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Showing Up, Still Misread: The Perception Gap Facing Black Men In Politics
Black men keep showing up in democracy, but media and politics misread their role—fueling disillusionment and opening space for alternatives.
Why Business Leaders Need to Champion Democracy | MIT Sloan Management Review
Many leaders are unsure about what they can do to oppose the global rise of authoritarianism. Here are four options.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
AI swarms could hijack democracy without anyone noticing
AI-powered personas are becoming so realistic that they can infiltrate online communities and subtly steer public opinion. Unlike traditional bots, they adapt, coordinate, and refine their messaging at a massive scale, creating a false sense of consensus. Early warning signs—like deepfakes and fake news networks—have already appeared in global elections. Researchers warn that the next election could be the true test of this technology’s power.
Norwegian politicians hope Epstein files inquiry will restore faith in democracy
Disgraced financier’s links to politicians and civil servants as far back as 30 years ago to be examined
How running can save democracy
The Boston Marathon and other races offer rare, politics-free public moments.
New study finds 12- to 17-year-olds willing to engage in democracy, but feel anxious, unheard, distrustful of politics
A major new U.K. study of 12- to 17-year-olds finds that, while most adolescents say they would vote and are interested in politics, their willingness to engage is linked to their anxiety about the future, ...
Orbán’s defeat threatens to halt Hungarian support of populist right
Individuals such as Matt Goodwin and Lord Frost benefited from largesse of self-styled ‘illiberal democracy’
With Iran War on Pause, Political Battle Resumes Over Israeli Democracy
A court fight over Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extremist who oversees the police, pits the attorney general against Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government.
Health of US democracy in decline, based on multiple evaluations
Most Americans say democracy in the United States used to be a good example for other countries to follow but has not been in recent years.
Justice Department moves to dismiss Proud Boys and Oath Keepers’ seditious conspiracy convictions
The Justice Department moved to dismiss the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members Tuesday, undoing one of the Biden administration’s most celebrated victories against those who it said inspired the January 6, 2021, attack on American democracy.
Jan-Werner Müller awarded University professorship, reflects on democracy and academic freedom
Jan-Werner Müller, scholar of democratic theory and the history of political thought, was named Class of 1943 University Professor of Politics. He sat down with the ‘Prince’ to discuss his research, teaching, the role of political theory, and concerns about student engagement and academic freedom on campus.
New data suggests Trump’s assault on democracy may be stalling out
Three new reports give some surprising reasons for optimism.
“The choice is yours…”, an analysis of Wilders’ algorithmic politics on platform X
Geert Wilders: a longtime actor in politicsGeert Wilders has been a long-standing figure in Dutch politics. He has served in the House of Representatives since 1998, initially as a member of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) until he left the party in 2004 (Vossen, 2011, p. 184 ...
3L Rachel Sadler Charts Path in Brain Health, Technology, and Policy Through UC Law SF’s Health Law Concentration - UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings)
3L Rachel Sadler studies health law and policy at UC Law SF while researching the legal implications of neurotechnology and other emerging tools that may affect human cognition. 3L student Rachel Sadler shares how UC Law SF’s Health Law Concentration prepared her for a career focused on the intersection of brain health, government policy, and technology. Gained a detailed understanding of how U.S. health care is regulated and where policy reform is needed through coursework and research. Interned with state and federal agencies that regulate health care services and worked with a major health care provider’s bioethics department. Plans to pursue a career focused on protecting cognitive liberty and mental privacy as new technologies reshape healthcare. 3L Rachel Sadler: The Health Law Concentration has given me fluency in one of the most complex regulated industries and the tools to become an effective advocate for better health policy. Before coming to law school, I spent a decade teaching and working with teachers and administrators on high school programming for multilingual learners. Healthcare kept emerging as the most powerful driver of student outcomes. I wanted to understand how to make effective policy change in this area and how to use existing law to defend people’s health rights in California. Through the concentration’s coursework, I gained a sophisticated understanding of how U.S. healthcare is regulated. I also learned where the pressure points for reform exist. The courses gave me space to develop what became my central research interest: how law and policy can be built to protect human cognition and healthy brain development, particularly regarding new technologies such as generative AI and neurotechnology. The health law faculty were instrumental in that process, genuinely invested in helping me and other students define and pursue our own intellectual vision. During law school, I interned at the General Counsel’s Office for Region IX of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I also externed at the California Department of Justice’s