Which ideology in the u.s. commits the most political violence
Executive summary
Multiple reputable datasets and expert analyses indicate that right‑wing extremism — especially white‑supremacist and militia‑style violence — has driven the bulk of U.S. political violence in recent decades, though 2025 saw an unusual rise in incidents attributed to the left; sources disagree on whether 2025 marks a durable shift or an anomalous spike (see FactCheck, CSIS, PBS) [1] [2] [3].
1. Right‑wing violence: the long‑running majority
For much of the last decade and across long historical timeframes, multiple researchers and prosecutors say right‑wing ideology (notably white supremacy and anti‑government militias) has been responsible for the largest share of politically motivated violence and fatalities in the United States. FactCheck reports that "political violence in the last decade has been dominated by right‑wing ideology" and cites prosecution‑based datasets used to classify incidents by ideology [1]. Foreign Affairs and other analyses likewise cite studies finding that right‑wing terrorists have murdered more Americans over long spans than left‑wing attackers [4] [5].
2. 2025: a notable uptick in left‑wing incidents, and competing readings
Several recent studies and government statements document an increase in left‑wing attacks and plots during 2025, producing a sharp dispute over which side now "commits the most" violence. CSIS reports that left‑wing terrorism and anti‑government motives rose in 2025, including attacks against government and law‑enforcement targets [2] [5]. FactCheck notes that 2025 was the first year in more than 30 years in which some datasets showed left‑wing incidents outnumbering violent far‑right incidents, even while stressing that political violence spans the spectrum [1].
3. Definitions, classification, and data make comparisons difficult
Experts and outlets uniformly warn that who "commits the most" depends on definitions, methods and case‑by‑case classification. PBS notes agencies and researchers use different operational definitions of domestic violent extremism and that comparisons are fraught [3]. Foreign Affairs and CSIS both underscore ambiguities in coding motives, pointing out specific cases where researchers diverge on whether an attacker is left‑ or right‑wing [4] [5]. These methodological differences make single‑figure answers unreliable without specifying the dataset and time period [3].
4. Government posture and political framing shape the public debate
Federal actors and the White House have taken public stances that frame the source of political violence differently. The White House in 2025 issued orders describing organized left‑wing actors (including a designation related to "antifa") as elevating violence and cited specific incidents as proof, a posture that reflects its policy priorities and political incentives [6]. Opposing scholars and analysts stress historical data showing right‑wing violence long outpacing others, highlighting how political actors select evidence to support a policy narrative [1] [4].
5. Public perception and polling: both sides seen as threats
Public opinion mirrors the contested coverage: Pew found Americans view left‑wing and right‑wing extremism as roughly equal major problems in late 2025 (53% vs. 52%), and polls show many Americans expect political violence to grow [7] [8]. This perceptionary tie feeds partisan claims that the other side is primarily to blame and makes consensus on responses politically fraught [7].
6. What the sources agree on and what remains uncertain
Sources agree that politically motivated violence is a small fraction of overall crime but has outsized symbolic impact, and that both left‑ and right‑wing actors have committed lethal acts in 2025 [3] [1]. They disagree on whether 2025 represents a lasting reversal (right → left dominance) or a temporary surge in left‑wing incidents; CSIS and some 2025 datasets report a left‑wing rise, while FactCheck and long‑term studies emphasize the historical dominance of right‑wing violence [2] [1] [4]. Because classification and dataset scope differ across studies, available sources do not provide a single definitive tally that settles "which ideology commits the most" without qualifying the period, dataset and methodology [3].
7. Bottom line for readers
If you ask which U.S. ideology "commits the most political violence" over long periods and by fatalities, multiple established datasets and analyses point to right‑wing extremism as the principal driver; if you ask about incident counts in 2025 specifically, several researchers document a marked increase in left‑wing attacks that in some datasets outnumbered far‑right incidents, producing genuine scholarly disagreement [1] [2] [3]. Any definitive claim should name the dataset, date range, and classification rules; otherwise the claim risks echoing political talking points rather than the nuanced record the sources show [3] [1].