New Poll: One Year After Jan. 6th, Disturbing Support for Authoritarianism
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Survey suggests that millions of Americans would support an "armed revolt" to put Trump back in the White House. by Tom Hogan January 6, 2022 1:39 pm
Trump supporters gather outside the U.S. Capitol building following a "Stop the Steal" rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via emailPrint
A year after supporters of Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn his election defeat, a new survey has found that a small but significant portion of his devotees believes he should be reinstated by any means, including armed revolt.
More generally, the survey, which I sponsored, finds that, although Americans remain strong believers in liberty, there is a powerful undercurrent of potential support for authoritarianism.
The survey of 1,000 American voters was conducted online and by phone between Christmas and New Year's by political scientist David B. Hill of Hill Research Consultants. Respondents were asked a battery of 21 agree-or-disagree questions—indicators of possible support for or opposition to authoritarianism. The results were then weighted to match national demographics. (The poll results and an explanation of the methodology can be found here.)
The responses showed solid majorities of support for liberty, democracy, and the rights of protesters.
However, nearly half the respondents (49 percent) agreed with the assertion that "Once our leaders give us the go-ahead, it will be the duty of every patriotic citizen to help stomp out the decay that is poisoning our country from within."
More than half (56 percent) agreed with the sentiment that the "only way our country can get through the crisis ahead is to get back to our traditional values, put a tough leader in power, and silence the troublemakers spreading radical ideas."
Half (50 percent) agreed that it is more important for a leader to "stir the deep passions of the common man than to offer intellectual advice about policies."
And more than half (53 percent) agreed that the country will be great if we "honor the ways of our forefathers, do what the authorities tell us to do, and get rid of the rotten apples who are ruining everything."
More troubling than those majority or near-majority responses, however, are some of the strong minority views unearthed in the survey. When presented with the claim that "We might have to make America a little less democratic in order to protect and preserve the most important American values, traditions and principles," more than a third of the respondents agreed (34 percent, including 12 percent saying they "strongly" agree).
More than a fifth of the respondents (21 percent) consider democracy "so corrupted" that "we need new revolution to reestablish order." And nearly as many (18 percent) say that the Constitution "gets in the way of things too much nowadays and should just be ignored when it interferes with taking action on some issues."
Regarding the former president, a third of the respondents (33 percent) say they believe the 2020 election was "stolen" from him. Out of that third, a majority considers the participants in the Jan. 6th attack on the Capitol to be "patriots" rather than "insurrectionists." A small minority of the Trump-supporting respondents (13 percent, or nearly 5 percent of the overall sample) believe the ex-president should "reinstated by all means possible, including armed revolt," including a small number (just under 2 percent of the overall sample) who say they themselves would be willing even to "take up arms" to see Trump reinstated.
As a former university lecturer in Holocaust studies, I've watched America's slide towards autocracy with a feeling of both alarm and familiarity. We've seen this movie before. We know how it ends.
Since the Jan. 6th insurrection one year ago today, various surveys have shown continuing support among Republicans for Donald Trump and his Big Lie about the 2020 election. Some of the surveys show support for violence to achieve political ends—such as this Washington Post /University of Maryland poll from mid-December showing that more than a third of respondents (34 percent) believe that violence against our government can sometimes be justified. Many other recent polls confirm this finding.
But how many Trump supporters would be willing to actually take up arms to reinstate him as president? I watched for this number, but all the polls I saw focused on attitudes, not actions. So I contacted David Hill and commissioned the new poll to measure just how autocratic we are today and expect/want to be in the future.
The results were even more alarming than I suspected. As noted above, in our survey nearly 2 percent of the respondents said they would be willing to take up arms to restore Trump to power. Admittedly, that figure is within the poll's margin of error (3 percent). But assuming that it is accurate, that 2 percent, if extended to the entire nation, would translate to some 3 million people willing to take up arms in support of Trump. That's a number that should get all of our attention.
Academics have drawn various historical parallels to today's divided and contentious America. Some hark back to 1968—the assassinations, Viet Nam, the Chicago convention, the Moral Majority vs. the New Left. Others go back to the period leading up to the Civil War.
I believe the more accurate analogy is with Germany in the early '30s. As dramatic as that might sound, consider some of the parallels between the events of the past five years in the United States and Weimar Germany's slide into totalitarianism:
Attacks on truth : The Trump movement—from the prevaricating ex-president to his loyalists to their Republican legislative allies on down to the base—simply refuses to acknowledge the truth about the 2020 election, even when presented with clear-cut evidence. What American president other than Trump could get away with saying "What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening"? We've now reached the point where the only elections Republicans will accept are the ones they win.
Suppression : Like Trump, the Nazis never won a majority of the popular vote. But once installed in office, they moved quickly and decisively to solidify their power. After Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election failed one year ago today, Republican-led state legislatures started passing legislation restricting access to voting. They have also sought to oust impartial election officials, seeking to put Trump allies in important posts responsible for the counting and certification of votes in upcoming elections.