Health, Education and Welfare Division. Additionally, I externed at Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Bioethics Department. Alongside those placements, I conducted extensive independent research on mental privacy and emerging neurotechnology, working closely with Professors Emily Murphy and George Horvath. That research became the throughline of my law school experience and the foundation of my current policy focus. I must also credit Nicole Ozer of the Center for Constitutional Democracy (CCD), whose deep knowledge of California privacy law and the public-interest privacy landscape deeply informed my work. I currently serve a research assistant with the CCD, where I spearhead the development of K-12 educational resources in partnership with law faculty and students. I’ve found UC Law SF to be an ideal place for second-career, nontraditional students. There is a tremendous diversity of life and career experience here, and I felt fully welcomed into the community, despite returning as a student at a different stage of life. I came to law school wanting to promote equity in California’s healthcare system. I am leaving with a sharper and more specific ambition: to build a policy career focused on protecting cognitive liberty and mental privacy from technological intrusion. This is both an urgent and underserved area of law, and I want to be part of defining this landscape going forward. Whether as a practicing attorney or a policy advisor, I plan to work on these issues after law school. I strongly recommend UC Law SF and the Health Law Concentration. When I arrived in law school, I worried the concentration would be narrow and that my non-clinical background would be a disadvantage. The opposite was true. The health law faculty thinks about health expansively, encompassing social determinants of health, structural inequity, and emerging technologies alongside the regulatory mechanics of the industry. The faculty are accessible, intellectually generous, and genuinely invested in students’ development. I found my research vision here, and I deeply appreciate the concentration’s role in this. The Evidence of Success series highlights UC Law SF students as they share how the College’s opportunities equip them with the experience, skills, and confidence to excel in the legal profession.
The danger of when government goes rogue
It’s dangerous, even fatal, when government goes rogue whether in a democracy or autocracy. Government officials who ignore or taunt laws that constrain bad acts should be given the heave ho. We’re witnessing these egregious scenarios now at the federal and the Douglas County level. Scorn of basic rules of governance at the federal level […]
Why Do Deliberative Discussions Reduce Affective Polarization? Evidence from a Deliberation Experiment in Honduras - April 7, 2026
Deliberative democracy advocates argue that deliberation can strengthen democracy in part by reducing partisan hostility and affective polarization. Yet - Why Do Deliberative Discussions Reduce Affective Polarization? Evidence from a Deliberation Experiment in Honduras April 7, 2026
Hungary’s illiberal democracy
Viktor Orbán has led Hungary since 2010, and has remade its political institutions. But elections this month pose a major challenge
Why Can’t Politics Be More Like March Madness?
In sports we accept the rules and the outcome. Democracy depends on the same spirit.
Politics Friday: 3 congressional candidates vying for their party's endorsement
Friday at noon, a check-in on the only Minnesota congressional race guaranteed to send a new person to Washington. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with three candidates seeking to represent the 2nd Congressional District.
Pete Buttigieg Calls For a Politics of ‘Belonging’
A Kennedy School panel discusses polarization and the uncertain future of American democracy.
Burkina Faso military leader Traore says ‘forget democracy’
Traore reneged on promises to hold elections and has since scrapped political parties in the country.
Bruce Springsteen brings 'Streets of Minneapolis' home as he launches US tour with 'War'
a e p n democracy politics iran-war immigration u-s-news general-news entertainment | 1010 WINS
Bruce Springsteen brings 'Streets of Minneapolis' home as he launches US tour with 'War'
a e p n democracy politics iran-war immigration u-s-news general-news entertainment | KMBZ
Bruce Springsteen brings 'Streets of Minneapolis' home as he launches US tour with 'War'
a e p n democracy politics iran-war immigration u-s-news general-news entertainment | Talk 1370
Bruce Springsteen brings 'Streets of Minneapolis' home as he launches US tour with 'War'
a e p n democracy politics iran-war immigration u-s-news general-news entertainment | KNX News 97.1 FM
Bruce Springsteen brings 'Streets of Minneapolis' home as he launches US tour with 'War'
a e p n democracy politics iran-war immigration u-s-news general-news entertainment | KMBZ
Bruce Springsteen brings 'Streets of Minneapolis' home as he launches US tour with 'War'
a e p n democracy politics iran-war immigration u-s-news general-news entertainment | Talk Radio 1210 WPHT
‘Change the terrain’ for deliberative democracy
Vince Bzdek’s Gazette piece on James Fishkin’s experiments in deliberative democracy is an interesting read, though the very factors that produced its results — balanced information, expert moderation, and structured discussion — are what everyday politics lacks, and precisely what make these experiments so difficult to scale (“Can deliberation save democracy?” March 8). The processes […]
“Democracy at Close Range” keynote on political difference headlines annual College of Communication Scholarship Week
Annual College of Communication scholarship week to focus on tolerating political difference in interpersonal relationships.
