
Gretchen Helmke named Guggenheim Fellow for political science
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.

2022 midterm elections show a silver lining for US democracy
A post-2022-midterm election poll by Bright Line Watch finds increased trust in the fairness of elections.

Bright Line Watch assesses American democracy on the eve of 2022 midterm elections
Experts in Bright Line Watch poll see a high chance some Republican candidates will be unwilling to concede election losses.

What the midterm elections tell us about the stability of US democracy
Rochester political scientists discuss what happens when election deniers run for office, and how US democracy may die ‘by a thousand cuts.’

One year on, Republicans still don’t consider Biden the rightful winner
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.

Why don’t all politicians resort to antidemocratic tactics to stay in power?
A Rochester team of political scientists introduces the idea of ‘democracy by deterrence’—and shows why it might be weakening in the United States.

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.

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.