They knew, and now you should know, too
The latest book from Sarah Kendzior dives into the culture of conspiracy that arises when citizens let others do the thinking for them.
Post-Dobbs, Supreme Court’s legitimacy at risk
Public dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court’s rulings and its performance has been growing. New research by political scientist James Gibson in Arts & Sciences suggests the controversial Dobbs decision may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Political scientists to study populist rhetoric as a threat to democracy
Washington University in St. Louis political scientists Christopher Lucas (right), Jacob Montgomery, and Margit Tavits won a $571,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the rise of populist rhetoric on social media and its effects on democracies.
Research shows constituents ask female legislators to do more
In a study conducted by Dan Butler, professor of political science in Arts & Sciences, voters were more likely to contact their female representatives and asked them to do more on a variety of issues including education, health, immigration, the economy and more.
Primary voting is ‘civic duty’
Want more moderate candidates in the general election? Increasing voters’ participation in primary elections is one of the most effective ways to combat hyperpartisanship, says Daniel Butler, an expert in American politics at Washington University in St. Louis.
SCOTUS ruling hints at why religious freedom means living with views we don’t like
While the ruling in the Maine case is unsurprising given the court’s recent decisions around freedom of religion, some of the rhetoric around the case misrepresents the role of constitutional protections for religion in a pluralistic society, said John Inazu, expert on law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis.
Poll shows abortion ruling leak did little to change Americans’ voting intentions
A forthcoming study conducted by researchers at Olin Business School and UCLA suggests the recent leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion on abortion did not significantly influence how Americans intend to vote.
What Goes Without Saying
Navigating Political Discussion in America
Why are political conversations uncomfortable for so many people? The current literature focuses on the structure of people’s discussion networks and the frequency with which they talk about politics, but not the dynamics of the conversations themselves. In “What Goes Without Saying,” Taylor N. Carlson and Jaime E. Settle investigate how Americans navigate these discussions […]
Florida’s attack on Disney violates the First Amendment
If Florida’s action to strip Walt Disney World of its status as a special tax district is indeed retaliatory against the company for its opposition to the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, then Florida has plainly violated the First Amendment, says a constitutional law expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
Perception matters: How fear about crime impacts presidential approval
Using Gallup survey data from 2000-2019 spanning across four presidential administrations, political scientists in Arts & Sciences find anxiety about crime, race and the president’s political party influence whether Americans hold presidents accountable for crime.
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