What do you think is most responsible for the recent increase of political threats/violence in America?

🏛️ Growing distrust in public institutions (11%) – "I have no faith in the current government officials' and politicians' morality or ability to govern the country, states or local governments. Term limits now!"

📱 Echo chambers and radicalization fueled by social media (24%) – "I work with students and have seen the impact social media has on social interactions in my classroom and just how often they and family members cite "something they saw on _____" as their source for any political or cultural argument."

🗳️ The “Primary Problem” (12%) – "Every single thing in our society has been politicized. Where in the hell did simply common decency and compromise go?! I don't care which side of the aisle you agree or disagree with, but it just seems like neither side is willing to give an inch on ANYTHING. That is what is frustrating. We need to get rid of this whack two-party system and vote for people rather than sides."

🧠 A rise in mental health issues (10%) – "We, as a society, have stopped working through our feelings like we’re designed to. An emotion must be fully felt or fully accepted before it can be let go and in an age of constant distraction (TV, phone, social media), we hardly ever stop long enough to fully feel or fully accept. Emotions that aren’t dealt with fester, and anger forms over top of them, hiding the real wound."

☝️ All of the above (35%) – "There’s never one simple answer to such complex social issues, but it does seem that increasing polarization, exacerbated by online echo chambers and engagement algorithms, have lead to a perfect storm of political outrage and threats. People hold very strong oppositional convictions, or even similar convictions but with opposing explanations (e.g. income inequality), and we are left with high levels of divisiveness and unrest."

🤷‍♀️ Unsure/other (8%) – "I would have otherwise voted "all of the above", but I felt there was a major key factor that wasn't included and doesn't get talked about enough. Researchers have long-since concluded that there is a direct correlation between times of economic uncertainty and ever-widening gaps in income inequality, and the periods of time where people are much more susceptible (and even prone) to believing in conspiracy theories, adopting paranoid social/political outlooks, and even allowing their frustrations to escalate into political violence."