Why the House Speaker finally greenlit Ukraine aid Sarah Binder - April 23, 2024 There are underappreciated factors behind Rep. Mike Johnson’s shift.
America is less polarized by race – but more polarized about race John Sides and Michael Tesler - April 3, 2024 The pro-GOP shift among people of color is making racial attitudes more important to politics, not less.
What the Trump/Biden dueling rhetoric at the U.S. border tells us Andrea Silva, Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, and Eric Gonzalez Juenke - March 25, 2024 Both presidential campaigns want to make immigration policy a top issue in the 2024 election.
Trump’s attacks on Fani Willis failed to discredit her Nyron N. Crawford - March 21, 2024 My research explores why targeting Black officials, both personally and professionally, helps mobilize Black voters.
How much trouble is Joe Biden really in? John Sides and Michael Tesler - March 19, 2024 There’s precedent for an election-year boost – but it’s not guaranteed.
In 2024, political violence against Black women is a big threat Nadia E. Brown - March 18, 2024 Women’s History Month is good time to thank our Black women in office – and keep them safe.
How a shift to the right in June elections may stifle EU climate ambitions 🎧 Erik Voeten and Simon Hix - March 12, 2024 A conversation with Simon Hix about the causes and consequences of the expected sharp right turn in the upcoming European Parliament elections
Trump had the nomination sewn up before a single vote was cast John Sides - March 7, 2024 Two graphs show his dominance in the “invisible primary.”
Serge Gainsbourg, ‘Hold-Up’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - March 1, 2024 Another hold-up in one of the Trump cases.
Right-wing attacks haven’t dented Taylor Swift’s popularity Michael Tesler - February 8, 2024 Public opinion about the pop star still isn’t that polarized.
Sonic Youth, ‘New Hampshire’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - January 26, 2024 Trump wins in New Hampshire.
Almost all Republicans will vote for Trump this fall Michael Tesler - January 25, 2024 Ignore recent exit polls to the contrary. Minds will change by November.
Good to Know: Continuing resolutions Sarah Binder - January 22, 2024 Here’s why Congress can’t kick the habit.
Right-wing populist parties have risen. Populism hasn’t. John Sides - January 19, 2024 The success of these parties isn’t about a surge in populist sentiments.
Iowa showed how Trump has redefined conservatism Michael Tesler - January 17, 2024 Trump performed much better among “very conservative” caucus voters than he did in 2016.
Good to Know: The Federal Reserve and U.S. monetary policy Alexandra Guisinger - January 15, 2024 The Fed is getting some good press. So what exactly is the Fed, and what does it do?
Good to Know: Impeachment Andrew Rudalevige - January 13, 2024 With House Republicans holding an impeachment inquiry against Pres. Biden, here's what to know about this constitutional tool.
Good to Know: Collective security Stacie Goddard - January 9, 2024 An explainer on collective security agreements like NATO.
Americans support DEI – for now, at least Michael Tesler - January 8, 2024 In 2023, polling consistently showed strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion. That could change in 2024.
Public support for the death penalty is still at its low John Sides - January 3, 2024 These 3 graphs explain why.
Foreign policy-related U.S. presidential campaign ads ▶️ Alexandra Guisinger - January 2, 2024 This Good Playlist offers highlights from television presidential campaign ads since the 1950s.
The 2023 Week In One Song mixtape: recap + remix ▶️ Christopher Federico - December 28, 2023 From climate change to George Santos, in song.
U.S. political leaders face a drumbeat of violent threats John Sides - December 21, 2023 In a new survey, experts are concerned about how this violence is eroding democracy.
What the Colorado Supreme Court said about Trump’s candidacy Andrew Rudalevige - December 20, 2023 Yes, this will surely go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Will Angela Alsobrooks have a problem with Black men voters? Nadia E. Brown - December 20, 2023 The Black woman candidate for Senate may face resistance from a group often expected to vote for Democrats.
How Republicans made a U-turn on impeachment Andrew Rudalevige - December 16, 2023 2023 isn’t 2019, it turns out.
What retired Republican members of Congress really think Sarah Binder and Alexander Theodoridis - December 13, 2023 Their attitudes are surprisingly different from those of Republican voters and from current Republican lawmakers’ positions.
Trump’s GOP rivals are letting him off easy – again John Sides - December 12, 2023 Just as in the 2016 primary, they’d rather attack each other than Trump.
