Defending Democracy: Addressing the dangers of armed insurrection

The growing presence of firearms in political spaces in the United States endangers public health, safety, and the functioning of democracy. Far from being an outlier, the January 6th insurrection at the United States Capitol was part of a long line of events in which individuals have sought to use political losses to justify violence or threats of violence to disrupt our government and limit civic engagement. These attacks on our nation and democratic institutions are preventable, but not without taking purposeful action. This report is both an examination and a warning of the threat that armed insurrectionism poses to democracy in the United States. It also counters the false narrative that the Constitution creates rights to insurrection and the unchecked public carry of firearms, and rejects the notion that violence has any place in our nation’s politics. The report concludes with recommended policy and practice solutions that policymakers and advocates can use to address the dangers of armed insurrectionism.