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Parents warn RCSD budget could weaken student mental health services
Parents told RCSD leaders budget cuts could harm vulnerable students, even as officials said some positions have been restored.
iSchool Doctoral Students and Faculty Team Explore AI Use in Healthcare at KCHC
How does artificial intelligence (AI) impact how people take care of their health? On April 2-4, Florida State University (FSU) School of Information (iSchool) Ph.D. candidate Yuanying Pang addressed this question, representing her research team at the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication (KCHC) in Lexington, Kentucky. Their poster presentation, “Understanding How People Use Generative AI…
How creepy crawlies can unlock science curiosity for young learners
Insects and bugs can provide an inroad to lessons on nature while helping students — and sometimes teachers — overcome fears in the process.
How creepy crawlies can unlock science curiosity for young learners
Insects and bugs can provide an inroad to lessons on nature while helping students — and sometimes teachers — overcome fears in the process.
UTC Rollins College of Business student earns JPMorgan internship
Ethan Tidwell has always dreamed of working in New York City. This summer, he will finally have the opportunity through a two-month internship with JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York City.
Prominent Sports Investor Discusses Leadership and the Business of Team Success - University of New Haven
As part of the University of New Haven’s Sports Leadership Exchange Speaker Series, President Jens Frederiksen hosted business leader and sports executive Marc Lasry, who offered lessons on building strong teams, creating positive culture, and turning passion into long-term success.
Los Angeles Residents to Gain Faster Access to New Affordable Housing through Health Net's $10 Million Investment in "Guarantee Fund"
Partnership with LA4LA will accelerate construction of affordable and mixed-use housing across LA County SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Net, one of California's most...
Columbia Business School’s Community Impact Club Builds on a Legacy of Student Volunteerism in Harlem
The club’s co-presidents, Leticia De Mattei Goncalves (BUS’26) and William Szczecinski (BUS’26), discuss making a local impact while pursuing their MBAs.
Destigmatizing mental health for medical students
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated high rates of depression and anxiety in medical students. Medical schools are expanding mental health services to help.
Christian nationalists more likely to oppose gun regulations and support political violence, study finds
A new article finds that for Christian nationalists with a high gun-owner identity, there is an instilled culture of personal and community protection that makes them more likely to endorse extreme actions like violence.
College of Health and Human Development names spring 2026 student marshals
Hannah Bucher, a health policy and administration major, and Nicholas Eppley, a nutritional sciences major, will serve as the college marshals for the Penn State College of Health and Human Development’s spring 2026 commencement ceremony.
Morehouse medical students connect environment, public health during Earth Day cleanup on the Beltline
Romanian President Holds Talks to Save Government From Collapse
Romanian President Nicusor Dan is holding talks with coalition parties to salvage the country’s teetering pro-European government, with the nation’s investment grade and billions of euros in European Union funding potentially hinging on the outcome.
D.C.’s No Good, Very Bad Week Keeps Getting Worse | WSJ Politics Newsletter for April 22
Plus, Warsh pressed on financial disclosures during confirmation hearing and a probe into intelligence officers who investigated President Trump heats up
Bullying, Politics Harm Mental Health Of Gender-Diverse Teens
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, April 22, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Gender-diverse teenagers who are bullied are more likely to suffer escalating psychological distress than other teens, particularly if they live in a state with repressive gender identity laws, a new study says. These ...
RJEMS Science stars shine bright
The students of Robert J. Elkington Middle School (RJEMS) have concluded one of their most successful science fair seasons to date. From testing hockey flex to investigating water filtrations, students
AEG Presents and Goldenvoice Spotlight Careers in Live Entertainment at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
More than 100 local high school students gained a behind-the-scenes look at careers in live entertainment when AEG Presents and Goldenvoice hosted a career exposure day at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA on April 15, 2026.
Trump blasted Obama’s Iran deal. Now he faces similar tradeoffs.
As U.S. envoys pursue peace talks, the president confronts persistent sticking points: sanctions relief, enrichment limits and the risk of empowering Tehran.
Inside Missouri’s first statewide science and engineering competition
Springfield-area students earned spots at the International Science & Engineering Fair after winning top honors at Show‑Me SCIENCE.
The nine justices are increasingly building their own personal brands outside the court
The Supreme Court has long presented itself as a uniform group of justices, all sheathed in long black robes. Its rulings are the product of a collective majority. And when justices refer to a precedent, they speak reverently of “The Court.”
Ramstein Students Become Environmental Detectives for a Day
Ramstein, Germany– Seventh and eighth graders at Ramstein Middle School recently solved an environmental mystery with the help of local experts. Scienti...