Demonization : Every autocrat needs an enemy, someone to demonize and hold up to their audience as the source of their problems. For Hitler it was the Jews, even though they constituted less than 1 percent of Germany's population. Trump's parade of enemies is a long one, starting with Mexicans and Muslims, then continuing to include the press and the "Deep State"—and of course any Republicans who dare to dissent from Trumpism.
Intimidation : The Nazis perfected the art of terrorizing an entire country. In the United States, we have seen death threats against public officials and hostile rants against local school board members. And while the intimidation has largely been verbal to date, we're just one murder of a school board member or local politician away from seeing the candidate pool go dry.
Education : The various right-wing objections to how American students are educated—most prominent nowadays in complaints about critical race theory—don't reach Nazi levels of control but are troubling in their desire to repress facts, especially relating to race in America.
In my seminars on genocide and the Holocaust, I taught students that genocide is like cancer: You have to recognize it in its earliest forms and treat it aggressively. By the time you reach the point of concentration camps or gas chambers, it's too late. While we are nowhere near that point, the trends are worrying.
Our liberal democracy is in danger. And unfortunately, no one—not the Biden administration, not Congress, not the Democratic party, not the majority of Americans—seems capable of taking the actions needed to protect it. An entire year has gone by since the attack of January 6th, allowing a penchant for totalitarianism to metastasize in a sizable segment of our population. We can't let another year go by without acting to protect our democracy.
Tags
Who is online
83 visitors
Completely disturbing.
I hate being constantly bombarded by poll data. Volunteering to participate in a poll will put you on multiple lists to be bombarded with more polls, constant requests for political donations, plus be targeted for unlimited advertising. Those of us who don’t want to be in that position don’t participate in polls. The polling data is therefore skewed towards the type of people who are accepting of those consequences, and is hardly a representative cross section of the citizenry, imo. I just don’t believe these claims, because I don’t personally know anyone who would support authoritarianism.
Well of course we can never truly know if polls are accurate or not.
There are some bad trends in this country though. This is almost entirely related to race.
I don’t even like the question. “The crises ahead” is presumptive and biased. How does anyone see a brighter future when they are being conditioned to doom and gloom. Those who are wanting to think positive are not likely to participate in this.
This is all more of the same - trying to prevent America from becoming majority non white.
This article and said poll strikes me as blatant fear mongering, nothing more nothing less. Just my opinion.
No, it exposes the result of fear mongering...
You are very confused about that ....
"Our liberal [version of] democracy is in danger."
I certainly hope so.
Posse Comitatus prohibits deploying US combat troops on US soil. If these morons start shit, it will be time to reexamine that.
And as with anything passed by a legislature , there are ways around that as well.
*afterthought ..... be very careful what one wishes for , it just might happen , and the unintended consequences might very well be totally unexpected in its application .
Yep, like using the insurrection act of 1807 like LBJ did in 67.
I was thinking more along the lines of a govenor s use of the NG , examples would be katrina , or the LA riots , where they were used in a law keeping capacity . Posse c is not a factor if the govenor activates the guard , but it is when the feds activate the guard ( see below about feds )
the Feds COULD also circumvent posse C , by a declaration of martial law , then Active duty/ reserve units or guard members activated by the feds could be called in to be the LEO enforcement , but the use of ML is pretty cut and dry on when and how it can be used .
Your correct Mark...
Posse Comitatus cannot be used to enforce what is commonly called "civilian law" what is really meant is State law... The federal military cannot enforce state laws...
What they can do is enforce Federal law when the citizens are proven to demonstrably act against it... This is how Kennedy used it as well as Eisenhower did to enforce school integration... Kennedy nationalized the states National Guard, Eisenhower order out the 82nd airborne...
You want to know something? ALL state military forces and Police forces have already been nationalized... the only thing that has to be done is get the rioters to act against a federal law... Trump wanted to send in federal troops to quell the riots in Portland... under current law he didn't need the governors permission to do this... Why cause they attacked the FBI offices that are established there...
He didn't cause the democrat governor asked him not to... (and they very shortly stopped attacking the FBI offices)
How's that for Trump the authoritarian? If he was such the authoritarian, he wouldn't have bothered with the governor now would he have?
The military cannot be used to enforce local law.... but the delineation of what is local and what is federal is becoming seriously blurred...
67 in Detroit the NG was called up, it was deemed to be not enough and regular Army units were called up.
Imagine Airborne APC’s patrolling the city streets you grew up on. It was surreal
I agree, I thought that the entire summer of discontent as mobs rioted and looted all over the country. It’s not without precedent, the 82nd and 101st were the main reasons the rioting in Detroit was brought under control in the 60’s. APC’s locked and loaded with Ma Deuce patrolling city streets as the city burned.
That should have been modified or rescinded already to help deal with the illegal immigration farce/fiasco going on our Southern border.
Mark, Sparty, and Ed,,,,you can [deleted]
I would need more detailed coordinants to accomplish same ....
BTW is anything i posted not factual? is there anything in error not pursuant to whats being discussed ?
