capable, impartial, and transparent administration of elections (e.g., vote casting, tabulating, and certification) and the peaceful transfer of power based on their results.

• Civil Liberties 2.04/5 Significant Threat

  • Freedom in both law and practice from actual or threatened physical political harm (e.g., assault, restricted movement, murder, or torture), infringements of economic rights (including property rights and freedom from forced labor), and other freedoms widely understood to be protected by the Constitution.

• EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW 2.23/5 Significant Threat

  • Transparency in lawmaking, impartial administration of public functions, and individuals’ full and equal access to justice through law enforcement, the courts, and other administrative bodies.

• Freedom of Association 1.99/5 Low Threat

  • The ability of political parties, civil society organizations, and public protest groups to operate freely and publicly, within the limits of reasonable and unbiased regulation.

• Freedom of Expression 2.09/5 Significant Threat

  • Including freedom of the press and individual free speech in both law and in practice.

• Voting Access 2.08/5 Significant Threat

  • The effective ability of all adult citizens to register and vote freely, in both law and in practice

• Legislative Constraints on the Executive 2.05/5 Significant Threat

  • The legislature having the authority and capacity to provide oversight of the executive branch, doing so vigorously in practice, and providing a meaningful forum for free political opposition.
• Judicial Constraints on the Executive 2.15/5 Significant Threat

  • Transparency in lawmaking, impartial administration of public functions, and individuals’ full

Timeline of VDIT Scores

• OverallExpressionIndividual LibertiesFreedom of AssociationElectionsJudicial ConstraintsLegislative ConstraintsLegal Equality Before the LawVoting Access

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WHAT THE SCORES MEAN

1. Level 1

   Within range of a well-functioning democracy

2. Level 2

   Moderate violations atypical of a well-functioning democracy, but that don’t yet threaten breakdown of this element of democracy

3. Level 3

   Violations that signal significant erosion of democracy quality in this area and warn of high potential for breakdown in future

4. Level 4

   Critical violations that seriously threaten this element of democracy’s near-term survival

5. Level 5

   Violations severe enough to make this aspect of the system non-democratic

What the Score Means

Level	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
Description	Within range of a well-functioning democracy	Moderate violations atypical of a well-functioning democracy, but that don’t yet threaten breakdown of this element of democracy	Violations that signal significant erosion of democracy quality in this area and warn of high potential for breakdown in future	Critical violations that seriously threaten this element of democracy’s near-term survival	Violations severe enough to make this aspect of the system non-democratic

Top Concerns

Experts most frequently expressed concerns about:

VDIT Updates

VDIT Updates

Our Work

What Protect Democracy is doing to combat political violence