From the Magazine Office hours with Gretchen Helmke November 14, 2025 The 2025 Guggenheim Fellow on turning a passion for reading and writing into solving our most vexing political puzzles.
University News Gretchen Helmke named Guggenheim Fellow for political science April 16, 2025 The professor and Bright Line Watch cofounder’s research focuses on the rule of law and democratic erosion in the United States and Latin America.
Society & Culture 2022 midterm elections show a silver lining for US democracy December 22, 2022 A post-2022-midterm election poll by Bright Line Watch finds increased trust in the fairness of elections.
Society & Culture Bright Line Watch assesses American democracy on the eve of 2022 midterm elections November 5, 2022 Experts in Bright Line Watch poll see a high chance some Republican candidates will be unwilling to concede election losses.
Society & Culture What the midterm elections tell us about the stability of US democracy November 3, 2022 Rochester political scientists discuss what happens when election deniers run for office, and how US democracy may die ‘by a thousand cuts.’
Society & Culture One year on, Republicans still don’t consider Biden the rightful winner December 22, 2021 In their latest survey, Rochester political scientists in the Bright Line Watch watchdog group find divisions along partisan lines have notably deepened, and voters’ confidence in next year’s midterm elections has already been affected.
Society & Culture Why don’t all politicians resort to antidemocratic tactics to stay in power? December 8, 2021 A Rochester team of political scientists introduces the idea of ‘democracy by deterrence’—and shows why it might be weakening in the United States.
Society & Culture Republican and Democratic voters agree on one thing—the need for generous COVID-19 relief February 26, 2021 The latest Bright Line Watch survey finds that voters support COVID-19 relief spending, but partisan divides remain over the election and impeachment.
Society & Culture What does it mean if most Republican voters still think Biden lost? December 2, 2020 A new Bright Line Watch survey finds that fewer than a third of Republican voters have confidence in the national vote count.
Society & Culture Watchdog report: Experts see substantial danger to democratic stability around 2020 election October 28, 2020 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.