Political violence is a direct assault on US democracy, the Constitution, and the rights and freedoms of people across the nation. It does enormous damage, and it is increasing.

For a country with a population of over 330 million, relatively few in the United States are directly physically attacked for their political activities. However, when these incidents happen, fear ripples outward among public officials and communities and significantly undermines democracy.

Part I of this guide addresses the deeply corrosive impact that PV has on individuals, communities, and democracy. The damage that it creates is so significant that in order to uphold democracy in the United States, it is essential that people around the country organize to counter it.

Part II provides five time-tested principles on how to make political violence backfire against perpetrators and their enablers. This backfire framework was developed based on analysis of cases all over the world. The five principles have frequently been adopted by communities seeking to turn the tide against violence and injustice.

Part III offers guidance on applying the five backfire principles in the current US context. Topics such as planning tactics, developing effective messaging, and finding allies are addressed.

The backfire model allows people to anticipate the kinds of tactics that perpetrators will use to minimize outrage, which means that people can prepare ahead of time to counter these tactics.

Part IV is a reference section to improve understanding of certain federal and state laws, and other resources, that address political violence. Government plays an essential role in countering PV, and grassroots groups should know when and how to engage with government on this issue. At the same time, government has limits, which is why relying on it primarily to reverse rising PV has been inadequate thus far, and is likely to be insufficient in the future. Instead, what is needed is a combination of bottom-up (grassroots community) and top-down (government and institutional) efforts. This is why nonviolent organizing by communities is essential.

The Appendix shares key facts and analysis about PV in the US right now. This kind of background knowledge can be valuable for organizers. Written in simple question and answer format, it addresses questions such as: Who’s making threats? (hint: a very small minority); What percentage of the public opposes them? (hint: a very large majority); Which communities are being threatened?; How much are threats rising?; How high is the risk of physical political violence in the United States?; and What actions have government and others taken to counter this threat so far?

Resources from Brennan Center for Justice, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Backfire Manual: Tactics Against Injustice, and more…