Center for Politics hosts former Attorney General Jason Miyares
During the event, Miyares reflected on the state of American democracy, warning about rising political polarization while urging attendees to take an active role in sustaining civic institutions ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
He took Pelosi’s lectern on Jan. 6. Now he’s running for office.
Adam Johnson has rarely voted and embraces his role as clown prince of Jan. 6. Floridians will decide whether a man who tried to upend democracy can help lead one.
‘No Kings Day’ protests against Trump administration expected in NYC
Organizers said it’s part of a mobilization to defend democracy and fight against authoritarianism.
UK bans crypto donations to political parties in bid to curb foreign influence
Britain is banning political parties from taking cryptocurrency donations in a move the government says will help protect democracy from illicit finance
I didn’t pay attention to politics. Then my house fell down
This Overland Park independent voter is reminded of his father’s advice, and applies it to our democracy. | Opinion
Democracy Depends on Science—So Scientists Need to Show Up for Democracy
A shared commitment to facts and knowledge, produced independently from political interference, is critical to democracy—and worth fighting to protect.
The labor leader behind California’s billionaire tax showdown
For decades, Dave Regan has used California’s direct democracy system in a relentless campaign to shore up union power — and his own. But his newest mission is on an entirely different scale.
The Trump FCC is leveraging public trust for political gain
Tom Wheeler discusses FCC Chairman Carr's recent threat against broadcasters and the broader implications for democracy.
With Guatemala’s Democracy at Stake, Arévalo’s Reformist Push Enters a Critical Phase
Bernardo Arévalo was elected president of Guatemala to tackle elite impunity. After two years on the job, it’s still an uphill climb.
Populist Waves in the Americas: Redefining Politics and Democracy
A surge in populist leadership across the Americas is promising simplified solutions, risking democratic checks and human rights.
US democracy has settled into diminished state, experts find
Bright Line Watch researchers see stabilization in democratic health but at lower levels after sharp decline
The Politics of Forbearance
A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.
Former political rivals take on Trump’s push to nationalize voting
GOP lawyer Ben Ginsberg and former Obama White House counsel Bob Bauer aim to present a united front against the Trump administration’s efforts to oversee election administration
Letters: Newspapers hold a position in our democracy, unlike any other business
I read with interest Duke Truby's viewpoint about a newspaper print medium being a "business" in the strictest sense. As such, that business should cater to its customers and clients.
Trump is dismantling democracy at 'unprecedented' speed, global report finds
Three major new studies on democracy and freedom all find the U.S. is slipping further away from democracy. Leaders of two of those studies say President Trump's goal is to rule as an autocrat.
Opinion | Cubans Want a Deal. Just Not This One.
Trump wants a symbolic win. Islanders want actual democracy.
Why Did Almost No Oscar Speeches Mention ICE or Iran?
A room full of yappers went very quiet on Iran and ICE. That's bad for democracy.
Americans are now diagnosing their political opponents instead of understanding them
Psychological interpretation of political disagreement is replacing reasoned debate, leading to a culture of avoidance and echo chambers, and ultimately hindering democracy.
Egypt’s Mixed Signals: Activist Releases Amid Crackdowns Signal Fragile Politics
2026 began uneasily for Syrians in Egypt. In Rehab City, an upscale suburb east of Cairo that became home to many Syrians fleeing civil war under the Assad regime, security officials entered a crowded restaurant and asked diners to produce their residency permits. Scenes like this have become increasingly common in Egypt, alongside a malicious…
In Trump’s Washington, Congress has little power left
That has raised concerns for some politicians about maintaining the balance of powers seen as central to American democracy.
Reubin O’D. Askew Lecture Series returns with discussion on East Asia, the United States, and the Future of Democracy - University of West Florida Newsroom
The University of West Florida Askew Lecture Series returns to the Museum of Commerce in downtown Pensacola on Thursday, April 9, with a timely discussion on “East Asia, the United States, and the Future of Democracy.” This year’s event features Dr. Erik Mobrand, professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University […]
Thousands Rally to Support the Need for Science in a Democracy
Dozens of Stand Up for Science gatherings nationwide focused on the importance of science for federal policymaking.
Can deliberation save democracy?
