AP Research Week 1: The Capitol Riot

Hi, it’s me again. My whole project started after the 2021 Capitol Riot, where it was made clear how people’s lack of faith in the democratic institution could lead them to extreme measures. The correlation between this violence and a lack of faith in our election is shown by its motto, “stop the steal.” In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, former Trump National Security Advisor Fiona Hill showed the legitimate concern held by experts in this field that this could only be the beginning, referring to the event as a “dress rehearsal” (Watson, 2021) for things to come. After the Winter Palace-esque storming of our Capitol building, support for these rioters didn’t quell. The Republican Party defended the action, calling it “legitimate political discourse,” all but confirming Hill’s fear that this isn’t the end.

In addition, few conservatives and not nearly the expected amount of liberals call for the arrest of these individuals. After a 23% drop off between March and September, only 27% of Republicans view the prosecution as very important versus 80% of Democrats (Pew, 2021). People no longer see what was done as “that bad,” which could spell disaster for the future of politics. If events like the riot become a part of America’s political discourse, a greater understanding of the causes and solutions to such events will be needed. Hudson