What we get wrong about political violence in the U.S.

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• 00:03

  This is In Conversation from Apple News.

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  I'm Shamit Sabasu.

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  Today, what's really driving political violence in America?

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  Earlier this month,

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  conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University.

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  The public response has amplified political divisions,

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  leaving many people feeling anxious about the state of the country.

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  I think we've seen two tragedies.

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  So we saw the tragic assassination of Mr. Kirk,

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  but that's been followed by a tragedy of blame and escalation and inflammation of tensions.

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  That's Sean Westwood.

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  He's an associate professor of government at Dartmouth College and director of the Polarization Research Lab,

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  which studies polarization and democracy.

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  Sean has spent years surveying Americans and analyzing trends in public opinion.

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  His research shows there isn't broad support for political violence in the US, but there are deep,

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  deep divisions and widespread misperceptions of the other side,

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  forces that can fuel fear, mistrust, and in some rare cases, violence.

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  And he cautions that while there are a few voices stoking tensions,

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  it's not what most Americans are doing or want to see more of.

• 01:24

  Social media isn't reality.

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