Sex and race: Are black candidates more likely to be disadvantaged by sex scandals?
2010 study in Political Behavior examines how voters respond to hypothetical sex scandals involving a white and black candidate.
Politics & Government
Research roundups, tip sheets, articles and explainers related to the topic of politics, elections, and local and national governments
Expert Commentary
Ethnic fractionalization and foreign aid effectiveness
2011 study from the University of Melbourne in the Journal of African Economies on the conditions that affect the efficacy of foreign aid.
Expert Commentary
United States voting law changes in 2012
2011 article by the NYU Brennan Center for Justice on the potential impacts of voting-law changes on the 2012 election.
Expert Commentary
The “invisible primary” and its effects on democratic choice
2010 study from Duke University in PS: Political Science on the dynamics of the U.S. presidential nominating system.
Expert Commentary
Influence of climate change on coffee berry borer and coffee production in East Africa
2011 study published in PLoS One on the relationship between global warming, coffee production and the proliferation of invasive species in East Africa.
Expert Commentary
New structural economics: A framework for rethinking development
2011 World Bank paper on a new theory of economic development emphasizing both industrial improvements and country-specific flexibility.
Expert Commentary
Influence of corporate campaign contributions in government contract award decisions
2011 study from St. Louis University on the success of corporations in securing government contracts through campaign donations.
Expert Commentary
From incivility to outrage: Political discourse in blogs, talk radio and cable news
2011 study by Tufts University researchers of an ideologically diverse group of news sources to better understand the use of “outrage discourse.”
Expert Commentary
Television leads less-informed citizens to vote based on candidates’ appearance
2011 study in the American Journal of Political Science on the impact of a candidate’s appearance with low-knowledge U.S. voters.
Expert Commentary
Elite influence on public opinion in an informed electorate
2011 study in the American Political Science Review on the influence political party elites hold over public perception of policy positions.
Expert Commentary