Political Science

Science and politics: a Q&A with Molly Sheehan

The School of Engineering and Applied Science postdoc researcher discusses what fascinates her about science, her unique path in science and technology, and the role scientists should play in political office.

Ali Sundermier

Q&A with Barbie Zelizer

Members of the media are unable to do their jobs due to creeping authoritarianism or totalitarian rule. The Center for Media at Risk hopes to bring together scholars and journalists to strategize about what can be done to resist it.

Jacquie Posey

Only one approach could plausibly have avoided catastrophe in Syria

Could the U.S. have better protected civilians from mass atrocities during the Syrian conflict in 2013? Research from political scientist Ian Lustick reveals that only one approach—persuading Assad to treat the protests as a reform movement rather than a violent revolution—might have helped.

Michele W. Berger

Perspective: Gas attack in Douma

Ian Lustick, a professor in Penn’s Political Science Department and a leading authority on international terrorism, says this weekend’s atrocities in Douma can be attributed to a Syrian attack. We asked him to elaborate on a few details.

Jill DiSanto , Jill DiSanto



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In the News


The New York Times

Why losing political power now feels like ‘losing your country’

Yphtach Lelkes of the Annenberg School for Communication says that political elites, not average voters, are driving the democratic backsliding that is occurring in America.

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Christian Science Monitor

A majority of Americans no longer trust the Supreme Court. Can it rebuild?

Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences says that a partisan trust gap has emerged in public perception of the Supreme Court as a conservative institution.

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The Washington Post

Groups sue to block FTC’s new rule barring noncompete agreements

Cary Coglianese of Penn Carey Law says that the current Supreme Court has a majority that’s looking skeptically at the exercise of governing power by administrative agencies like the Federal Trade Commission.

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Axios

Report: Latin America’s progress on helping sex abuse victims

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences points to Chile as an international example of a large sex abuse scandal turning into effective activism.

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CBC Radio (Canada)

The GOP race is over. The question after Haley drops out: Will her voters move to Trump?

Marc Trussler of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Biden surrogates can’t outright ignore warning signs from polling data.

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Las Vegas Review-Journal

Our political parties have become unrecognizable

Brian Rosenwald of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the Republican lean to the right during the last few decades has distorted labels like moderate and conservative.

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