Elizabethtown College Political Science major Nicholas Wiley ’25 is taking a deep dive on campus this summer, researching the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. capitol in Washington D.C. by analyzing the root cause of the incident as part of the Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP).
Wiley is working alongside Etown faculty mentor and Dean of the School of Public Service and Professor of Political Science April Kelly, analyzing video testimonies of participants, as well as the official January 6 committee’s final report.
Wiley’s end goal with this research is to bring awareness to prevent future incidents from occurring and to carve out his niche within this research.
Title of Research
What Kind of Language Incites Violence? An Analysis of the January 6 Riots
Student Researcher
Nicholas Wiley ’25 (Political Science major)
Faculty Mentor
April Kelly, Dean of the School of Public Service and Professor of Political Science
What are you researching?
Wiley: I’m conducting a content analysis of testimonies given by participants in the January 6 riots and finding connections between what they cited as their reasonings, and statements made by President Trump in the lead-up to the event. The goal is to determine what kind of language motivates people to violence, specifically against their own government.
Why did you choose this topic?
Wiley: I study politics and I care about people. January 6 has become a watershed moment in modern politics. Democratic institutions are under threat by cults of personality and authoritarian dogma. We’re seeing it bleed into other countries such as Brazil. Research needs to be conducted to learn to recognize warning signs and safeguard democracy in the future.
What is the most interesting aspect of this research?
Wiley: The most interesting aspect of the research is watching the video testimonies and taking notes on them. Finding what the rioters cited as their motivation for storming the capitol and the rhetoric from former President Trump that stuck with them, it is all so ripe for analysis. I look forward to writing that section of the paper.
How has your faculty mentor helped you?
Wiley: My favorite course I’ve taken at Etown has been Political Psychology with Dr. Kelly, and I was the one who approached her to work on a project together. I have so many ideas, so she serves as a guiding hand of direction that keeps me from going off the rails. She has so much knowledge about conducting research and studying behavior, so that ends up inspiring my work.
Hear from the faculty mentor – April Kelly
“The idea behind this project was entirely Nick’s,” Kelly said. “What excited me about it, however, was that in proposing the idea to me, I could see that Nick was applying concepts and principles we had discussed in my political psychology class, which Nick completed last year. It is always rewarding to see students take classroom learning and apply it to a new area of interest or inquiry.”