Tag: Politics

Navigating the holiday season: MSU experts can comment

sarah JonasFeature Expert

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Not necessarily. We all know that the holidays can cause stress and angst as we cook, shop, entertain and spend time with family and friends we may not see often. Michigan State University experts offer suggestions on navigating the holiday — from the economy and food prices to religion and spirituality to health and relationships.

MSU expert: What the history of lame-duck presidents can tell us about President Biden’s final actions

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Jordan Cash is an assistant professor of political theory and constitutional democracy at Michigan State University’s James Madison College. Here, he answers questions about the history of lame-duck presidents in the U.S. and what it suggests about how President Biden could spend his final days.

This Halloween, What Are New Jersey Voters Really Afraid Of? More Than Half Say the 2024 Election.

sarah JonasResearch Results

When asked how the upcoming 2024 presidential election makes them feel, a majority of New Jersey voters express some kind of dread, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.   Fifty-seven percent say something about being anxious (15%), nervous (14%), uneasy (12%), scared (12%) or worried (4%). Eight percent cite being excited, optimistic or hopeful.

Will Celebrity Endorsements Sway the Presidential Election?

sarah JonasFeature

With the race so close, will celebrity endorsements actually shift the outcome of the election by swaying undecided voters or increasing turnout? Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Newhouse director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, weighs in.

Historian’s latest book explores America’s road to political dysfunction

sarah JonasFeature

The Path to Paralysis: How American Politics Became Nasty, Dysfunctional, and a Threat to the Republic, released in mid-October by Anthem Press, examines the changes in political culture that have moved the United States from The Great Society to the U.S. Capitol Insurrection in less than 60 years. Polarization and toxicity are now common in a country that is 50/50 red/blue, and “compromise” is considered a dirty word.

Q&A: New book shows how innovation inequality fuels America’s political divide

sarah JonasFeature Expert

Victor Menaldo, UW professor of political science, co-authored the forthcoming book, “U.S. Innovation Inequality and Trumpism.” The book focuses on how former President Donald Trump — like other populists that came before him — exploits ‘innovation inequality,” or the divide between areas that are more technologically advanced and those that aren’t.

Political Candidates Who Fight Climate Change Stand to Benefit in Election

sarah JonasResearch Results

Nearly 52% of Floridians favor candidates who reduce climate impacts. About 68% believe the state should take more action on climate issues and and 67% feel the federal government should as well. Notably, 88% acknowledge climate change is occurring. About 75% of respondents advocate for a diversified energy mix to include more electricity produced by renewable sources. Nearly 73% of respondents worry about home energy expenses and nearly 58% are concerned about being able to afford and maintain homeowners’ insurance due to climate change.

How to Steal an Election: New UW course examines democracy’s vulnerability

sarah JonasFeature Expert

James Long, University of Washington professor of political science, launched a new course this quarter. “How to Steal an Election” highlights the types of politicians who try to steal elections, and how and what can be done to secure them.

Political scientist explores extending constitutional duties to private actors

sarah JonasResearch Results

New research from Christina Bambrick, the Filip Family Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, explores the nonconventional idea that each of us, as private citizens, may be responsible for upholding the constitutional rights of our fellow citizens. She examines constitutional politics across the globe to explore these different approaches to balancing rights and responsibilities in a democratic society.

Mental health and self-care during election season: MSU experts can comment

sarah JonasFeature Expert

MSU experts can comment on the role emotions play during election season and how to take care of yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the news.

Ukrainian public opinion on compromise with Russia changing, researcher explains

sarah JonasFeature Expert

Two years and seven months into the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces, the attitudes of the Ukrainian people toward ending the war are reluctantly shifting. Virginia Tech international affairs expert Gerard Toal has researched Ukrainian public opinion for a decade. His most recent findings indicate that more Ukrainians have become open to entering into negotiations with Russia.

Insight into Massachusetts Ballot Question 5: Minimum wage for tipped workers

sarah JonasFeature

A report released today by the Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life assesses the likely impact of Massachusetts Ballot Question 5, which would phase out the “tipped minimum wage.” If Question 5 passes, businesses will need to directly pay the full $15 minimum wage for their tipped workers.

Energy companies pressure landowners into fracking, study shows

sarah JonasResearch Results

Energy companies use persistent and personalized pressure to get landowners to give permission for hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and even when landowners decline, companies use legalized compulsion to conduct fracking anyway, according to a new study led by researchers at UNLV and Binghamton University, State University of New York.

U.S. Historian Available to Share Insight on Joe Biden’s Withdrawal from Presidential Race

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

ALBANY, N.Y. (July 22, 2024) — In a historic move, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race after mounting calls for him to end his reelection bid. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s…

FAU and Mainstreet Research Poll of Battleground States Highlights Partisan Divide on Top Issues, Trump Conviction

sarah JonasFeature

A new poll of voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, often considered battleground states, highlights the partisan divide on important issues and on the legal case against former U.S. President Donald Trump.

People who hold populist beliefs are more likely to believe misinformation about COVID – new report

sarah JonasResearch Results

Over a fifth of Americans and Poles surveyed believed that COVID-19 vaccines can change people’s DNA.
And more than half of Serbian people believed that natural immunity from COVID was better than being vaccinated.
These figures come from a new report which examines the effects of populism on misinformation and other aspects of crisis communication around the coronavirus pandemic.

Getting out of the political echo chamber

sarah JonasResearch Results

Civilized political debates may seem increasingly out of reach as democracies across the world face rising polarization, but people still want to discuss issues with people they disagree with – especially those who present themselves as balanced and willing to seek solutions that work for everyone or open to learning new information, according to two studies published by the American Psychological Association.