The battle over in-state college tuition for undocumented immigrants Andrea Silva - December 6, 2023 A recent court decision benefited immigrants, but the battle will likely continue.
Why Donald Trump is happy a Colorado judge called him an insurrectionist Andrew Rudalevige - November 28, 2023 What happens when Trump's 2024 candidacy confronts the 14th Amendment?
Paying for the green transition Henry Farrell and Mark Blyth - November 27, 2023 If Trump and the Republicans win, it may be the end of the green transition in the U.S., argues Mark Blyth.
No, TikTok isn’t souring young people on the Biden economy Danny Hayes - November 22, 2023 In some polls, young people are even more optimistic than older Americans.
Who do voters actually blame for inflation? Nyron N. Crawford and Alexandra Guisinger - November 21, 2023 They see several causes at work – including some out of Biden’s control.
Will Congress shut down the government over aid to Israel and Ukraine? Elizabeth N. Saunders, Sarah Binder, Michael Tesler, Jordan Tama, and Andrew Payne - November 14, 2023 Four experts examine how U.S. foreign policy is dividing both Republicans and Democrats.
Why Republicans have no incentive to stop denying the 2020 election John Sides - November 8, 2023 Election denial is even more prevalent in Congress than it was three years ago.
Could a GOP president take over independent government agencies? Andrew Rudalevige - November 7, 2023 Here's what the law actually says.
Why the U.S. border wall is getting more and more popular Michael Tesler - November 3, 2023 There are long and short-term factors behind this trend.
Does higher voter turnout even benefit Democrats anymore? John Sides - October 25, 2023 The diploma divide could change the conventional wisdom.
Why journalists are losing their jobs in record numbers Danny Hayes - October 23, 2023 The Trump bump was fated to fade.
Biden will visit Israel during a war. That’s unprecedented. Elizabeth N. Saunders - October 17, 2023 The humanitarian crisis and escalation fears heighten uncertainty.
Everything you should know about the House speakership battle Sarah Binder, Ruth Bloch Rubin, Matt Glassman, and Molly Reynolds - October 10, 2023 Four political scientists have a ‘good chat’ about what happened – and what comes next.
Gaza and Israel: Five things to watch Marc Lynch - October 9, 2023 Here’s what you need to know following Saturday’s attack by Hamas.
Why Donald Trump should learn to love automatic voter registration John Sides - October 9, 2023 Making it easier to vote doesn’t hurt Republicans.
Republicans dislike their congressional leaders. Democrats like theirs. Michael Tesler - October 5, 2023 The Republicans' drama in Congress accurately reflects their constituents' opinions.
Local news coverage of political scandals is disappearing Danny Hayes - October 4, 2023 Menendez is the exception, not the rule.
What the arrest warrant for Putin really means Kelebogile Zvobgo - October 3, 2023 He may never stand trial, but that’s not all that matters.
What Feinstein’s trailblazing career taught us Nadia E. Brown - October 2, 2023 She changed politics – and political science.
King Missile, ‘No Point’: The week in one song Christopher Federico - September 29, 2023 Another GOP debate, but is there a point?
Does Putin have a vote in U.S. elections? Elizabeth N. Saunders, Marina E. Henke, Nadiya Kostyuk, Rachel Myrick, and Kenneth Schultz - September 28, 2023 International relations scholars have a ‘good chat’ about U.S. elections and foreign policy.
Why do election losers accept their losses? Henry Farrell - September 27, 2023 What we learn from a minimalist view of democracy.
Will foreign policy actually matter in the 2024 U.S. election? Elizabeth N. Saunders - September 21, 2023 It may not matter much to voters, but foreign policy is definitely on the ballot.
The remarkable rise of isolationist Republicans Michael Tesler - September 20, 2023 Trump’s rise has turned back the clock to the 1930s.
Why does Biden want Saudi-Israeli normalization so badly? Marc Lynch - September 20, 2023 The Abraham Accords may define a new regional order.
‘Great power competition’ is a dangerous narrative for U.S. foreign policy Stacie Goddard - September 20, 2023 We need a more nuanced approach.
Why the president can’t just fire bureaucrats Andrew Rudalevige - September 20, 2023 The "unitary executive theory" has its limits
It’s been a great nine years for TMC political science analysis Kim Yi Dionne, John Sides, and Henry Farrell - December 31, 2022 We’ve published thousands of articles. Here are some of our editors’ favorites.
