Why the House Speaker finally greenlit Ukraine aid Sarah Binder - April 23, 2024 There are underappreciated factors behind Rep. Mike Johnson’s shift.
How Black women get their political news matters for this election Nadia E. Brown, Camille Burge, and Christine M. Slaughter - February 29, 2024 A new study investigates the ways Black women use social media, TV news, and other sources to engage with politics.
New findings from the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey Zein Murib - February 27, 2024 New state-level bills targeting transgender, nonbinary, and intersex Americans add to these individuals' concerns.
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.
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.
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.
How Republicans can turn the House’s lights back on Sarah Binder - October 24, 2023 But electing a speaker won’t resolve the crisis.
What Feinstein’s trailblazing career taught us Nadia E. Brown - October 2, 2023 She changed politics – and political science.
What does it take to depose the House speaker? Sarah Binder - September 25, 2023 Hint: There’s a secret list of speakers in waiting
African politics in 2022: More than coups and conflict Laura Seay and Kim Yi Dionne - December 29, 2022 The TMC 2022 roundups: African politics
When voting rights are at risk, what threatens and what protects them? E.J. Graff - December 27, 2022 The TMC 2022 roundups: Voting rights
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
Minutemen, ‘Fascist’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - December 2, 2022 The continued descent of Ye
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.
Making it easier for Black people to vote had unexpected consequences Nikita Lalwani - November 10, 2022 White backlash to the Voting Rights Act led Southern states to imprison more Black people.
The World Bank and IMF say they’ll do more to address climate change Richard Clark and Noah Zucker - October 20, 2022 Staff in the field are reporting firsthand how climate disasters are hurting vulnerable countries. That may help shift institutional policies.
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.
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
If seated, a Cherokee delegate could make a big difference in Congress Elliot Mamet - October 4, 2022 If the House agrees to seat the delegate, it would fulfill a nearly 200-year-old treaty obligation with the Cherokee Nation.
The 9th Circuit live-streams all of its arguments. Will that spread? Christopher D. Kromphardt - September 13, 2022 Many federal appeals courts have been live-streaming audio, at a minimum, during the pandemic. They may or may not continue.
Nannie Helen Burroughs, trailblazing Black teacher and labor organizer Danielle Phillips-Cunningham - August 31, 2022 During Jim Crow, she forged career paths for Black girls.
Will the Democrats’ big bill get past the hurdles of reconciliation? Sarah Binder - August 6, 2022 From the ‘Byrd bath’ to the ‘vote-a-rama,’ here’s what’s happening with the Inflation Reduction Act
What the Jan. 6 hearings did and didn’t say about the military Carrie Lee - July 22, 2022 The U.S. military has a strong tradition of staying out of politics. And that’s a good thing.
How D.C. could decide the next presidential election Clarence Lusane - July 19, 2022 Washington’s lack of representation reveals several cracks in American democracy
Jan. 6 hearings show a democracy in crisis. Civic education can help. Lauren C. Bell, Katherine M. Robiadek, John P. Forren, and Carah Ong Whaley - June 28, 2022 Public education once trained young citizens to be part of democracy. Here’s what’s needed now.
California – not Biden – is leading U.S. climate cooperation with China Jeremy Wallace - June 3, 2022 Beijing sees California as a global climate leader
Abortion rights protests have been peaceful. Will that change? Deana A. Rohlinger - May 10, 2022 Here’s what scholars know about when protesters are more likely to turn confrontational — or even violent.
What will Congress do on abortion post-Roe? Michele Swers - May 9, 2022 Here’s what Democrats and Republicans will probably do
Black motherhood shapes leadership in unique ways Andrene Z. Wright / Managing Editor - May 6, 2022 Black mothers face distinct challenges that can lead to a commitment to caring for a broad community
Why counting vaccinated Americans doesn’t always add up David Lazer - April 7, 2022 The percentages the CDC reports don’t necessarily line up with census data. Here’s why.
Cities regularly hire lobbyists. It pays off for the richest cities. Julia Payson - April 1, 2022 Biden signed a spending bill that will fund landmark infrastructure projects. Will poorer areas be left behind?
Why did Sen. Graham grill Ketanji Brown Jackson about her religious faith? Matthew Dahl - March 24, 2022 Research suggests that religion doesn’t influence judges’ decisions.