By Vince Bzdek In September 2019, 523 Americans traveled to Dallas, Texas, for an experiment called “America in One Room.” The gathering was designed to test a theory: Could representative citizens deliberate productively even in an era of intense polarization? The event took place soon after the presidential primary and it focused on policy proposals […]
Can deliberation save democracy?
By Vince Bzdek In September 2019, 523 Americans traveled to Dallas, Texas, for an experiment called “America in One Room.” The gathering was designed to test a theory: Could representative citizens deliberate productively even in an era of intense polarization? The event took place soon after the presidential primary and it focused on policy proposals […]
Why We Fight for Science When Everything Is Going Sideways
The great experiment of American democracy is interwoven with science, innovation, and discovery.
Rally to Take Back Science happening Saturday in Missoula
Happening this Saturday in Missoula — a rally aimed at defending science, public health, and democracy.Stand Up for Science is hosting what they’re calling the
‘Scientific Thinking Belongs to Everyone’: Rush Holt on Science and Politics
Physicist and former Congressman Rush Holt spoke about science, democracy and returning scientific research to the public.
‘Scientific Thinking Belongs to Everyone’: Rush Holt on Science and Politics
Physicist and former Congressman Rush Holt spoke about science, democracy and returning scientific research to the public.
Tennessee women who carry on the legacy of changemakers before them
In Aug.1920, Tennessee newspapers declared “the political democracy of America” was “complete.” But Tennessee women are still fighting for change.
Election observers raise concerns over secret ballot breaches at Gorton and Denton byelection
Democracy Volunteers say they saw 32 cases of apparent collusion – the highest levels in its 10-year history
Public opinion is the strongest political force, Pelosi tells UVA audience
The UVA Center for Politics also presented U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi with its Defender of Democracy award.
US democracy has repaired itself before. Here’s how we can do it again.
Every 60 years, America remakes itself. We’re due.
Did the Constitution doom American democracy?
In 2015, Matt Yglesias predicted America’s political system would collapse. Did Trump prove him right?
Johnson Will Bring Daughter of Jimmy Lai to State of the Union Address
Her appearance underscores that “America is determined” to secure the release of the Hong Kong democracy activist, Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Ways to save liberal democracy — the pick of the latest political books
A welcome shot of serious thought about populism, a bold argument for citizen rule, Gordon Brown revisited — and a work by Cass Sunstein that all politicians should digest
Bring out the shy people: The case for politics without politicians
In a new book, political theorist Hélène Landemore argues that electoral politics is irredeemably broken but that democracy can be repaired by empowering ordinary people to govern.
Democracy, Politics And The Challenges Of Authoritarianism In South Korea
In Korea as in the United States, we need to investigate and understand what works and what does not.
Concerns over autocracy in the U.S. continue to grow
Is America still a democracy? Scholars tell NPR that after the last year under President Trump, the country has slid closer to autocracy or may already be there.
University researchers develop interactive website to compare legal, social science concepts
Researchers and policymakers can compare how other researchers from all around the world view concepts related to social science and law after University professors and graduate students launched a new platform, according to a Feb. 5 news release. The Sartori.network platform is part of a series of tools developed by the Concept Integration in Comparative...
Trump discovers that the road to autocracy is lined with potholes
The president just lost another battle in his war on democracy.
Science Rising
Scientists and science supporters are uniting in common cause to protect science and our democracy. Be part of it.
Do the Democrats Have a Plan?
They say they want to save democracy. First they’ll need to get out of their own way.
Platforms, Politics, and the Crisis of Democracy: Connective Action and the Rise of Illiberalism -
Platforms, Politics, and the Crisis of Democracy: Connective Action and the Rise of Illiberalism By W. Lance Bennett, University of Washington, and Steven Livingston, George Washington University Democratic backsliding, the slow erosion of institutions, processes, [...]
Trump has a plan to steal the midterms. It will probably fail.
The nightmare scenario for American democracy is no longer unthinkable.
Thai Reformist Politicians Face Lifetime Ban After Election Loss
More than three dozen former lawmakers of a pro-democracy party in Thailand face a lifetime ban from politics after the nation’s anti-graft agency found them in breach of ethical standards over a failed bid to amend the royal insult law.
Kids vote for fictional characters at Portugal’s presidential election
Super Mario and Roblox were among the candidates children could vote for in an exercise their parents hope will teach them about democracy.
How a pro-Israel super PAC made a losing bet to open Democratic primary season
United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with AIPAC, is expected to play a big role in Democratic primaries this year. It got off to a bad start in New Jersey on Thursday.