These were our 10 most popular posts of 2022 E.J. Graff - December 30, 2022 The Monkey Cage 2022 roundup: Top 10
Leaders around the world made bold moves in 2022. They didn’t always succeed. Elizabeth N. Saunders - December 29, 2022 The TMC 2022 roundups: The international beat
Since 2018, Republicans have lost confidence in U.S. institutions Sean Kates, Joshua Tucker, and Jonathan Ladd - December 29, 2022 And Amazon is no longer one of America’s most beloved institutions, our research finds.
Goodbye to the 117th Congress, bookended by remarkable events Sarah Binder - December 27, 2022 The 2022 roundups: Congress’s year in review.
When voting rights are at risk, what threatens and what protects them? E.J. Graff - December 27, 2022 The TMC 2022 roundups: Voting rights
What did we learn from the 2022 U.S. midterm elections? Christopher Stout - December 26, 2022 The TMC 2022 roundups: U.S. elections
Just seeing a Fox News logo prompts racial bias, new research suggests Thomas Gift, Julie Norman, and Andrew M. Bell - December 23, 2022 It’s an example of what social scientists call ‘priming’
America and Europe are targeting Russia’s oil profits Henry Farrell and Agathe Demarais / Managing Editor - December 21, 2022 The oil price cap makes it harder for Russia to use oil money to buy weapons and pay soldiers.
Recent WTO rulings may complicate green industrial policies Todd N. Tucker - December 20, 2022 Will the WTO framework discourage countries from decarbonization plans that prioritize their own workers, supply chains and producers?
Some female leaders handled covid and other crises very well Katie Tyner and Farida Jalalzai - December 20, 2022 What made these leaders effective? We interviewed politicians, journalists, doctors and others in New Zealand and Iceland to find out.
Have we passed peak MAGA? Nick Rogers and Jason J. Jones - December 8, 2022 Data from Twitter bios suggests many of Trump’s biggest fans are backing away
Where did the GOP fall short? Its election spending offers some hints. Adam Sheingate - December 7, 2022 The NRSC spent a lot on digital ads in the midterms. My research suggests that may have been a miscalculation.
Did amateur candidates cost Republicans the U.S. Senate? Carlos Algara and Byengseon Bae / Managing Editor - December 7, 2022 A lot of amateurs ran for the Senate this year and lost. Here’s what you need to know.
Minutemen, ‘Fascist’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - December 2, 2022 The continued descent of Ye
Biden’s marijuana policy may change attitudes toward immigrants Melissa R. Michelson and Joe R. Tafoya - December 1, 2022 As states decriminalize cannabis, Republicans soften toward immigrants, our research finds
Russia now says it must ‘de-Satanize’ Ukraine. What? Chonlawit Sirikupt - November 17, 2022 The Kremlin seems to be trolling for support among U.S. voters on the far right
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s supporters don’t care what critics think Victor Wu - November 16, 2022 If Trump picks her as his running mate, she’ll have a bigger platform. And Republican leaders can’t dent her approval.
Musk is wrecking speech moderation on Twitter. There’s an alternative. Henry Farrell - November 12, 2022 Twitter alternative Mastodon moderates speech not through banning, but shunning across a broader ‘Fediverse’ of services.
Latinos who use Spanish-language social media get more misinformation Robert Vidigal, Marianna Garcia, Marisa A. Abrajano, Joshua Tucker, Jonathan Nagler, and Aaron Pope - November 7, 2022 That could affect their votes – and their safety from covid-19.
Local officials face four kinds of threats. And they’re escalating. Alexandra Filindra - November 7, 2022 Officials from both parties are being threatened and even assaulted. That’s hurting democracy.
Why Americans don’t fight back when states make it harder to vote Ziv Carmon, Wendy Wood, Geoff Tomaino, and Asaf Mazar - November 6, 2022 Our research finds that few Americans realize that logistical barriers — fewer ballot drop boxes, shorter poll hours and the like — actually do stop people from voting
Can young voters help Democrats hold Congress? Matthew Nelsen and Kumar Ramanathan - November 3, 2022 Both Gen Z and millennials are just as motivated to vote as they were in 2018, the GenForward survey found.
How can the U.S. help prevent more political violence? Sophia Pink, Robb Willer, and Joseph Mernyk - November 1, 2022 Our research found two strategies that may help restore general social disapproval of attacks such as the one against Nancy Pelosi’s husband
This is the most important election of your lifetime. Or is it? Curtis Bram - October 28, 2022 If you think the election will make a big difference, you’re 30 percent more likely to vote than if you do not, my research finds
The Supreme Court may end college affirmative action. Then what? Lauren S. Foley - October 27, 2022 Universities have followed similar bans to the letter but tried other ways to admit racially diverse classes – with mixed results
Democrats aren’t saying much about reducing poverty and unemployment. Why? Christopher Howard - October 27, 2022 Often, candidates and parties have highlighted those parts of the economy that have improved on their watch
Is Christian nationalism growing or declining? Both. Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead - October 24, 2022 Fewer Americans subscribe to the ideology, but it’s growing in influence among Republicans, including rank-and-file and in public office
Why resentful rural Americans vote Republican Nicholas Jacobs and Kal Munis - October 20, 2022 Many of these voters think they are underrepresented, under-resourced and overlooked
What’s in Biden’s National Security Strategy? Stacie Goddard - October 13, 2022 The NSS conveys the president’s vision – and the country’s ‘grand strategy.’
Biden will pardon federal marijuana offenses. What will the states do? Daniel Mallinson and Lee Hannah - October 13, 2022 Biden’s action could help some Democratic candidates for the House. But the real action on cannabis policy now rests with the states.
The U.S. Treasury expects millions of companies to name their owners Elizabeth Meehan - October 12, 2022 Will the Corporate Transparency Act cut down on illicit financial dealings? That’s the plan.
Most Republican candidates endorse the ‘big lie’ — even when voters don’t Brendan Hartnett and Brian Schaffner - October 12, 2022 We examined whether candidates’ beliefs — for and against the "big lie” — matched up with those of their state’s voters. Nope.
Biden’s broad marijuana pardon has precedents Andrew Rudalevige - October 7, 2022 In some ways, it looks like Jimmy Carter’s amnesty for Vietnam War draft dodgers
After the 5th Circuit’s ruling, does DACA have a future? Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer - October 6, 2022 The decision against the Obama-era policy seems to invite other challenges to immigrant rights
As the midterms loom, here’s how election officials can help voters Thessalia (Lia) Merivaki and Mara Suttmann-Lea - October 4, 2022 It’s National Voter Education Week! Do you know what your election officials are doing?
In El Salvador and elsewhere, leaders find ways to break term limits Joseph Wright, Erica Frantz, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor - October 3, 2022 When leaders bend the rules to stay in power, it’s a red flag for democracy
Bolsonaro has tried to load the dice for today’s election in Brazil Fernando Bizzarro - October 2, 2022 Will the government’s cash handouts and changes to the rules boost his reelection chances?
Why have so many Americans come to mistrust the Supreme Court? Paul Collins and Artemus Ward - September 29, 2022 It’s not only because the justices are making unpopular decisions. Here’s what to know as the new term opens.
Puerto Rico’s electricity problems go beyond Maria and Fiona Sameer H. Shah, Mary Angelica Painter, and Fernando Tormos-Aponte - September 28, 2022 Puerto Ricans face higher electricity bills — but see few improvements that make the power grid more resilient to storms
Hawkwind, ‘Psi Power’: The Week in One Song Christopher Federico - September 23, 2022 The rise of psychic declassification
Justice Dept. needed luck to win Mar-a-Lago case. It shouldn’t be that way. Joshua C. Fjelstul - September 23, 2022 A panel of three judges heard the case. If three different judges had been randomly selected, it could have gone the other way.
Newly gerrymandered districts might hurt Democrats less than you think Tommy Ratliff, Stephanie Somersille, Marion Campisi, and Ellen Veomett - September 21, 2022 Our new method for measuring gerrymandering might help settle state court lawsuits over district borders.
Is the FBI impartial? Over half of Republicans say ‘no.’ Sean Kates, Joshua Tucker, Jonathan Ladd, and Jan Zilinsky - September 14, 2022 Allegations of political biases in law enforcement can hurt democracy
Biden blasted ‘MAGA Republicans.’ Are they a distinct group? Seth McKee, Scott Huffmon, Gibbs Knotts, and Christopher Cooper - September 7, 2022 Here’s what our research found