Protesting for reproductive rights on International Women’s Day? Here are some lessons from the Women’s March. Kaitlin Kelly-Thompson - March 8, 2022 Here’s what my research found
The Canadian truckers’ ‘freedom convoy’ disrupted life and blockaded borders. Did the protest succeed? David Meyer - February 24, 2022 The trick, for activists, is to get authorities and other audiences to focus on their issues as well as their tactics.
What will the midterms look like now that more than 7 percent of Americans identify as LGBT? R.G. Cravens, III - February 23, 2022 A wave of anti-LGBT bills may motivate political activism
Why aren’t there more Black female judges on the federal bench? Gbemende Johnson - February 22, 2022 Biden has nominated more than ever — but Black women face many obstacles in legal careers
Happy 50th anniversary, women’s legislative caucuses! Here’s how to be even more effective. Nadia E. Brown, Christopher J. Clark, and Anna Mitchell Mahoney - February 9, 2022 Black women legislators can point out policy blind spots others might overlook
No, antifa didn’t ‘infiltrate’ Black Lives Matter during the 2020 protests. But did it increase violence? Kerby Goff and John D. McCarthy - February 8, 2022 Trump and others keep blaming extremist violence on these ‘radical left people.’ Here’s what our research found.
What were Democrats thinking when they tried — and failed — to pass their voting rights bill? Sarah Binder - January 21, 2022 Changing Senate rules is really, really hard.
When lobbyists and legislators socialize, lobbyists are more likely to get what they want Sara Sadhwani, Pamela Lopez, Christian Grose, and Antoine Yoshinaka - January 12, 2022 Researchers may be right to follow the money. But they may also want to follow legislators and lobbyists’ more relaxed time together.
The U.S. has veered toward — and away from — democracy over time Sarah Gershon, Nadia E. Brown, Larry Berman, and Bruce Murphy - January 11, 2022 Our textbook suggests teaching about the Jan. 6 insurrection with this framing.
Are U.S. companies punishing Republicans for Jan. 6? Here’s what our research finds. Florian Gawehns and Amy Meli - January 4, 2022 Contributions to members of Congress who supported overturning the 2020 election are down compared to four years ago. But it’s early.
The Ex, ‘Contempt’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - December 16, 2021 Mark Meadows is held in contempt of Congress.
Build Back Better offers pre-K and child-care funding. States might not sign on. Philip Rocco, Daniel Béland, and Alex Waddan - December 15, 2021 These three things help policies succeed
A prosecutor charged the Michigan shooter’s parents. That’s likely to be used against Black parents soon. Evan Bernick - December 8, 2021 When prosecutors’ powers expand broadly, implicit bias means those powers are used disproportionately against racial minorities.
Three reasons Congress finally passed an infrastructure bill Sarah Binder - November 8, 2021 And what happened to Build Back Better, the social and climate infrastructure bill?
Trump wanted to slash the federal government. But federal agencies are doing just fine. David E. Lewis - October 17, 2021 Despite criticism of federal agencies, civil servants and private-sector managers and executives are about as likely to feel they can do their jobs well, our research finds
SNFU, ‘Ceiling’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - October 8, 2021 A short-term debt-ceiling agreement.
Conservative Republican women have led the fight to restrict abortion Rebecca J. Kreitzer, Emily U. Schilling, and Abigail A. Matthews - September 9, 2021 Democrats like to say Republicans are waging a ‘war on women.’ That erases the conservative Republican women who have been working to ban abortion.
State legislators make big decisions. So why do they get tiny paychecks? Christopher Cooper - September 8, 2021 New research uncovered one surprising reason.
Congress is bumping up its top staffers’ salaries. But its real problem is the underpayment of junior staffers. Joshua McCrain - August 19, 2021 The House’s changes will be among the most significant reforms to staffing in decades. Will they be enough?
Hobby Lobby’s owner returned thousands of artifacts to Iraq. How did he get them in the first place? Daniel Klerman and Anja Shortland - August 9, 2021 Once it was easy to collect gray-market antiquities. Things have tightened up.