Analysis: FDR had the ‘Arsenal of Democracy.’ Hegseth has an ‘Arsenal of Freedom’
When Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted Americans to join the fight against the axis of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan in 1940, without actually entering the war, he called on Americans to pivot their economy to equip democracies around the world.
It’s Time to Pay Our Last Respects to The Washington Post
Democracy, the Post says, dies in darkness. Nowadays, newspapers are murdered in broad daylight.
Lee Hamilton, towering figure in national politics with deep ties to IU, dies at 94
Lee Hamilton, a 17-term congressman serving southern Indiana, whose foreign policy expertise, reverence for democracy, and bipartisan ideals made him a towering and highly respected figure in national politics, died Wednesday. He was 94.
Shaky political science: academics holding each other accountable
A rare occurrence: two academics call out two others for their sloppy and misleading research
Cleaner Politics Is as Important as Cleaner Fuels
A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.
Minneapolis is showing a new kind of anti-Trump resistance
Is this what democracy looks like?
Ken Burns describes how current politics ‘rhymes’ with the American Revolution: Full interview
Filmmaker Ken Burns joins Kristen Welker in a “Meet the Moment” conversation to dissect America's origin story and argues democracy was an “unintended consequence” of the American Revolution.
New message from top Democrats: The U.S. Justice Department can't be trusted
Leading Democrats' remarks that the U.S. Department of Justice cannot be trusted hold stunning implications for American democracy, and followed a week of equally stunning actions by the department.
Whole Hog Politics: Democrats find ‘reform’ a better rejoinder than ‘democracy’
[Watch Whole Hog Politics live: Join our live online audience on Jan. 30 and ask your questions to Chris Stirewalt and host Bill Sammon. Click here to join u…
Hundreds in Seattle, Olympia rally to show Trump ‘we are not powerless’
About 700 people turned out for a pair of rallies Tuesday afternoon in Seattle and Olympia, raising their voices against the "fear of losing our democracy."
UK politics ‘constantly suffering’ from online disinformation, says Labour MP
Emily Thornberry says risk posed to British democracy by bot farms and biased algorithms requires action
Curbing Misalignment in American Politics
A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.
Teaching About Schooling: Integrating Education Politics into Political Science Curricula -
Teaching About Schooling: Integrating Education Politics into Political Science Curricula By Cameron J. Arnzen, Brown University and Chloe B. O’Neill, Columbia University Education is a cornerstone of democracy, yet political science curricula rarely treat it [...]
Northampton mayor’s husband offers public apology after Stop & Shop altercation: ‘I was the weak link in our local democracy’
Scher’s apology, coming amid so much national political strife, also seemed to speak to a larger sense of keyed-up anxiety buzzing beneath everyday life in America.
How Artificial Intelligence Is Rewiring Democracy
Three books on politics and public life to read this month.
Institute of Global Politics Launches American Democracy Initiative
The project is led Columbia political economist Alexander Hertel-Fernandez.
Trump Family Businesses Rake in $4 Billion After His Reelection with Focus on AI, Crypto & Nuclear
Ventures launched by the Trump family since Donald Trump’s reelection have generated at least $4 billion in proceeds and paper wealth for the Trump family. With investments across sectors like real estate, hospitality, media, cryptocurrency and more, the Trumps are “increasingly integrating their business empire” into the wider U.S. economy, says David Uberti, who has been reporting on the family’s self-enrichment for The Wall Street Journal. The coupling of Trump’s economic and political influence is raising major questions about conflicts of interest. “You have all of these different business interests in different areas in which the government regulates,” and this “proximity to power may help along some of these deals and the valuations at which they’re made.” We look at the Trumps’ cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial and the Trump Organization’s planned $6 billion merger with a firm hoping to build a nuclear fusion plant to power AI data centers with Uberti, who says such “very speculative, highly risky corners of financial markets” are key to the family’s investment strategy.
Rick Scott sees democracy coming soon in Venezuela — and maybe Cuba next
He was joined at a Doral press conference by Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer and an ally of María Corina Machado.
Critical Education in the Age of Trump’s Fascist Politics
To protect democracy, the classroom must remain a space of freedom, not fear
A picture is emerging of how US sees its role ‘running’ Venezuela
President Donald Trump’s administration is working quickly to establish a pliant interim government in Venezuela following the dramatic capture of Nicolás Maduro, according to US officials, prioritizing administrative stability and repairing the country’s oil infrastructure over an immediate turn to democracy.