Episode 21: 2026 Midterm Election Special – Why Political Violence Persists and How We Can Break the Cycle

America's Why Project · Oct 29, 2026 · 26m · transcript

In this pre-election special episode, Professor Robert Pape of the University of Chicago explains how the forever wars of the post-9/11 era have accelerated the rise of violent populism in the United States and how to break the cycle of violence both overseas and at home in America.

Drawing on examples from Vietnam, Iraq, and Iran, Pape explains how electoral pressures can trap political leaders in wars they cannot win, escalating the use of force even when their strategies fail. He sees similar dynamics at play in American domestic politics, where the quest to dominate one’s adversaries can…