A new study unexpectedly found a way to help people assess social media posts with less bias and more care – pairing them up with partners who have a different perspective.
A golden sculpture of the angel Moroni atop the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rexburg, Idaho.
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The faith’s association with conservative politics has stayed strong for decades, but could become a liability, a political scientist argues.
Supporters, including one wearing a t-shirt bearing former President Donald Trump’s photo that says “Political prisoner,” watch as Trump departs the federal courthouse after arraignment, June 13, 2023, in Miami.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
It doesn’t make for inspiring politics, but political scientists have determined that for candidates, it’s more valuable to have an unpopular opponent than to be personally popular yourself.
Health struggles are part of the human condition, but politicians often resist revealing full medical records. The media often help lawmakers hide their conditions. That shortchanges the voters.
Will gridlock mean the new Congress won’t get anything done?
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With Democrats running the Senate and the GOP in control of the House, there’s concern that Congress won’t get anything done. Turns out, unified government isn’t very productive in the first place.
John Fetterman, left, relentlessly ridiculed Mehmet Oz, right, with the label ‘carpetbagger’ during the U.S. Senate campaign, which Fetterman ultimately won.
AP
In the hard-fought contest between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz for the US Senate, Fetterman slammed Oz with charges he was a carpetbagger. That may have helped Fetterman win the race.
Jim Marchant, Republican candidate for Nevada secretary of state, arrives at a rally in Henderson on Nov. 6, 2022.
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Voters mostly did not cast their ballots for chief election administration officials who deny the 2020 election. But the hyperpartisan trend could further erode trust in elections.
Thousands of demonstrators gather in Washington, D.C., to support women’s rights on Oct. 8, 2022.
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Americans voters are angry about everything from abortion to inflation. While anger is good for voter turnout, it’s ultimately bad for solving problems in a democracy.
This illustration shows the lack of civility in American politics.
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Political debate has always been filled with heated words and deeply held emotions. But the level of civility in political discourse has reached a new low.
Candidate signs during the first day of early primary voting on July 7, 2022, in Silver Spring, Md.
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A partisan election system, attacks on election administration and widespread disinformation place the U.S. democracy in a precarious position.
People wait in line for a free morning meal in Los Angeles in April 2020. High and rising inequality is one reason the U.S. ranks badly on some international measures of development.
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The United States came in 41st worldwide on the UN’s 2022 sustainable development index, down nine spots from last year. A political historian explains the country’s dismal scores.
Overconfidence about their political knowledge is common among Americans.
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Ian Anson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Many Americans think they know much more about politics than they really do. That overconfidence can thwart democratic politics.
While academic freedom itself might sound like a unique notion, granting special tools or rights to specific professions is rather commonplace.
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Academic freedom is increasingly caught up in partisan debates around freedom of speech. But the idea behind it is not only vital but shared across many other professions.
A Fetterman campaign billboard on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border.
Fetterman campaign/Twitter
In Pennsylvania, one Senate candidate is pounding the other for his lack of local roots. A political scientist studied accusations of carpetbagging – and found there is a home field advantage.
People vote in the primary election at the civic center in Silver Spring, Md., on July 19, 2022.
Robb Hill for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Ian Anson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Bottom line: Political endorsements are overrated.
Nine of the 48 candidates for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives participate in a debate on May 12, 2022, at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage.
Loren Holmes / ADN
The number of candidates running in party primaries has ballooned since 2010. That may result in extreme, inexperienced or controversial nominees who do not represent a majority of voters.
The American flag flies at half-staff at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on May 14, 2022, after President Biden ordered flags lowered to commemorate 1 million American dead due to COVID-19.
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais