Why Russian propaganda isn’t as persuasive as you might think
Authoritarians use propaganda not just to persuade — but also to silence dissent. Here’s how it works.
Puerto Rico’s electricity problems go beyond Maria and Fiona
Puerto Ricans face higher electricity bills — but see few improvements that make the power grid more resilient to storms
For Democrats, trying to slow climate change is good politics
Our research suggests that co-sponsoring the Green New Deal helped in the 2020 elections. Could it boost incumbents’ votes in the 2022 midterms as well?
In many states with antiabortion laws, majorities favor abortion rights
Will purple states’ laws eventually reflect their voters’ views?
Putin’s warning about Russian ‘fifth columns’ has a long, sordid lineage
He is suggesting that anyone with a Western lifestyle could be a traitor
Texas isn’t the only state denying essential medical care to trans youths. Here’s what’s going on.
Conservatives are increasingly imposing government control over sexuality and gender
‘The most powerful woman in the world’ is stepping down. What is Merkel’s legacy on gender equality?
As a conservative woman in government, the German chancellor has often ‘led from behind’ on gender issues
It’s World Water Day. Here’s why democracies do better at delivering water equally to all.
Climate change is boosting the demand for clean water around the world.
Why the GOP can’t quit Trump
Here’s what we learned when we surveyed MAGA supporters
A Native American may be taking control of the Cabinet department that has shaped Native American lives
Native Americans have long had good reason to distrust the Interior Department. But their increasing political clout may mean that things are changing.
While Armenia and Azerbaijan fought over Nagorno-Karabakh, their citizens battled on social media
Social media rhetoric from politicians, citizens and others helped influence political moves.
U.S. school principals discriminate against Muslims and atheists, our study finds
Nineteen years after the 9/11 attacks, anti-Muslim bias still operates widely
Are Black Lives Matter protesters peaceful or violent? Depends on whom you ask.
Committed nonviolent leader Martin Luther King Jr. was seen as dangerous and radical in his day
China’s covid-19 stimulus plan isn’t as green as it looks
Jobs and social stability will probably become Beijing’s higher policy priorities
The white press has a history of endangering Black lives going back a century
In 1919, the white national press spread a false story that covered up a white massacre of African Americans in Arkansas
This covid-19 misinformation went viral. Here’s what we learned.
In less than a day, a handful of influential people can politicize science.
The Amazon isn’t the only forest that’s burning. Can consumer pressure stop the destruction?
Some certification schemes may just be “greenwashing”
Where else do leaders do what Trump is accused of? Start with Russia.
And he has plenty of chances to do it again.
Silicon Valley paints itself as a hotbed of free enterprise. Here’s how the government helped build it.
Margaret O’Mara’s book explains how government, women and marketing pizzazz helped build up Silicon Valley.
Why did India’s devastating Cyclone Fani kill only 40 people — not 10,000? Thank democracy and technology.
Democracies may do better at adapting to climate change.
Not all Christian leaders in Africa are opposed to LGBTQ inclusion
There’s more to the story of the drama in the Methodist church.
What the UAE’s arrest of Matthew Hedges means for political science research in the Middle East
[caption id="attachment_80799" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Jaber al Lamki, executive director of
Which motivates independents to get politically involved: Pocketbook issues or fear that Trump is hurting democracy?
With the midterms over, many political observers are already eyeing
Egypt’s new political system of one: Its president
[caption id="attachment_76809" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Portraits of President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi
How flawed constitutions undermine democracy
[caption id="attachment_69689" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A replica of the Liberty Bell stands
The Oxfam scandal shows that, yes, nonprofits can behave badly. So why aren’t they overseen like for-profits?
[caption id="attachment_69402" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The British government is reviewing its
Why is India ‘missing’ 63 million women — even though development is roaring?
[caption id="attachment_68977" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Protesters demand justice on Nov. 7,
Delhi is blanketed with toxic smog. This is why.
[caption id="attachment_66136" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Indian security personnel stand guard at
Gay men and trans women were suddenly rounded up in Azerbaijan. Here’s why.
[caption id="attachment_49362" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (GREGOR FISCHER/AFP/Getty Images)[/caption] During the last
Four years after one of the worst industrial accidents ever, what have we learned?
[caption id="attachment_57147" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A Bangladeshi survivor is lifted out
When presidents ‘back in’ to foreign conflicts, here’s what happens
[caption id="attachment_56595" align="aligncenter" width="960"] This image released by the White
Why did Scott Pruitt refuse to ban a chemical that the EPA itself said is dangerous?
On March 29, Scott Pruitt, the new head of the
It’s not just a rapper’s arrest that should raise alarms about authoritarianism in Tanzania
[caption id="attachment_55968" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A man in Arusha, Tanzania, reads
The Trump administration wants to kill the popular Energy Star program because it combats climate change
[caption id="attachment_55760" align="alignnone" width="960"] iStock photo[/caption] Under President Trump, the
The Women’s March organizers have called for a big strike today. Will it work?
Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. The Jan. 21
Do African exports to China hurt labor rights? Here’s what we found.
[caption id="attachment_54876" align="aligncenter" width="960"] China's imports grew at their fastest
Yes, consumers can change public policies — sometimes. Here are the challenges.
[caption id="attachment_54697" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Ivanka Trump attends the launch of
Why the Women’s March may be the start of a serious social movement
This is the fourth post in our series on what social
Kompromat used to be a KGB tool in the Soviet Union. Now anyone can collect dirty data.
In early January 2017, BuzzFeed published a leaked document that,
Will next week’s U.S. elections lead to violence? Here’s what environmental extremists can teach us.
