The United States is no stranger to periods of often intense civil unrest. From the 1907 “Bellingham Riots” to the fractious tumult of the civil rights and Vietnam era, U.S. history is littered with bouts of violent upheaval.
But 2020 appears to be one for the record books.
Fueled by a destabilizing mix of police violence, armed confrontations between citizens, protests, riots, and a rampaging pandemic, the United States recorded one of the largest deteriorations on the Verisk Maplecroft Civil Unrest Index over the past year—leapfrogging from the 91st riskiest jurisdiction by the second quarter of 2020 to the 34th by the fourth quarter of 2020.
The index assesses the risk of disruption to business caused by the mobilization of societal groups in response to economic, political, or social factors. It includes a spectrum of incidents of unrest, from protests to violent mass demonstrations and rioting.