Is Bangladesh killing reforms introduced after student-led protests?
A new parliament has cancelled several reforms that were brought in after Hasina's ouster to improve accountability.
Westgate Las Vegas’ SuperBook to be operated by Caesars Entertainment
The transition will expand offerings at the popular destination while preserving its identity.
At 25, INSAR needs to bring autism scientists together more than ever
As the International Society for Autism Research’s annual meeting in Prague this week celebrates its quarter-century anniversary, its president reflects on the field’s past successes, current challenges and needs for the future
Carter, Muller Earn Top Business Student Awards
Josiah Carter of Sanford, Fla., and Ashley Muller of Cabot received the top two annual student awards presented by the Arkansas Tech University LeMoyne Smith School of Business during an awards reception at Chambers Cafeteria West Dining Room on Tuesday, April 21. Carter is the winner of the 2026 ATU…
5 takeaways from the Virginia redistricting vote
Tuesday’s vote makes the tit-for-tat redistricting war that’s played out over the past several months something close to a draw. Republicans could still come out with a slight advantage if Florida passes a new map in the coming weeks. But what’s clear is that it seems the fight launched by President Donald Trump hasn’t landed Republicans near the advantage they might have imagined it would last year.
Kayleigh McEnany: Politicians have been ‘lying to you’
‘Saturday in America’ host Kayleigh McEnany discusses the Democratic Party’s stance on the Iran conflict and President Donald Trump’s response on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Defends Spending Cuts to Health Agencies
Kennedy appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the President’s 2027 budget.
Why President Trump extended his ceasefire with Iran
President Donald Trump huddled with his national security team Tuesday afternoon at the White House facing a major decision: what to do next with Iran.
Euclid Space Warps – help us hunt for galaxy-galaxy lense
“Space Warps,” the new citizen science project on the Zooniverse platform, aims to identify gravitational lensing in Euclid data and study dark matter.
WATCH: Trump addresses NCAA Collegiate National Champions at White House
President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his call for Congress to pass legislation that would rein in college sports at a time athletes are allowed to move freely from school to school and command salaries that put athletic departments in financial peril.
Trump repeats call for Congress to rein in college sports
President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his call for Congress to pass legislation that would rein in college sports at a time athletes are allowed to move freely from school to school and command salaries that put athletic departments in...
Trump repeats call for Congress to rein in college sports
President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his call for Congress to pass legislation that would rein in college sports at a time athletes are allowed to move freely from school to school and command salaries that put athletic departments in...
Adios to Another Member of Trump’s Esteemed Cabinet
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer faces multiple misconduct allegations, further disproving that the president has hired “nothing but the best people.”
How Al Gore Politicized Climate Science
An Inconvenient Truth turns 20 next month. In the 2006 documentary, former vice president Al Gore argued that human-driven climate change was an urgent, civilization-threatening crisis. The film became a cultural phenomenon, winning two Academy Awards and making climate change one of the defining political issues of our time. I am sure that there will be many retrospectives seeking to relitigate the scientific claims in the film. But the far more important anniversary story is not about the accuracy of any of Gore’s individual claims but rather about what the film helped to unleash in the scientific community: bringing partisan politics into the institutions of science. Gore did not simply make a film about climate change: He implored the scientific community to join him in overt climate advocacy. The fuel that Gore added to the fire of pathological politicization of the climate science community is the most important legacy of An Inconvenient Truth. Almost three years after the film’s release, Gore took the stage at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)—the country’s largest and most prominent scientific organization—and delivered something much closer to a revival sermon than a scientific lecture. Gore told the assembled scientists that they could no longer “in good conscience accept this division between the work you do and the civilization in which you live.” His directive was clear:
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” crew member severely injured during production
The accident happened in a workshop at Sky Studios Elstree in the U.K.
Computer Science Student Deemed 'Wizard' For Tech Acumen
Seeing Sierra Brandt’s technological magic in action led Erica Cullwell to dub Brandt “The Departmental Wizard” of the Career Center.Not only was Brandt able to resolve a longstanding problem for the Career Center, her solution will support Cal State San Marcos students for years to come.Brandt is a transfer student from MiraCosta Communit...
Local student turns science into savings
At a time when many students are just beginning to explore the basics of science, Thomas Jones, current 8th grade student at Lincoln County Middle School, is already applying advanced […]
Approval of Trump on economy falls in new AP-NORC poll, as Iran war drives up prices
The findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research show a president who is struggling with unfulfilled promises to tame inflation and testing Americans’ patience with a conflict in the Middle East that has dragged on longer than expected.
