Dan Shortridge’s beats in the School of Arts & Sciences (SAS) include Political Science; History, International Relations; East Asian Languages and Civilizations; Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures; Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies; Russian and East European Studies; and Economics, as well as the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy, The Lauder Institute (Wharton/SAS), Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies (PORES), McNeil Center for Early American Studies, Penn Institute for Economic Research, the Center for Study of Contemporary China, Center for East Asian Studies, Christopher H. Browne Center for International Politics, Fels Institute of Government, and Center for the Study of Ethnicity, Race, & Immigration. In addition, he covers Penn Carey Law, the SNF Paideia Program, and for Penn Global he covers the China Research and Engagement Fund, Penn Washington, and Perry World House.
The Declaration of Independence on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
(Image: Mark Schiefelbein via AP Images)
Connecting with America’s 250th anniversary
Ahead of the main event on July 4, 2026, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Penn students, faculty, and staff will have multiple early opportunities to engage with America’s 250th anniversary.
Americans are having more political conversations than they were 24 years ago, and are more likely to be talking with people they agree with politically, Penn researcher Diana C. Mutz finds.
(Image: Hill Street Studios via Getty Images)
How has talking about politics changed in the last quarter-century?
Penn researcher Diana Mutz finds that we’re having more political conversations now with like-minded people, and that political intolerance has increased as a result.
Penn archivist J.J. Ahern has been putting his professional experience and personal passion for the past to work as a volunteer for the Navy’s 250th anniversary curating an exhibition about the human side of the service’s history.
Sanae Takaichi (center) was chosen as the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party during recent leadership elections.
(Image: Kyodo News via AP Images)
What to expect from the next Japanese prime minister
Penn political scientist Daniel Smith discusses this week’s Japanese prime minister election and the possible selection of a staunch conservative as the new premier.
Four women street vendors sell shoes and footwear on a Delhi street.
(Image: Kannagi Khanna)
Women’s labor and political agency in Delhi
Rashi Sabherwal, a doctoral student in political science, explores how women engage politically in society in informal roles through her research in India.
Soosun You’s research focuses on gender and equity in South Korea.
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Navigating gender and power in South Korea
As the newest member of Penn’s political science faculty, Soosun You brings global experience—from her work as a former journalist in Seoul to conducting fieldwork in Africa—to research on women’s rights and politics in South Korea.
Gen Z protesters gathered at a parliament house as clashes erupted with police at the Federal Parliament in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sept. 8, 2025.
(Image: Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto via AP Images)
Three things to know: Postdoc Shana Scogin on Nepal’s youth uprising
In the aftermath of the deadly anti-government uprising that led to the fall of the country’s government, Penn Today spoke with the Perry World House fellow for insights.
Deepfakes, digital doubles, and the law: Jennifer Rothman on protecting identity in the AI era
The evolution of AI technology may require more robust copyright laws and guardrails that protect people’s control of their own identities, says the Penn Carey Law professor.
