American Youth Immersed in 'Assassination Culture' Normalize Political Violence
If you believe American politics are violent today, the future appears even more concerning. While not daily occurrences, assassinations, attempted assassinations, arsons, and ideologically driven physical confrontations have become sufficiently common that many incidents escape public attention. Research indicates Americans are growing not just more tolerant but increasingly supportive of resolving political disagreements through violent means. Most alarmingly, those most inclined toward violence are younger individuals immersed in what researchers term an "assassination culture" that normalizes physical attacks to settle disputes.
Academic Research Reveals Disturbing Trends
Samuel J. Abrams, a politics professor at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, recently documented exchanges with students who believe "that the system has failed, that ordinary politics moves too slowly in the face of what they see as a humanitarian emergency, that direct action is the only language power understands." Abrams emphasizes that "Today's cohort increasingly accepts violence as an alternative to speech."
This perspective is supported by concrete data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. Among more than 68,000 surveyed students, 34% believe it is acceptable to use violence to stop a campus speech they disagree with. This represents a steady increase from 32% in 2024, 27% in 2023, and 20% in 2022.
Polling Data Confirms Generational Divide
Gallup pollsters reported in December 2025 that "Age is the strongest predictor of attitudes toward political violence, with young adults aged 18 to 29 more likely than other age groups to say that it is sometimes OK to use violence to achieve a political goal." Specifically, 30% of this age cohort endorses political violence, compared to 21% of those aged 30-44, 13% of those 45-59, and just 4% of Americans 60 and older.
Gallup further noted that "younger Americans aged 18 to 29 are more likely today than in the past to view political violence as a legitimate tool to effect change," suggesting this is not merely a phase of youthful impulsivity but a growing cultural shift.
The Rise of 'Assassination Culture'
The term "assassination culture" was coined by the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University Social Perception Lab to describe what researchers identify as "widespread justification for lethal violence — including assassination — among younger, highly online, and ideologically left-aligned users."
According to a joint paper from NCRI and the Eagleton Institute, "Social media platforms provide amplification, while psychologically susceptible individuals provide justification. Together they form an emergent system that normalizes violence." This dynamic creates an environment where people encourage each other toward greater extremism, including embracing violence as a means to achieve social and political objectives.
Real-World Manifestations
This normalization of violence has manifested in disturbing ways, including public applause from some quarters for the assassination of conservative figure Charlie Kirk and the development of a fan club around Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The Bipartisan Policy Center noted a year earlier that "Consistently over multiple months of polling, Gen Z showed the highest levels of acceptance for violence against elected officials (56%)." This data point further underscores the generational divide in attitudes toward political violence.
As younger Americans increasingly marinate in this assassination culture through online echo chambers and peer reinforcement, the normalization of political violence threatens to reshape American political discourse and conflict resolution for years to come.