Walz: ‘Next Democratic president better figure out a way to get universal health care’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) advised the next Democratic president to focus on passing universal healthcare, a policy measure that has been hotly debated within the party in recent years. “We have t…
How Tim Cook’s Tech Uniform Helped Make Apple Trillions
The unassuming look of the outgoing Apple chief executive was an asset, as he navigated pop culture, the president and following Steve Jobs.
Myanmar’s military government rebuffed on peace talks offer
Min Aung Hlaing elected by parliament as president earlier this month after election derided as a sham.
FBI probes missing or dead scientists, including four from the L.A. area
President Trump told reporters last week that he had been briefed on the missing and dead scientists, which he described as “pretty serious stuff.”
Five Things Learned at Fed Nominee Warsh's Senate Hearing
April 21 (Reuters) - In testimony Tuesday at the Senate Banking Committee, Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh never said if he agrees with President Donald Trump's view that the Fed's policy rate is too high and should be cut. No lawmaker asked him that directly. But Warsh's two and a half ...
Prudential Financial Stock Is Falling on Report of Potential Misconduct at Japan Insurer
Shares were down 6% in Tuesday trading.
Speakers reflect luncheon’s ‘Timeless’ theme in words, actions
MILE HIGH UNITED WAY Denver News: The theme for the Mile High United Way’s 47th Women United Luncheon was “Timeless,” and Academy Award-winning actress Mary Steenburgen, president/CEO Christine Benero and honoree Arlene Hirschfeld thoughtfully and purposefully shared how the actions of today create ripples of change that can last forever. “One of the best ways to be outside your comfort zone is to volunteer,” Steenburgen said. “Saying yes to something is […]
U.S. Abruptly Rescinds Subpoenas in John Brennan Inquiry
The vacillation came after the Justice Department replaced a career prosecutor with a loyalist to President Trump in the administration’s effort to charge the former C.I.A. chief with a crime.
WATCH: Padilla Slams Energy Secretary Wright on Cuts to Science Funding in Proposed Budget, Political Cancellation of California Hydrogen Hub Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, questioned Energy Secretary Chris Wright about President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2027 proposed budget for the Department of Energy and its drastic cuts to science funding. “Your budget cuts the Office of Science’s funding by $1.1 billion. […]
Live Nation Entertainment Schedules First Quarter 2026 Earnings Release And Teleconference
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV), the world's leading live entertainment company, will release its first quarter 2026 financial results after market hours on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment's President and Chief Executive Officer, will host a teleconference that day at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m.…
Live Nation Entertainment Schedules First Quarter 2026 Earnings Release And Teleconference
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV), the world's leading live entertainment company, will release its first quarter 2026 financial results after market hours on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment's President and Chief Executive Officer, will host a teleconference that day at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET) to discuss the company's financial performance, operational outlook, and other forward-looking matters.
What Is It Like to Be an AI in Business Master's Student?
Learn why professionals are studying AI in business, what it’s like to be a student in BU’s AI business degree and how to determine if this program is right for you.
Judge tosses Bradenton Times defamation suit against Manatee REC over Charlie Kirk texts
'That is exactly what the First Amendment protects, and we are pleased the court recognized that here.'
Politics of the Past, Politics of the Future
M. Gessen encourages the audience to embrace their freedom in a UCSB Arts & Lectures series talk.
Carderock Scientists Inspire Future Innovators at Calvert County MESA Day
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) representatives engaged with students in a rural Maryland community during the Calvert County MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) Day at Huntingtown High School, April 9. Through an inspiring keynote speech and a live demonstration of a Boston Dynamics robot dog, Carderock scientists highlighted pathways to naval engineering careers, reinforcing the Navy's commitment to building the future STEM workforce by bridging the distance to underserved communities.
Fed chair nominee on 2020 election winner: 'Keep politics out of monetary policy'
Federal Reserve chairman nominee Kevin Warsh said Tuesday when asked who won the 2020 presidential election, "Keep politics out of monetary policy."
Fed chair nominee on 2020 election winner: 'Keep politics out of monetary policy'
Federal Reserve chairman nominee Kevin Warsh said Tuesday when asked who won the 2020 presidential election, "Keep politics out of monetary policy."
Fed chair nominee on 2020 election winner: 'Keep politics out of monetary policy'
Federal Reserve chairman nominee Kevin Warsh said Tuesday when asked who won the 2020 presidential election, "Keep politics out of monetary policy."
