A new study has revealed that a specific group of Republicans, known as MAGA Republicans, are more likely than other groups to endorse political violence. The findings, published in PLOS One, indicate that this group, making up approximately 15% of the US adult population, showed distinct beliefs on race and democracy, differing significantly from other Republican factions and non-Republicans.
In recent years, the United States has witnessed a surge in political tensions, culminating in events like the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. This has prompted a growing concern among experts and researchers about the potential for widespread political violence. Such incidents have not only immediate physical repercussions but also long-term societal and public health consequences.
To address this concern, researchers embarked on a study to better understand the attitudes towards political violence among different political factions, with a particular focus on MAGA Republicans – a term often associated with supporters of former President Donald Trump who strongly deny the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election results.
Look, I’m a progressive and to be transparent, I am biased to assume the studies findings would be true. You’re on the right so you’re biased to think they’re false.
Stepping back and attempting to be unbiased and rational for a moment, one study isn’t enough. For this or any topic. The process of science requires multiple studies attempting to duplicate or contradict the conclusion. It’s how we reduce the possibility of bias, poorly constructed experiments, etc. It’s why science gets us closer to the truth than superstition or “common sense”.
And the possibility of bias when it comes to politics in the current US political climate is quite high, let’s not delude ourselves. So I would take this one result with a grain of salt until I saw several similar studies.
And I would look hard at this and other studies to see who funded the research, what stated conflicts may exist, and anything else that might inform as to what bias existed and how it was dealt with. That’s how to be skeptical in a rational way, to the best of my knowledge.
I still think the MAGA people are poopy heads though.