Political Science | Penn Today

For survivors of clergy sex abuse in Pa. and beyond, Pope Francis changed little

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences says Pope Francis was relatively progressive on LGBTQ issues but did not act forcefully enough in support of clerical-abuse victims.

Four Philadelphians among this year’s Guggenheim Fellows

Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences is among those named Guggenheim Fellows.

How war, money and the quest for discovery entwined the U.S. government and universities

Jonathan Zimmerman of the Graduate School of Education says that funding cuts will likely put pressure on schools’ remaining resources, leaving them with less money for financial aid and threatening academic freedom.

Marcia Chatelain and Matthew Levendusky headshots

Marcia Chatelain and Matthew Levendusky named 2025 Guggenheim Fellows

Marcia Chatelain and Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences each have been awarded a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship.

2 min. read

A climate map showing temperatures and contours.

Using climate modeling to guide global economic and political decisions

Irina Marinov, associate professor in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences’ Department of Earth and Environmental Science, explains how climate modeling works and the information these models provide.

2 min. read

Another group the Democrats should stop taking for granted

Michael Jones-Corea of the School of Arts & Sciences says that most American voters have no direct experience with the civil rights mobilizations of the 1960s, which was part of a shared experience that united the Democratic political coalition.

Jackie Balanovsky, Glynn Boltman, Ki Joon Lee, and Geddy Lucier sit around a table working on their laptops.

‘Hacking’ data for insights and innovation

Penn student data science teams tackle large volumes of information as they compete for honors with the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies.

3 min. read

How a century-old law could be used to assert presidential control over mass communications

Matthew L. Conaty, a doctoral candidate in the Annenberg School for Communication, discusses the historical and legal implications of a section of the Communications Act.

APPC Visiting Scholar John Gastil on democracy and digital media

Gastil, the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) distinguished sabbatical scholar in residence, has been working on a book titled “The Democracy Machine: Reimagining How We Can Govern Ourselves Online.” His sabbatical from teaching political science and communication arts and sciences at Penn State allows time to research the “potential for a strong, positive relationship between digital technology and democratic reform.”

A battle over religion and schools in Oklahoma could decide the future of the First Amendment

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences comments on efforts to reinterpret the religion clauses of the First Amendment.

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