[deleted]
to be that , i would have had to have voted for and supported trump ,
have any evidence i did either?
i have continually stated i have not in either of his runs for office , nor did i support him while in office .
unfortunately , i also do not support or vote for the obvious opposition political party either .
(whiskey , not wiskey)
That's a problem with too many on this board. Unless you are firmly in their echo chamber they list you as the enemy without evidence. And they think they are so smart and proper in doing so. This site is getting very tiring and appears to be going the way of NewsVine I'm afraid.
AS have I stated clearly many times, they don't care you oppose them just like I do so your a Trump supporter...
Prefer a good bourbon rather than straight Whiskey.... {chuckle}
What's your go-to? For me it's Jefferson's Reserve. Nice smooth finish with a great taste.
They do consider themselves "Elite" don't they... Much superior to us common folk...
And the site is a far cry from what it once was, unfortunately it is way past NV now, looking to pass DU at this point....
My dad was an Old Crow drinker, not bad but a bit too much bite for me... Makers Mark is my go to if I want several in the same sitting...
But I have been known to sip some Woodford Reserve from time to time...
Buffalo Trace , kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, and a decent dark leaf wrapped manduro ceegar ....a rockey patel or an aging room #55...
You're the second person who's mentioned Buffalo Trace, guess I'll need to pick up bottle.
and i bet the first person heard of it from me , i remember talking cigars and bourbon with someone else not too long ago .
Its got a nice barrel aged wood and smoke flavor , not too severe of a bite, i find it to be a good all around for whatever i fancy at the moment , and frankly the price doesnt break the bank , a pint can be had for around 20 bucks and a fifth for around 35 depending on availability .
it pairs very well with a decently aged cigar thats been taken care of , but definitely not a jack and coke kind of lets get plowed drink.
Some in this board just cannot help themselves in that any that do not share their hard core leftist liberal views and voice it are automatically labelled as Trumpturds or Trump supporters. It has the be their way or not at all. Pathetic!
You read all the far right posters here same as everyone else. [Deleted] I am not naming names but you must be aware. There is no far left on NT that compares to it!
remember a few years back everyone was taking that internet quizz about where they fit in the political spectrum?
What i find and found ironic was out of the 4 quadrents , i was dead smack up against the cross hairs of all 4 quadrants , ( actually 2 little squares down and 3 to the right if i remember correctly ) .
my actual views do vary by what the subject being discussed is .
I took that a couple of times and always was conservative within 4 squares of dead center.
too funny, eh?
I dont think so , but i also see you as aperson that is at least willing to try and look at the different opinions without getting bent out of shape , if i had to make a statement where i think you fall, i would have to say your likely like me and it would depend entirely on the issue and how you personally understand it .
and i mean that as a compliment .
You are now on ignore. You have a nice evening now.
South Park got it right once again.
You must treat everyone who disagrees with you like shit. Because that is what they deserve.
The denial involved in that comment appears to be increasing exponentially.
You are aware that the Patriot act suspended that don't you? And the next go round it was re-established on the next so called security act.... (due to public reaction and media opposition)
But buried in that re-establishment act was a provision that gave them a workaround... So what you wish for is already a reality...
I'm surprised you didn't know that....
and unless i am wrong , that work around has to do with implimentation of martial law due to national security and the inability of the local government to control the situation....
as i stated elsewhere , the unintended consequenses of the application if applied , could very well shake the faith of many .
Yep, public demonstrations, any massed local public demonstration that gets out of hand can be put down by use of military troops... The only question is who's deciding what is "Out of Hand"
Of which we have had ample demonstration over the last few years of what the democrats think is out of hand and what isn't.... Which has shaken many citizens faith in the federal government and it's policies....
Now that would make an interesting discussion as to who should or would have the authourity to make that call. and would also fit right in with the topic of authoritarianism .
i know who and by what set playing card agreed to by the electorate i think it should be , but thats only my opinion .
but i think the discussion of posse C has already gotten off the topic at hand enough .
My corporate office is in Portland on the edge of the unrest
and they just weren't bothered by it, same 50 some people from both extremes behaving badly
which they knew would stop during rain and cold weather.
It wasn't "out of hand " to them...
well from my recollection , the media sure didnt play it that way , from any source in my view . i basically chaulked it up to drinkers of dirty bong water ......
I don't know about 50 people, the vids they kept showing on the TV showed a lot more than 50....(at least up here in Seattle) And it wasn't deemed "Out of Hand" even when 5 people died (murdered, black on black crime) Hell they even pulled the police out of the neighborhood and paid off a gang member to hopefully gain control...
It depends on who is determining what is "Out of Control"
as i said , thats a different discussion , im headed out , was just texted to go assist a friend sing some songs and celebrate his birthday , why he wants this old fart , i dont know . now if i can just find my bucket to carry a tune in ......
Seattle had it's own issues correct?
From the national news it looked like a warzone but we were there
three or four times in 2020 and 2021 and didn't see any evidence of mass homelessness or
riot damage.
Granted we spend our evening's on Bainbridge and don't see any tv while we are there.
Both Portland and Seattle troubles seemed to only happen at night
Love the ferries.