Three URI students awarded prestigious National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships
KINGSTON, R.I. – April 21, 2026 – Three students from the University of Rhode Island were selected from a highly competitive pool of candidates for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program for the 2026-27 academic year. David Amirsadri and Colby Constantine, who earned bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering from URI last spring, and […]
Science Research Students Present at Terra NYC Semifinals
By DORIS CHEN and YUEHAN DAI Nineteen Midwood students showcased months of independent research at the Terra NYC STEM Fair on March 1 at Stuyvesant High School, with 12 groups being part of the semifinals and one group making it to the finals. Seniors Charlotte Maloney and Karen Zevelev
Mining investors jittery about politics in Peru as vote count drags on, analysts say
Investors in Peru's copper and gold mines are worried about the country's presidential vote count that has been slowed by allegations of irregularities, yet analysts expect the sector to weather the election with limited direct impact.
School of Health Professions Students Collaborate at IPE Day
Stony Brook University's School of Health Professions hosted an interprofessional education event that provided students with hands-on collaboration.
Apex High senior makes return to soccer after cancer diagnosis
After being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma her senior year, an Apex High student is back on the field — and finishing the season she once thought was over.
Trump approval is falling into George W. Bush territory
Twenty years ago, the bottom began to fall out on George W. Bush’s approval ratings due to the Iraq war. President Donald Trump is seeing similar problems with Iran.
Mizzou revamps student ticket system
Mizzou Athletics announced sweeping changes to the ticket-distrubution system for students that will go into affect in the 2026-2027 school year. The department wanted to create a more just system
Warsh vows to keep monetary policy independent of politics
STORY: :: Fed chief nominee Warsh vows to keep monetary policy independent of politics:: Washington, D.C. / April 21, 2026:: Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve chief nominee“Monetary policy independence is essential. Monetary policymakers must act in the nation's interest. Their decision is the product of rigor, deliberation and unclouded decision-making. And as Senator Warren said, I do not believe that independence of monetary policy is threatened when elected officials state their views on rates. Fed independence is up to the Fed." // :: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Democrat on Senate Banking Committee“So, independence takes courage. Let's check out your independence and your courage. We'll start easy. Mr. Warsh, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?”WARSH: “Um, we try to keep politics, if I’m confirmed, out of the Federal Reserve.”WARREN: “I’m just asking you a factual question. I need to know. I need to measure your independence and your courage.”WARSH: “Senator, I believe that this body certified that election many years ago.”WARREN: “That’s not the question I’m asking. I’m asking did Donald Trump lose in 2020?”WARSH: “And I’m suggesting to you in 2020…”WARREN: “I’m suggesting you can’t answer that.”WARSH: “… the Fed had a huge inflation problem, and you certified the election…[crosstalk]… let’s keep the politics out of monetary policy.” //WARREN: "Just one little place where you disagree with Donald Trump.”WARSH: “Well, I do have a disagreement actually, Senator, with the president. I think even this morning, he said that he thought I was out of central casting. I think central casting, I'd look older, grayer, maybe show up here with a cigar of sorts.”WARREN: “Quite adorable. But, you know, we need a Fed chair who is independent. That's the only way we preserve the independence of the Federal Reserve. If you can't answer these questions, you don't have the courage and you don't have the independence.”In a confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee that quickly hinted at major changes to come at a Warsh-led Fed, the 56-year-old lawyer and financier blamed the central bank for an inflation surge in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to hurt U.S. households.Warsh's hearing quickly turned contentious. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren pressed Warsh on his independence and "courage", saying President Donald Trump had made clear Warsh would be his "sock puppet".
ARPA-H announces first research teams for $139 million initiative to transform behavioral health and bring new, more precise and effective treatments to Americans
The EVIDENT initiative builds on the Trump Administration’s executive order to accelerate medical treatments for serious mental illness.
Health Youth Corps Showcase held at Fresno City College
Dozens of students across Fresno County are taking action to help educate the public with their year-long research projects.
CommUnity Conference to spotlight civic health, engagement across Wisconsin and beyond
The University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh will bring together students, community members and civic leaders for a day of dialogue, learning and connection at the upcoming CommUnity Conference, focused on strengthening civic health at the local, state and global levels.
'Sports come second': Student-athletes work to balance between classroom, competition
For many college athletes, balancing academics and athletics isn’t achieved through last-minute emails or excuses about missed assignments.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill endorses Julia Letlow for U.S. Senate
Murrill joins Gov. Jeff Landry and President Donald Trump in backing Letlow. It’s a rare case of prominent Republican officials supporting a challenge against a member of their own party.
