Elizabeth Zechmeister

A study by Vanderbilt University's Latin American Public Opinion Project shows that the use of social media for political purposes in the Americas can be an effective complement to conventional forms of political engagement. Read More

The collapse of the party system and high levels of crime and corruption in Venezuela have not dimmed public support for democracy in that country, according to a survey by the Latin American Public Opinion Project at Vanderbilt. Read More

Rgw AmericasBarometer survey shows that Argentines may not trust Iran or a jointly established Truth Commission formed to discover the culprits behind a Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires 20 years ago. Read More

Women, homosexuals and people with darker skin tones continue to face discrimination in the Americas, according to responses to the 2012 AmericasBarometer survey of Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion Project. Read More

The flag of the Dominican Republic (Paul Stein) One of the most important factors influencing citizens to participate actively in political campaigns in the Americas is education, according to a survey conducted by Vanderbilt University. “Working for a political party or campaign is uncommon,” the researchers wrote in a… Read More

Withholding aid from governments with a reputation for corruption can have a "vicious cycle" effect that makes it very difficult for them to progress, according to analysis from the 2010 AmericasBarometer survey by The Latin American Public Opinion Project at Vanderbilt University. Read More

Watch video of a forum discussing a new nominating process for 2012 presidential election. Americans Elect is providing voters the opportunity to directly nominate a presidential candidate outside the two-party system for the 2012 presidential election. Through AmericansElect.org, every registered voter can sign up to become a delegate and participate. Read More

Americans Elect is participating in a panel discussion hosted by Vanderbilt University 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, at The First Amendment Center. Read More

A Vanderbilt political science study offers fairly conclusive evidence that, in low-information races, a candidate’s name recognition alone positively affects voter support. Read More

People in the United States are more optimistic and resilient in hard times than is commonly believed, a new survey from Vanderbilt University indicates. Read More

Vanderbilt is among a small number of schools that have set up state-of-the-art labs for political science research. The Research on Individuals, Politics and Society Lab is housed on the ground floor of Calhoun Hall. Read More