[caption id="attachment_38270" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Protester Bryan Sander is punched by
The big fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline, explained
[caption id="attachment_46415" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Protesters demonstrate against the Energy Transfer
Why some people think Trump may be a ‘Siberian candidate’
[caption id="attachment_45200" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People walk past a mural on
Here’s what many journalists missed when covering the Brexit vote
[caption id="attachment_42366" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A Brexit flotilla of fishing boats
Four reasons why killing insurgents in Syria might backfire
[caption id="attachment_42715" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Smoke rises after what fighters of
It’s not just Flint: Here’s why we ignore water pollution
[caption id="attachment_41790" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Zariah Garner, 9, rests on a
Here’s what Clinton really thinks about Appalachian coal country
Editors' note: There has recently been a controversy over Democratic
Tunisia uncovered a history of state sexual violence. Can it do anything?
[caption id="attachment_38881" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A sign that reads "Tunisia: First
NGOs are great at demanding transparency. They’re not so hot at providing it.
[caption id="attachment_35901" align="aligncenter" width="908"] (iStock)[/caption] Justice Louis Brandeis famously claimed
What was the Egyptian military thinking after the revolution?
[caption id="attachment_34882" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A pro-government protester chants slogans Jan.
Douglass North was a visionary
[caption id="attachment_33329" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Professor Douglass C. North of Washington
Here’s how to make government care about Black lives
2015 has been the year of protest. Chanting “Black Lives
Republicans and Democrats support sentencing reform. This is what stands in their way.
[caption id="attachment_30290" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] (Rich Pedroncelli/AP)[/caption] During the most recent
Legislative Explorer lets you track every bill in Congress since 1973
[caption id="attachment_15044" align="aligncenter" width="288"] (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)[/caption]
5 things you should read before saying the IMF is blameless in the 2014 Ebola outbreak
Last week, Chris Blattman asked in his post, “Did the
Arab transitions and the old elite
[caption id="attachment_18811" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Beji Caid Essebsi, leader of Tunisia's
Minority representation gaps, by the numbers
When protests broke out in Ferguson, Missouri over the shooting
How democracies are gamed for power and profit: an addendum to Piketty
Joshua Tucker: As part of our continuing collaboration with political
A new political dilemma for Egypt's ruling military
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special="TOPSHOTS "] A poster of Egyptian
A new political dilemma for Egypt’s ruling military
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special="TOPSHOTS "] A poster of Egyptian
How to prevent the crisis in Ukraine from escalating
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] Unidentified armed men patrol
Why bill success is a lousy way to keep score in Congress
[caption id="attachment_6256" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.), left.
Why Egypt's new constitution may not turn out as badly as you think
[caption id="attachment_5425" align="aligncenter" width="600" special=""] A man holds a poster
What are the implications of the AFL-CIO's expanding membership criteria?
[Joshua Tucker: The following is the second of two guest
The decline of union membership and what it means for politics
[caption id="attachment_2156" align="alignnone" width="600" special=""] 2008 May Day antiwar protests
Azerbaijan post-election report and what comes next
[Joshua Tucker: Continuing our series of Election Reports, the following is a
"The Tea Party is better understood as a reactionary conservative force."
This is a guest post by University of Washington political
Can social media level the playing field in competitive authoritarian regimes? Azerbaijani pre-election report, part II.
Continuing our series of Election Reports, yesterday we featured a pre-election report on
The Challenges of Electoral Competition in an Oil Rich State: Azerbaijani Pre-Election Report
Continuing our series of Election Reports, the following is a
2012 Japan Post-Election Report: They Are Back! The Return of the LDP and What it Means for Japan and the World
Continuing our series of election reports, the following post-election report is
What do legislatures in authoritarian regimes do?
No, this post is not going to feature another picture
Herb Ellison has Died
Scott Radnitz sends along the following sad news: Herb Ellison died
In Georgia, Two Machines are Better Than One
The run-up to Georgia's^*^ October 1 election has been dirty,
“Life getting shorter for women in hundreds of U.S. counties”: I’d like to see a graph of relative change in death rates, with age on the x-axis
Dan Kahan points me to this news article by Mike
Squaring the Circle Between Public Opinion and Voting on Taxing the Rich
A "Washington Post Poll":http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/most-support-budget-deal-but-oppose-cuts-to-major-programs/2011/04/19/AFK5077D_graphic.html is making waves today for two
Tea Party Conservatives Are Not Like Other Conservatives
Such is the conclusion of a new survey by political
So the greatest political change in the Middle East this century is not Beirut 2005 or Teheran 2009, but Tunis, 2011?
More on Tunisia: a guest post by "Professor Scott Radnitz":http://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Wealthy-Predatory-Elite-Led-Protests/dp/0801449537
More Political Scientists on YouTube
W.W. Norton has added additional videos, supplementing those I noted
Are Polls More Likely to be Off Where There is a Larger Latino Vote?
Nate Silver has an "interesting post":http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/did-polls-underestimate-democrats-latino-vote/ that highlights some of
Stopping Ethnic Pogroms in Kyrgyzstan
For those of you out there not closely following Central
Shooting down B.S. claims about divorce predictions, part 2 (Somewhere, Karl Popper is smiling ruefully)
Last year, we heard about "maths expert" and Oxford University
Why Did Democrats Support the Stupak Amendment? (And Why Didn’t Republicans Oppose It?)
Barry Pump, a doctoral student in political science at the
2009 Tunisian Presidential and Parliamentary Elections
As part of our "continuing series of election reports":https://themonkeycage.org/2009/09/election_reports_and_political.html, we
Network Analysis Conference at Harvard This Summer
Social network analysis is now making its way into politcal