Prelude to War, a Coup and an Insurrection, and Concluding Thoughts

Abstract

Abstract The book concludes by coming back to nasty politics in Ukraine in the lead up to the Russian invasion in 2022, and in the U.S. in the lead up to the insurrection on January 6. Social media data of key politicians in Ukraine shows how the threat of Russian invasion dramatically decreased the level of nasty politics in Ukraine. In contrast, the nasty rhetoric of President Trump and his key Republican allies in Congress increases in the lead up to January 6. The chapter places the findings from January 6 in the broader context of democratic leaders stoking outrage and incitement and how that can be dangerous for democratic survival. Finally, the chapter concludes by discussing the summary of findings about the logic behind nasty politics and offer pathways for future research.