American National Election Studies releases 2016 election data
April 3, 2017
ANN ARBOR—With public responses on polarizing political issues, such as immigration, trade, and health care, the latest data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) at the University of Michigan are now available.Since 1948, ANES has conducted benchmark election surveys on voting, public opinion and political participation. These data are…
Brian Jacob on NAEP scores: “Michigan is the only state in the country where proficiency rates have actually declined over time.”
February 23, 2017
PSC training faculty Brian Jacob examined scores of 4th- and 8th-graders on the National Assessment of Education Progress. He says: “We found that Michigan students are performing very poorly on national exams, really no matter how you cut the data. If you look at straight proficiency rates, Michigan is 41st…
Social media tapped for insights into economics, political communication, parenting
January 25, 2017
ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan researchers will use Big Data from social media to gain new insights into economics and the way people communicate about parenting and politics under two recently funded research projects. The projects will assemble research teams with members from across the university, including the Institute for Social…
ISR’s Pasek and Conrad discuss the art and science of predicting election outcomes
November 11, 2016
In another piece examining why the polls got it wrong in the presidential election, Josh Pasek and Fred Conrad look at assumptions, parameters, and other factors in polling models. Conrad says: “There are so many choices in building these models that it is an art in a lot of ways.…
ISR’s Traugott and others speculate on why election projections may have gone awry
November 9, 2016
Hidden/sheepish voters, unexpected voters, flawed polling methods, too few polls, underestimates of partisan turnouts, unanticipated impact of late-breaking news – what were the reasons that, of the 61 national polls tracking a two-party presidential race, only 6 projected the Republican would win? Mike Traugott says a post-election study should assess…
Science: Public interest high, literacy stable
October 31, 2016
ANN ARBOR—While public interest in science continues to grow, the level of U.S. scientific literacy remains largely unchanged, according to a survey by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. New study reveals a decade-long stagnancy of scientific literacy among Americans. Funded by NASA, the study found that 51…
Researchers Receive $4.9 Million to Examine Common Core
October 4, 2016
One source of data the researchers will be using is a collection of video recordings of classroom teaching from the U-M Measures of Effective Teaching Project. (Photo courtesy of U-M Measures of Effective Teaching Project) ANN ARBOR—The Spencer Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation have awarded a team of…
Yuri Zhukov receives Bruce Russett Award
August 16, 2016
Yuri Zhukov received the Bruce Russett Award for best paper published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution during 2015, for his paper “Population Resettlement in War. Congratulations Yuri!
Greg Tewksbury named Assistant Director of ISR
July 29, 2016
Greg Tewksbury, the former vice chancellor for business and finance for the University of Michigan-Flint, has been named Assistant Director of the Institute for Social Research (ISR). Photo courtesy of Greg Tewksbury “I am delighted to welcome Greg into this important position,” said David Lam, ISR Director. “ISR will benefit…
U-M politcal scientists find ethnocentrism more powerful than economic concerns in opposition to immigration
July 20, 2016
This story looks at how the rising opposition to immigration across the Western world is influencing politics – in particular the growth of far right parties and candidates. Citing work by ISR-UM social scientists Nicholas Valentino and Ted Brader, and Ashley Jardina of Duke, the author suggests that the impetus…