The attack on the U.S. Capitol last week is now the subject of widespread federal investigations, including one homicide investigation, a national effort to identify who was involved in storming the halls of Congress, and a probe into the response by U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies. Federal agents, members of Congress, and citizens alike want to know what happened, whether it was pre-planned or coordinated, and who was involved.
But the concerns that have arisen from Wednesday’s events extend far beyond the bounds of simple crime and punishment. The insurrection raises questions about the very health of our democracy.
To provide answers and perspective, the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University has launched an Ask Johns Hopkins Anything forum on its website where experts in political science, law, and history can directly answer the public’s questions about the insurrection. The AJHA forum will be accepting questions through Jan. 13.
“We have witnessed an insurrection against U.S. democracy, instigated by its president, and people need a space to make sense of this moment and the historical legacies of violence and racism that made it possible,” says Hahrie Han, inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute and a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins. “SNF Agora wanted to find a way to support the Hopkins community, and to offer an opportunity to engage with each other and directly with experts who might provide some amount of clarity.”