
Watchdog report: US democratic indicators plummet amid racial justice protests and pandemic
Latest Bright Line Watch analysis finds erosion “across the board” on measures of democratic principles and how well the US is abiding by them.

Voting by mail limits the spread of COVID-19. But is the ballot really secret?
While voting by mail would allow tens of millions of people to participate safely in this fall’s election, it carries its own risk to the integrity of the voting, say the authors of a forthcoming book on secret balloting.

Corporate money in politics threatens US democracy—or does it?
In a new book, Rochester political scientist David Primo and his coauthor argue that the influence of campaign financing is misunderstood by voters, policymakers, the media, and political analysts.

Expert team creates training manual to help providers recognize fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
University of Rochester experts have helped develop a handbook for health care providers to recognize and diagnose fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

How to clean and disinfect—the right way
As businesses and other aspects of the economy open up, xxperts at the Medical Center offer tips for how to clean and disinfect your home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why ‘playing hard to get’ may actually work
“Playing hard to get makes it seem as if you are more in demand—we call that having higher mate value,” says Harry Reis, a University of Rochester psychologist who collaborated on a new study that examined the mating strategy.

Historian: US once saw World Health Organization as part of foreign policy
When the World Health Organization was founded, the United States saw it as an extension of US foreign policy, says a University of Rochester historian.

Reading your partner’s emotions correctly when it matters
A new study shows that couples who accurately perceive appeasement emotions, such as embarrassment, have better relationships than those who feel anger or contempt.

Theodore Brown receives Lifetime Achievement Award from American Association for the History of Medicine
Over the course of his distinguished career, the professor emeritus of history and public health sciences has “advanced the cutting edge of medical historical scholarship and shaped the work of other historians.”

Women quotas in politics lead to unintended consequences
Female electoral quota systems are designed to increase the representation of women in politics, but may curtail representation in other respects, Rochester political scientists find.