Political Science

The partisanship of Tennesseans strongly influences their views on COVID-19, according to the latest statewide Vanderbilt Poll. The poll also found that economic worries abound as Tennesseans feel the financial effect of the safer-at-home order. Read More

Nashvillians gave very high marks to the city’s institutions and elected officials for their response to the COVID-19 crisis, but residents’ economic anxiety levels are high as the city faces hard times and tough financial decisions, according to the latest Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville. Read More

Primary voters prefer incumbents with a proven record of success, according to a new working paper from the Center for Effective Lawmaking, coauthored by Alan Wiseman. Read More

Two Vanderbilt seniors are taking unique approaches to bringing apathetic and frustrated voters to the political table. Read More

Even a seemingly uncontroversial topic like school lunch nutrition can become politicized when the person advocating for it is a polarizing figure, finds political scientist Cindy Kam. Read More

The 2019 Vanderbilt Poll shows that Tennesseans agree on many tough issues, while a new set of questions reveals insights into the financial and health care worries of Tennessee voters. Read More

Vanderbilt’s Latin American Public Opinion Project has received a $10 million, five-year USAID grant to support its influential AmericasBarometer survey and related activities. Read More

Vanderbilt University is recognizing Chancellor Emeritus Nicholas S. Zeppos’ visionary leadership and legacy by naming one of its newest residential colleges in his honor. The Nicholas S. Zeppos College is slated to open in 2020. Read More

“Lessons of Presidential Leadership” will be the focus of a conversation between presidential historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham during a Chancellor’s Lecture Series event Oct. 31. Read More

Democracy is struggling for support in the Americas, according to the 2018/19 AmericasBarometer report, with just over half of all citizens expressing faith in the system for the second survey period in a row. “When citizen support for democracy is weak, it becomes difficult for nations to sustain free… Read More

How ordinary people think about political issues and make political decisions—especially at the ballot box—stands at the center of Professor of Political Science John Sides’ scholarship. Read More

Political scientist Kira Sanbonmatsu will discuss “A Seat at the Table: Do Women in Congress Matter?” at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at the John Seigenthaler First Amendment Center. Read More

During the 2016 primary season, voters didn't shift their preferences based on who was winning, according to an analysis of more than 325,000 tracking poll results. Read More

The largest analysis of gubernatorial executive orders to date reveals important nuances that explain how and when legislatures can constrain executive power. Read More

International human rights treaties really do work, and they work most effectively against the most repressive governments, argues political scientist Emily Hencken Ritter in a new book. Read More

Despite opportunities for broad consensus, Tennessee’s long history of pragmatic politics could be affected by rising polarization along party lines, according to the most recent statewide Vanderbilt University Poll. Read More

Larry Bartels, May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Science and co-director of Vanderbilt’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, has been elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the United States. Read More

An empirical analysis of executive actions taken during President Trump's first year shows that while he focused more on immigration and deregulation than previous presidents, his use of unilateralism was largely in line with his predecessors. Read More

Vanderbilt's 2019 poll of Nashville residents indicates a growing number think the city is no longer “on the right track,” and that the city is growing too quickly. Mayor David Briley receives high marks, however, with a 66 percent approval rating. Read More

Vanderbilt political scientist Sharece Thrower was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow and awarded $200,000 to support her research. Read More