political science

Political Scientist Skocpol: "Stop the Steal" is Metaphor for White Resentment

"They believe that urban people, metropolitan people—disproportionately young and minorities, to be sure, but frankly liberal whites—are an illegitimate brew that’s changing America."

Oxford Scholar Challenges "Realist" Assessment of West's Role in Russia's Invasion

by Adam Roberts

While the propsal to include Ukraine and Georgia in NATO was undoubtedly viewed unfavorably in the Kremlin, there are too many factors involved to make it a sufficient explanation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Why does Biden's Term Register as a Disappointment? We've Misread the Political Regime Cycle

by Corey Robin

The author was among those who thought Joe Biden might seize a "reconstructive moment" to push aside the social austerity politics of the Reagan Revolution. The problem hasn't been Biden's will, but the disproportionate obstructive power conservatives still hold. 

Direct Action: The Practical Politics of Protest

by Erin Pineda

"Protesters may be a loud minority of citizens, a set of especially motivated and impassioned individuals who are in many ways not representative of the general public. But the silent majority of voters are not as disconnected from—or dismissive of—protest as many assume."

The Lost Promise of Black Study

by Andrew J. Douglas and Jared Loggins

Atlanta's Institute of the Black World struggled to negotiate its mission to theorize and document Black oppression and resistance without being captured or controlled by outside institutions, including the established historically Black colleges in Atlanta. Its history raises difficult and important questions about the relationship of universities and freedom today.

The Republican Party of Virginia isn't Happy with Larry Sabato's Tweets

"Offering a response to Anderson’s criticism, Sabato tweeted Thursday night: 'Thanks to the Republicans for the hearty laugh you’ve given me...There goes my reserved seat at your next #insurrection'."

Fears of White People Losing Out Permeate Capitol Rioters’ Towns, Study Finds

Political scientist Robert Pape's work suggests that the prime driver of participation in the Capitol Riots was a sense that the election result reflected a threat to the power and influence of whites in American culture, with familiar echoes to racist and nativist movements of the past. 

Will Insurrection Lead to Terrorism?

by Martha Crenshaw

An expert on terrorism and political violence looks to other examples of insurrection to ask what the hardcore extremists at the center of the Capitol riots are likely to do next. Such groups and the recruits they gained on January 6 are likely to become more isolated, but more extreme, and have access to guns unlike any other extremists in the world.

What Makes A One-Term President?

by Julia Azari

In earlier eras, one-term presidencies were more the rule than the exception, but Donald Trump is a rarity among modern presidents in losing his bid for reelection. A scholar of the presidency examines the shift.

A Political Scientist Analyzes Why Trump Will Likely Lose the Government Shutdown

by John A. Tures

One of the biggest myths about government shutdowns is that presidents usually win.

AHA protests Senate initiative to restrict political science research funding

On March 20, 2013, the United States Senate approved an amendment offered by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, which would restrict the use of federal funds in the National Science Foundation’s Political Science Program. In response, the Council of the American Historical Association approved the following statement of concern:The American Historical Association vigorously opposes the recent Senate appropriations amendment restricting National Science Foundation funding for research in political science to specific topics. The amendment, which requires the agency to limit funding to projects which it can certify “as promoting national security or the economic interests of the United States,” is wrong-headed in many ways.First, the amendment represents an intrusion by politicians into the well-established and generally successful peer-review process by which the agency reviews grant applications. Peer review ensures that grant decisions are made by individuals with the necessary expertise through a  reliable, widely accepted, process which minimizes bias. Imposing even innocuous-sounding political criteria for research compromises the autonomy that is necessary for intellectual progress—the first responsibility of the National Science Foundation.