People are more anti-vaccine if they get their covid news from Facebook than from Fox News, data shows Roy Perlis, Matthew Simonson, Mauricio Santillana, Matthew Baum, Katherine Ognyanova, Jon Green, Jennifer Lin, James Druckman, David Lazer, and Ata Uslu - July 26, 2021 Biden said social media companies are ‘killing people’ by spreading vaccine misinformation
Pelosi just rejected two Republicans for the Jan. 6 investigation. Here are three takeaways. Sarah Binder / Managing Editor - July 23, 2021 Yes, the speaker can do that.
Judas Priest, ‘Tyrant’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - July 16, 2021 Stories of coup fears among key officials in the waning days of the Trump administration emerge
Texas House Democrats fled the state to kill a restrictive voting bill. Will their gambit work? Matthew N. Green / Managing Editor - July 16, 2021 History suggests that the walkout could succeed, but only if Texas Democrats are willing to suffer some significant political pain
The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery. Here’s what did. Clarence Lusane - June 24, 2021 Two states — Delaware and Kentucky — still allowed slavery until the 13th Amendment was ratified, six months after Juneteenth.
Why do so few Black women serve in high-level federal posts? Taneisha N. Means - June 23, 2021 My research finds that their confirmations take much longer than average, despite their excellent qualifications.
Juneteenth brings together many celebrations, and reminders of the work still ahead Sheena Harris and Keneshia N. Grant - June 18, 2021 For Black Americans, freedom is tied to location — not a date in June
When Belarus forced down a plane, it may have committed state-sponsored hijacking Yuval Weber - May 23, 2021 International treaties outlaw false communications that might endanger a flight
Chad’s president lived and died by the gun. Will the country shift away from militarized rule? Marielle Debos - May 7, 2021 Chad has a long history of armed conflicts. That doesn’t mean it’s a country of warriors.
The Supreme Court just agreed to hear a Second Amendment case. That’s bad news for gun regulation advocates. Amanda Hollis-Brusky - April 27, 2021 But if its decision goes too far, the Supreme Court might be handing ammunition to liberals who want to overhaul the court.
People have long predicted the collapse of the Washington Consensus. It keeps reappearing under new guises. Sarah Babb and Alexander Kentikelenis - April 15, 2021 30 years later, global financial institutions still condition loans on policies like 'structural reforms’
President Biden is hosting Japan’s prime minister in D.C. It’s a big deal for Japan — and the U.S. Phillip Y. Lipscy and Mary M. McCarthy - April 14, 2021 They’ll discuss new ways to cooperate, as well as unfinished business from the Trump years
White parents in D.C. talk a lot about racial justice. So why do they focus on majority-White schools? Vanessa Williamson and Jackson Gode - March 30, 2021 Without mentioning race, they emphasize predominantly White schools and ignore high-performing, majority-Black schools, our analysis found
Post-prison, people just want normal things. Americans say that’s too much to expect. Esther Matthews - March 14, 2021 Stigma holds back those who’ve served time, and it’s visited on their children, my research finds
Fontella Bass, ‘Rescue Me’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - March 12, 2021 The American Rescue Plan Act becomes law
Republican women are becoming key party messengers. Here’s how it happened. Catherine Wineinger - February 15, 2021 Just ask Reps. Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene, now standing for the GOP’s two opposing poles
The Trump years launched the biggest sustained protest movement in U.S. history. It’s not over. Tommy Leung, Nathan Perkins, Jeremy Pressman, Jay Ulfelder, and Erica Chenoweth - February 7, 2021 Here’s what we learned by counting the protests during the past four years
Boston is about to get its first Black and first female mayor. How will she govern? Sharon Wright Austin - February 3, 2021 Kim Janey’s step into that office will signal that the city has changed
With Democrats in charge in Washington, expect red states’ policies to get redder Stella Rouse and Nicholas Miras - January 21, 2021 That’s what our research finds
Which Republicans are most likely to think the election was stolen? Those who dislike Democrats and don’t mind white nationalists. Joshua Tucker, Jonathan Nagler, and Jan Zilinsky - January 19, 2021 That includes plenty of Republicans with college educations
Blue Cheer, ‘Second Time Around’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - January 15, 2021 Impeachment comes a second time for Trump.
The assault on the U.S. Capitol opens a new chapter in domestic terrorism Daniel Byman - January 14, 2021 The counterterrorism manual doesn’t cover an insurrection egged on by one party’s leaders.
