(WDTN) — The Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riots made history, and uncovered more divisions within America’s political system.
The country is still picking up the pieces almost a year after a mob of people stormed the U.S. Capitol building. Dr. Dan Birdsong, a political science professor at the University of Dayton, said an already divided nation shattered a little bit more as many Americans shifted further left or right.
“I think it has kind of revealed some existing fissures just a little more noticeable,” Dr. Birdsong said.
Dr. Birdsong said one of the greatest areas of divide is the process of voting, with the Jan. 6 attack deepening the fractures.
“While both parties care about voting. One is coming from a place of expanding the vote, making sure the barriers to voting are at least necessary. These other issues around voting fraud to limit what already is limited and small to begin with,” Dr. Birdsong explained.
Dr. Birdsong said future elections could be even more competitive after the U.S. Capitol riots, however, he said the parties will have to do some major work to restore trust in elections.
“Both parties should have an incentive in building trust in elections moving forward because that’s how we keep election officials held to account and that’s the basis of the the legitimacy of our political process,” Dr. Birdsong said.