Tag: Department of Political Science
Campaign finance reform will not restore trust in democracy, say two social scientists
Proposed campaign finance legislation is “riddled with claims that do not hold up when subjected to scientific scrutiny,” argues Rochester political scientist David Primo.
Republican and Democratic voters agree on one thing—the need for generous COVID-19 relief
The latest Bright Line Watch survey finds that voters support COVID-19 relief spending, but partisan divides remain over the election and impeachment.
What does it mean if most Republican voters still think Biden lost?
A new Bright Line Watch survey finds that fewer than a third of Republican voters have confidence in the national vote count.
Watchdog report: Experts see substantial danger to democratic stability around 2020 election
The latest Bright Line Watch surveys find experts concerned about multiple risks to the legitimacy of the election, while many Americans believe in the prevalence of voter fraud.
Should secret voting be mandatory? ‘Yes’ say political scientists
In a new book, two scholars argue that making voting more convenient does not combat low voter turnout but instead jeopardizes the integrity of the ballot.
How to make sense of 2020’s unusual election season
Rochester political scientists say concerns about this year’s electoral process are challenging some fundamental ideas about the nation.
NFL owners are now willing to support players’ protests
“[T]he National Football League’s newfound appreciation for its players’ civil rights gestures is likely to be tested by the election season and by fans’ spending power,” says political scientist Bethany Lacina.
Déjà vu: What happens to America when one candidate wins the popular vote but not the Electoral College?
Political scientists explore how the November election will be viewed if there’s a split between the popular vote and the Electoral College count.
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.