Political Science

A crowd of people protesting the election in Venezuela.

Venezuela’s disputed election and unrest

Ángel Alvarado, a senior fellow in the Department of Economics and former Venezuelan congressman, shares his thoughts on the power struggle and ongoing crisis. 

Kristen de Groot ・

President Joe Biden walks down the Air Force One staircase at sunset.

Q&A with David Eisenhower on Biden’s decision to bow out

Eisenhower, professor at the Annenberg School and grandson of the former president, offers his take on Biden’s announcement, Vice President Harris’ next step, and the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

Kristen de Groot ・

Bob Dylan on stage playing his guitar with his harmonica on a holder near his face.

‘Bob Dylan, Prophet Without a God’

In his new book, “Bob Dylan, Prophet Without God,” political philosopher Jeffrey Edward Green of the School of Arts & Sciences offers an overarching account of the significance of Dylan’s political, religious, and ethical ideas.

Kristen de Groot ・

Keir Starmer shakes hands with supporters holding signs that say Change and look like the UK flag.

Takeaways from the U.K. elections

Political scientist Brendan O’Leary of the School of Arts & Sciences offers his take on the Labour Party’s landslide victory and what it means going forward.

Kristen de Groot ・

The back of a man wearing a white cowboy hat near an American flag can be seen in front of a television showing the first 2024 presidential debate between Biden and Trump.

Five takeaways from the Biden-Trump debate

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, discusses the Annenberg Debate Reform Working Group along with some thoughts on last week’s presidential debate.

Kristen de Groot ・

The American flag as an opinion poll with percentages.

What can polls tell us in 2024?

John Lapinski, the Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor of Political Science and director of the Robert A. Fox Leadership Program and the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies, talks polling in this presidential election year.

From Omnia ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

Memories of her Holocaust survivor father guided Amy Gutmann’s tenure as ambassador to Germany

Amy Gutmann of the Annenberg School for Communication discusses her work as U.S. ambassador to Germany and the need to stand with Europe in defending Ukraine.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Civil discourse: Tips for navigating potentially divisive discussions around the holiday table

Research co-authored by Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences found that political discussions between members of opposing voting parties helped reduce polarization and negative views of the other side.

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The New York Times

Kennedy’s vow to take on big food could alienate his new G.O.P. allies

Mary Summers of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stated dual missions of dismantling the F.D.A. and regulating food ingredients don’t go together.

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Baltimore Sun

Maryland shifted toward Donald Trump more than some other blue states, while giving Kamala Harris her second-biggest win

Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences says that poor turnout in heavily Democratic cities and a general voter swing for economic reasons contributed to Donald Trump’s victory.

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Business Insider

Elon Musk wins big by betting on Trump

Cary Coglianese of Penn Carey Law says that Elon Musk might view himself as capable of “turning around the federal government.”

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Inside Higher Ed

The view of the voting from campus

Jeffrey Green of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses the Penn Political Union, sponsored by the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy in the School of Arts & Sciences, which hosts student debates and speakers across the ideological spectrum.

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