Presidential Politics

According to this poll, only 10 percent of Americans don’t believe our democracy is in danger, and slightly over 50 percent think it is “under attack.” The rest of the country felt our system was being “tested.” When asked, instead, about “personal freedom,” a similar pattern emerged. In short, there is widespread concern about the state of democracy and personal freedom—themes that have certainly played out on the campaign trail for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.   Read More

With the first presidential debate of 2024 quickly approaching, the American public is expressing widespread concern about the state of democracy and our Constitution. There is also consensus among Americans that free speech is fundamental to democratic governance, according to the most recent Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans' views of unity and beliefs on government and democracy.  Read More

Each month, from September through November, the College Democrats and College Republicans will face off in front of a public audience composed of students, faculty, staff and community members. Shortly after each of these debates, the Advocacy, Dialogue and Debate Lab will host an Agnon Dialogue, during which approximately 50 student participants will have the opportunity to make their case in front of and have their arguments tested by their peers.  Read More

Americans saw an uptick in unity for the first time in over a year, with widespread agreement that the U.S. political system needs to be more responsive and an overall distrust of social media influencers, according to the most recent Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans' views of national unity and the democratic process. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy’s latest Vanderbilt Unity Index shows the country continuing its trend toward more polarization, ending 2023 down nearly three points from the start of the year. Read More

The Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the American Presidency has launched, with the goal of exploring the presidency through an innovative, comprehensive lens. Housed within the College of Arts and Science, the center will serve as a nationally recognized hub for innovative scholarship about the workings of the presidency. Read More

Americans overwhelmingly feel that their political systems do not represent them, including compromise on abortion, and they are not confident the American political system accurately reflects their will, according to the latest quarterly Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans’ unity and beliefs on government and democracy. Read More

As a Mormon, Mitt Romney’s religious beliefs have a basis on the American continent.  Assistant Professor of Religious History Kathleen Flake explains how that might affect the Middle East and Israel. View 2012 election expertise information for Kathleen Flake>> Visit ElectionVU to find all Vanderbilt experts on… Read More

Watch video of David Lewis, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Political Science, speaking at the Osher Lifelong Learning class, “Politics in a Polarized Polity.” The Feb. 1 class, “Polarization and the Presidency,” focuses on how changes to the presidential selection process have affected the presidents we elect and… 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

The tenor of the immigration debate will probably change as the candidates get closer to the general election. Assistant professor of political science Efrén Pérez explains why the immigration debate is likely to evolve. View 2012 election expertise information for Efren Perez >> Visit ElectionVU to find all Vanderbilt… Read More

Assistant professor of political science Efrén Pérez explains what  he thinks is wrong with our current immigration policy and the immigration debate. View 2012 election expertise information for Efren Perez >> Visit election VU to find all Vanderbilt experts on the 2012 election >>… Read More

Assistant professor of political science Efrén Pérez explains why Latinos and African Americans seem like they would be ideal Republicans, but don’t vote with the GOP. View 2012 election expertise information for Efren Perez >> Visit election VU to find all Vanderbilt experts on the 2012 election >>… Read More

Republicans are making serious mistakes when it comes to attracting Latino voters, especially with the immigration issue.  Assistant professor of political science Efrén Pérez explains why. View 2012 election expertise information for Efren Perez >> Visit ElectionVU to find all of Vanderbilt experts on the 2012 election >>… Read More

How powerful can a provocative political ad be to a presidential election, whether the ad is accurate or not? Associate professor and co-director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Josh Clinton explains how a controversial ad, whether accurate or not, can greatly influence an election. View… Read More

How the media covers campaign advertising can influence election results. Associate professor and co-director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Josh Clinton explains his research on the 2004 “swift boat” ads and how media coverage impacted the election. View 2012 election expertise information for Joshua Clinton… Read More

How do unbiased pollsters make a political poll fair? Associate professor and co-director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Josh Clinton is an expert on political polls. He explains some of the science behind creating polls. View 2012 election expertise information for Josh Clinton >> Visit… Read More