Understanding Threats and Harassment Against Local Officials

Data and analysis from our first-of-its-kind research project tracking hostile incidents targeting officials nationwide.

Threats and harassment against local officials endanger their safety, impede their ability to discharge the duties of their office, and undermine democratic governance. To fill the gap in reliable information on emerging trends in hostility targeting local officials, BDI has brought together a consortium from across the ecosystem to launch a first-of-its kind research project to systematically track this activity nationwide. Employing a unique mixed methods and participatory approach that incorporates in-depth interviews, representative surveys, and a longitudinal event dataset, the Understanding Threats and Harassment (UTH) project provides an empirical foundation to understand and respond to the threat and harassment landscape in America.

View all UTH Publications

A Mixed Methods Approach

Nationwide Surveys: Capturing experiences of hostility

BDI and CivicPulse, with input and support from the Brennan Center for Justice, conduct quarterly representative surveys of local elected officials throughout the United States to better understand the scope, scale, and trends of threat and harassment activity over time. Learn more >

Research applies to: local elected officials and school board members at the municipal, county, and township level

In-Depth Interviews: Elevating solutions informed by those most impacted

BDI conducts quarterly interviews with local elected officials and releases summary briefs that highlight individual stories and responses in order to build a broad catalog of needs, resources, and effective interventions from the ground up. Learn more >

Research applies to: local elected officials and school board members at the municipal, county, and township level

Longitudinal Event Dataset: Monitoring key trends over time and space

In partnership with a network of key information and data contributors from across the pro-democracy ecosystem, BDI has built a national event-level dataset capturing hostility against local officials: the Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD). The THD tracks the rate, frequency, types, and targets of threats and harassment and documents hostility against an even wider range of local officials than our interview and survey programs, including elected leaders as well as appointed office-holders and poll workers. Along with ongoing original data collection, we are working to expand the project to incorporate verified self-reported data, such as information gathered through the NLC’s Local Democracy Initiative, and to proactively grow our data-sharing partnerships and user base. The THD is publicly available and will be updated monthly to provide users with near-real-time data to better support evidence-based decision-making to protect civic spaces. Learn more >

Research applies to: local elected officials at the municipal, county, and township level, as well as appointed officials and election workers (including health officials, judicial officials, school officials, and more)