Next Generation Initiative equips political science researcher Eugenia Quintanilla with tools to deepen and enhance research
November 13, 2024
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected])ANN ARBOR — Predicting political behavior is a tough task in the best of circumstances, but doing so in a country as vast and varied as the United States is an extra-challenging proposition. But Eugenia Quintanilla, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan’s Political Science department, takes…
Minority voters likely to determine presidential outcome
November 1, 2024
ANN ARBOR—If history repeats previous elections’ behaviors, race and ethnicity will be the critical determinant of how people vote this year, according to a University of Michigan expert. The polls indicate a tight race between the two candidates in a hotly contested battle for the White House. History is likely to…
Does an increasingly partisan political environment have negative consequences for democracy?
October 28, 2024
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected])ANN ARBOR — Is a hostile political environment damaging America? Contentious debates between Democrats and Republicans have led many to say yes. Strong partisan views, including hostility toward the opposing party, has field concerns that divisions in American politics could be harmful to the country as a whole.…
Vaccine uptake influenced by politics, socioeconomics
October 10, 2024
ANN ARBOR—COVID-19 vaccination rates have varied significantly based on partisanship and socioeconomic factors, with Democrats getting vaccinated faster and at higher percentages than Republicans and Independents.A University of Michigan study published at NPJ Vaccines also revealed that vaccine uptake was lowest among Black Americans, individuals with incomes below $30,000 and…
U-M’s Institute for Social Research looks to the future while marking 75 years of research innovation
October 7, 2024
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected])ANN ARBOR — President Harry S. Truman’s victory in 1948 came as a surprise to the Chicago Tribune and many voters around the country, but not to researchers at the University of Michigan. In that year, researchers Angus Campbell and Robert Kahn launched a national pilot study…
Nick Valentino appointed Donald R. Kinder Collegiate Professor of Political Science
October 3, 2024
Congratulations to Nicholas A. Valentino for being appointed the Donald R. Kinder Collegiate Professor of Political Science!A Collegiate Professorship is one of the highest honors the college awards to active tenured faculty members at the full professor rank who warrant the distinctive recognition that a named professorship carries.Collegiate Professorships are offered to colleagues…
Undecided voters unable to pick a candidate whose views align
October 3, 2024
If you’re an undecided voter in today’s political climate, do not take personally the less-than-flattering labels—lazy, indecisive or frustrating—that partisan voters use.Instead, as a University of Michigan expert says, you simply have struggled with selecting a presidential candidate whose policies neatly align with your beliefs.“Their indecision is different than selecting…
CPS Affiliates to be Honored at the 2024 APSA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia
September 3, 2024
CPS Director Ken Kollman will receive the 2024 Eldersveld Career Achievement AwardKen Kollman, Director of the Center for Political Studies (CPS) at the Institute for Social Research, will receive the 2024 Samuel Eldersveld Career Achievement Award from the Political Organizations and Parties section of the APSA at the Annual Meeting…
Studying the social sciences gives a voice to the voiceless
August 30, 2024
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected])ANN ARBOR — The social sciences can be summed up simply as a mission to understand why people do what they do and think what they think. This rubric works across nearly every discipline of the social sciences, from economics to health-related studies to in-depth political research.This…
Poll position: Opinion surveys still matter
August 29, 2024
ANN ARBOR—If you’re feeling a bit confused by the constant media coverage about presidential election polls, you’re not alone.Whether it’s the polls’ margin of error or their fairness and accuracy, the information can become important for some voters in their election choices. And do the polls matter since the presidential…