St. Mary's alumnus, student share value of actuarial science
The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with a Concentration in Actuarial Science is one of four Math degrees offered at St. Mary’s University.
AHA chair speaks at Politico Health Care Summit
Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and 2026 AHA board chair, spoke today at POLITICO’s Health Care Summit about health care affordability.
APSU alum Hannah Richards becomes Vanderbilt’s first Schmidt Science Fellow
When Hannah Richards first declared chemistry as her major at Austin Peay State University, she was "100% confident" she would change it.
Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a DOJ criminal probe over paid informants
The Alabama-based civil rights organization made the announcement Tuesday, saying President Donald Trump's administration appears to be preparing legal action against it or its employees.
Experts Confront Misinformation and AI Risks at National Public Health Week
From artificial intelligence (AI) to misinformation, public health leaders say the next crisis may be as much about communication as it is about disease. At Hofstra University’s School of Health Sciences’ (SHS) “Public Health Preparedness: Identifying Risks and Crisis Response Strategies” panel,
St. Thomas Names New CFO and VP for Business Affairs - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas
The University of St. Thomas has announced Wade Holmberg ’09 MA as its new chief financial officer and vice president for business affairs.
Fact check: Trump makes false claims about inflation and birthright citizenship
President Donald Trump made false claims about inflation and birthright citizenship in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday morning.
Fiscal Year 2026 Government Funding: A Breakdown For Small Business
Earlier this year, President Trump signed into law a package funding every government agency except DHS for the remainder of FY2026, which ends on September 30.
Former Surgeon General Backs CDC Nominee, But Questions Remain on Vaccines
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A former U.S. surgeon general is weighing in on the president’s pick to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling Dr. Erica Schwartz highly qualified while warning of some potential ...
Global health forward: Navigating scarcity in a fractured world through solidarity, equity, and shared responsibility
At the 2026 Global Health Symposium, hosted by the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) on April 16, policymakers, practitioners, academics, and students gathered around a central idea: achieving global health equity in an age of scarcity requires moving from fragmented systems to shared responsibility.
Oberlin Launches Rotberg Lecture in African Politics with April 22 Inaugural Talk | Oberlin College and Conservatory
Oberlin College and Conservatory has established the Robert I. Rotberg ’55 and Fiona J. Y. Rotberg ’90 Annual Lecture in African Politics, a new endowed series that will bring leading scholars to campus each year.The lecture series is designed to expand opportunities for students and the broader community to engage with the study of political development across the African continent—past, present, and future—while also reflecting Oberlin’s longstanding connections to influential African leaders and thinkers.
From Donald Trump to Jacob Frey — has politics lost its profanity filter?
If there was ever a set of rules for politicians interfacing with the public, steadfast avoidance of profanity might have been at the very top of such a list. Robert’s Rules of Order, which are often invoked in political spaces, certainly prohibit personal insults, including profanity. But these are new times. Just last week, President Donald Trump […]
Former Southern Miss president and polymer science pioneer Shelby Thames dies at 89
The University of Southern Mississippi is mourning the loss of one of its former presidents.
Americans killed in Mexico car crash following drug raid worked for the CIA, sources say
The two US embassy officials who died in a car accident in Mexico on Sunday worked for the CIA and had been collaborating with Mexican officials on expanded counternarcotics operations in the country, two people briefed on the matter confirmed to CNN.
Just Two Years After Opening, Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital - Miller Family Campus in Lehi is Expanding to Meet Growing Demand for Pediatric Care
Just two years after opening, Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital - Miller Family Campus in Lehi has become a critical access point for pediatric trauma care and specialty services for children closer to home for residents in fast-growing communities in Utah County and Southern Salt Lake County.Since opening in 2024, Intermountain...
Two Gladiators, One Ambition | Council on Foreign Relations
There is the opposition to President Bola Tinubu, and then there is Atiku Abubakar.
FBI investigating possible links between deaths and disappearances of at least 10 scientists
The law enforcement agency’s announcement came after President Donald Trump highlighted the recent deaths of several scientists and government workers who may have had access to sensitive information
NASA's Mars rover finds new organic matter in crater
NASA's Curiosity rover has identified more organic compounds as scientists investigate any potential ancient life signs on Mars. It was exploring the massive Gale Crater also believed to be a now-dry lake.
Sports extravaganza brings international military students together at Fort Lee
FORT LEE, Va. — It was a hot day, but that didn’t stop the energy on the field.Laughter and competition filled the air as international military studen...
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
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