Political Science
John Aldrich is a professor of political science at Duke, where he specializes in American politics and behavior. He has written and contributed to several books, the most recent being “Change and Continuity in the 2020 Elections.” We asked him about changes in how the U.S. House of Representatives might operate after a contentious battle to elect a Republican speaker and related concessions Rep. Kevin McCarthy made to hardline Republicans in the House. Q: Just how impactful will be the new rule about a single member… read more about Explaining What the House’s New Rules Mean for This Congress »
Candis Watts Smith has been appointed to an 18-month term as interim vice provost for undergraduate education. In this role, she will provide strategic vision and leadership for the many facets of Duke’s undergraduate educational experience, and will lead the Office of Undergraduate Education and its initiatives to support student success, foster intellectual community, and facilitate experiential education for undergraduates. Smith begins her service this month, working alongside outgoing Vice Provost for Undergraduate… read more about Candis Watts Smith Appointed Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education »
With California Republican Kevin McCarthy losing multiple votes Tuesday to become speaker of the House, a final outcome may not come until Wednesday – and may result in a new candidate, a veteran political scientist said Tuesday. Until then, the work of the People’s House will mostly remain on hold. “The focus is now on Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) with no votes cast (these last two rounds) for Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana). This suggests that Jordan will be the second major figure for a while. He'd have to have a way… read more about Historic House Speaker Contest 'More Uncertain Than Ever' »
December Curtis Bram (Ph.D. '24) has accepted a tenure-track position at the University of Texas at Dallas Curtis Bram. 2022. "The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime: Focalism and Political Participation." Political Psychology. Alexander Kirshner. 2022. Legitimate Opposition. Yale University Press. Zeren Li and Melanie Manion. 2022. “The Decline of Factions: The Impact of a Broad Purge on Political Decision Making in China.” British Journal of Political Science. Hannah Ridge… read more about Scholarship and Milestones, 2022 »
The fourth episode of "Voices In Equity," produced by the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, discusses mass incarceration, race, and COVID-19, with special guest, Arvind Krishnamurthy. Krishnamurthy's research was featured in the Cook Center and Duke Press publication, "The Pandemic Divide: How COVID Increased Inequality in America.” Voices of Equity podcast read more about COVID-19, Race, and Mass Incarceration - Arvind Krishnamurthy's new study »
Hiding what we really think can have devastating social consequences, and helps explain the rise of Donald Trump, why Harvey Weinstein got away with it for so long, the unreliability of election polls, and much more. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation with Duke’s Timur Kuran. read more about Podcast: Timur Kuran on preference falsification, #metoo, US polarization and Trump's rise »
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed racial discrimination in voting, is widely understood to have “ushered in a new era of Black voter participation.” But according to a new study from Duke University political scientists Nicholas Eubank and Adriane Fresh, it also had a serious unintended consequence. read more about Adriane Fresh's new research in Q&A: White backlash to the Voting Rights Act led Southern states to imprison more Black people »
It may take weeks before the country knows which party will control the U.S. Senate, but the 2022 midterms elections already provided Duke political science, policy science and history scholars with a lot to think about. The faculty spoke at a special briefing open to media and the public at the Sanford School of Public Policy Wednesday, covering topics from Republican party leadership to the role abortion and other hot-button issues played in the election results. Panelists included: Kerry Haynie, professor of political… read more about Duke Experts Offer Takeaways from the Midterm Elections »
D. Sunshine Hillygus is a professor of political science at Duke and director of the Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology. Through her research studying voter surveys, Hillygus investigates voter perspectives to determine why people vote the way they do. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported Hillygus’s ongoing research throughout her career, including the research that culminated in her 2020 book, Making Young Voters: Converting Civic Attitudes into Civic Action,… read more about Federal Funding in Action: Sunshine Hillygus and National Voting Studies »
The recent death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, while in the custody of Iranian authorities has sparked a massive wave of protests – both online and in the streets. There are echoes of the past in this new wave of protests along with a very clear demand for freedom and bodily autonomy, three Duke scholars said Thursday in a virtual media briefing. (Watch the briefing on YouTube.) Here are excerpts: ON IMPETUS FOR IRAN PROTESTS Negar Mottahedeh, Middle Eastern Studies scholar “There’s 40… read more about Protests Grow More Frequent As Young Iranians Demand More Freedoms, Experts Say »