Political Science

Pairing science with ethics to save lives

Penn President Amy Gutmann and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Jonathan Moreno discussed their new book “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die” at a Free Library of Philadelphia book talk Monday.

Lauren Hertzler ・ September 17, 2019

U.S. capitol building illuminate at night

Americans’ civics knowledge increases but still has a long way to go

The past few years have seen contention between Congress and the president over budgets and immigration, disputes over the limits of executive power, contested confirmation hearings for two Supreme Court justices, and lawsuits involving members of Congress and the president.

Penn Today Staff ・ September 16, 2019

A grouping of colorful people in the shape of a United States map.

A philanthropic approach to strengthening democracy

To counter hyperpartisanship and government gridlock in the United States, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s latest guide points to increasing civic engagement and reinvigorating local media.

Michele W. Berger , Kelly Andrews ・ September 12, 2019

penn president amy gutmann and jonathan moreno

Gutmann and Moreno talk bioethics, health care in new book

The University’s president, a political philosopher, teamed up with a Penn Integrates Knowledge professor to write “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die.”

Lauren Hertzler ・ September 8, 2019

Pixelated image of a brain with red, blue, and purple regions

‘Information gerrymandering’ poses a threat to democratic decision making

Concern over fake news and online trolls is widespread and warranted, but researchers have identified another impediment to the free flow of information in social networks. The phenomenon, which they term “information gerrymandering,” arises from the structure of a social network and introduces bias into collective decisions.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ September 4, 2019

A cartoon drawing of six people. Two are holding megaphones, one is holding a sign that says "Yes," one is holding a sign that says "No," and one is holding a cane.

Polarization can happen even when rational people listen to each other

Using computer models, philosopher Daniel J. Singer, political scientist William Berger, and colleagues found that divides over factual issues can stem from humans’ limited memory capacity rather than from one side or the other being irrational.

Michele W. Berger ・ August 30, 2019

Student standing in front of plaque that says U.S. Department of Justice Washington, and flanked by two flags.

Justice served: A summer at the Department of Justice

Senior political science major Jordan Andrews from Detroit is a summer intern at the U.S. Department of Justice Consumer Protection Branch. She is working on cases involving identity theft, opioid abuse, and many types of fraud, while learning about the law and exploring Washington, D.C

Louisa Shepard ・ August 21, 2019

In Hong Kong, a new round in the long-standing clash over law, autonomy, and democracy

Political scientist Jacques deLisle explains what spurred the latest conflict, and whether the desire to end it could prompt mainland China to intervene with force.

Michele W. Berger ・ August 15, 2019

Two signposts, one reads Made in China, pointing left, directly beneath it reads Made in USA, pointing right, symbolic of the U.S. China trade war crossroads.

What are the long-term costs of the China-U.S. trade war?

Wharton experts Marshall Meyer and Efraim Berkovich discuss the escalating trade war with China, and argue that U.S. households must brace for higher prices that won’t come down.

Penn Today Staff ・ August 12, 2019

A group of people waiting on a platform of a train station with sunlit windows and a train on the tracks.

Uncovering the roots of discrimination toward immigrants

New research from political scientist Nicholas Sambanis finds that religion may matter more than ethnicity in how immigrants are treated, even if they comply with local social norms.

Gwyneth K. Shaw ・ July 29, 2019

Experts

Presidential Election in Mexico Tulia Falleti Director of Latin American and Latino Studies Program Professor of Political Science University of Pennsylvania Tulia Falleti, a nationally recognized researcher in comparative politics, can discuss the July 1 Mexican presidential election in the context of current regional Latin American politics. Her areas of expertise include Latin American politics, democratization, authoritarianism, federalism, decentralization, community participation, historical institutionalism, and qualitative research methods. She’s the author of “Decentralization and Subnational Politics in Latin America,” and “A Sequential Theory of Decentralization: Latin American Cases in Comparative Perspective.” She is fluent in Spanish.
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WNYC Radio (New York City)

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Vincent Reina of the School of Design discussed his experience working for HUD in 2002-2004 and the current state of affairs in the department. (Audio)

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Philadelphia Inquirer

When Schools Support Gun-control Protests, Are They Silencing Students With Alternative Points of View?

Jonathan Zimmerman of the Graduate School of Education wrote about his concerns over challenges to free debate in the classroom surrounding gun control.