No, Trump can’t pardon himself or other insurrectionists. Impeachment would strip him of that power. Jeffrey K. Tulis and Corey Brettschneider - January 13, 2021 Congress can affirm what “except in cases of impeachment” means.
Almost a quarter of influential Republicans deny Biden’s victory, survey says Timothy M. LaPira and Alexander C. Furnas - January 12, 2021 It’s not just ordinary Republican voters who harbor doubts about the 2020 election
Was the U.S. Capitol riot really a coup? Here’s why definitions matter. Naunihal Singh - January 8, 2021 Calling this a coup obscures important dynamics.
Three key factors that drive far-right political violence — and two that don’t Stephen C. Nemeth and Holley E. Hansen - January 8, 2021 Rhetoric like Donald Trump’s is often a main driver.
Big trends in American politics are making events like the U.S. Capitol violence more likely Jonathan Bendor and Jacob N. Shapiro - January 7, 2021 Two of the trends: weaker parties and stronger presidents.
The National Guard has been called out in Washington, D.C. Here’s what you need to know. Jim Golby and Carrie Lee - January 7, 2021 Attempts to use the National Guard for partisan purposes would be highly controversial.
What to expect when Congress counts the electoral college votes on Wednesday Sarah Binder - January 3, 2021 Yes, there might be procedural skirmishing. But old rules are hard to break.
Huawei has an advantage in its push for global dominance. Now the U.S. is trying to counter it. Jordan Link - November 19, 2020 USAID announced a financing plan to help countries buy from other telecom vendors
Why did the polls undercount Trump voters? Ryan L. Claassen and Barry Ryan - November 13, 2020 It’s not because of ‘shy’ Trump voters, our research suggests
We predicted the states Biden would win 100 days before the election Peter Enns and Julius Lagodny - November 12, 2020 Presidential elections typically come down to the ‘fundamentals,’ like economic conditions and approval ratings
The original Women’s Marchers are still a political force. Dana Fisher - November 2, 2020 Expect them to remain politically active, no matter who wins this election
These nine swing states will see the biggest ‘blue shift’ as ballots are counted after the election Roy H. Perlis, Matthew Simonson, Mauricio Santillana, Matthew A. Baum, Katherine Ognyanova, Jonathan Green, Jennifer Lin, James Druckman, Hanyu Chwe, David Lazer, Alexi Quintana Mathé, and Adina Gitomer - October 19, 2020 Biden’s margin will almost certainly improve as mail-in ballots are counted — by up to 60 percentage points
Turbulent confirmation hearings don’t change how Americans view the Supreme Court Jean R. Schroedel and Christopher N. Krewson - October 1, 2020 Our surveys also find that public opinion toward the court is divided by race and gender
Republicans’ Supreme Court gambit may backfire. Here’s how. Robinson Woodward-Burns - September 23, 2020 Democrats can play constitutional hardball, too
Manu Dibango, ‘The Panther’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - September 4, 2020 Chadwick Boseman, 1976-2020.
In Florida, courts might restore voting rights for more than 770,000 citizens Victoria Shineman - September 4, 2020 Jones v. DeSantis could affect constitutional rights, the election and how well former inmates re-integrate into society.
Americans don’t support the idea of defunding the police Paige E. Vaughn, Kyle Peyton, and Gregory A. Huber - August 30, 2020 But while large majorities oppose reducing police budgets, they do support supplementing police efforts with additional social services
Average White Band, ‘Theater of Excess’: The Week In One Song Christopher Federico - August 28, 2020 The GOP convention hits D.C. and the airwaves.
Three things to know about military endorsements for the 2020 campaign Zachary E. Griffiths and Michael Robinson - August 28, 2020 Retired military figures offer endorsements in every presidential election. But these testimonials may not have much effect.
The State Department labeled China’s Confucius programs a bad influence on U.S. students. What’s the story? Naima Green-Riley - August 24, 2020 Concerns over the ideological threat of these programs may be overblown
What’s happening in Portland could hurt civilian control of the military. Here’s how. Lindsay P. Cohn, David T. Burbach, and Danielle Lupton - July 28, 2020 Blurring the line between police and military could create an internal security force accountable to only one political branch or official.
Covid-19 is accelerating multilateralism in Africa Mary Treacy and Landry Signé - July 26, 2020 The African Union helped spearhead a coordinated response to the pandemic.