Articles tagged with Elections
Researchers found that increased polarization in Congress leads to longer periods of stasis and fewer bills passed, but the ones that do pass are larger and more impactful. This dynamics has become exaggerated, making it harder to change the status quo, resulting in bigger changes when they occur.
New research from Aalto University reveals how disinformation and conspiracy theories persist despite external threats, bridging partisan divides only when shared democratic norms are condemned. The study found that social bubbles built on disinformation can be difficult to break, even in the face of dramatic events.
A new study by George Washington University researchers predicts an escalation of daily bad-actor AI activity globally by mid-2024, posing a significant threat to election results. The study provides the first quantitative analysis of the misuse of AI for disinformation during elections.
Non-sectarian political parties promote moderation and cooperation between single-issue parties in divided societies. They help represent voter concerns by focusing on key issues that affect diverse groups.
A study by University of Illinois professor Emily Van Duyn found that news media consumption can trigger conflicts in couples with differing political views. Couples often struggle to decide which media to follow, leading to disagreements over news sources and content. This conflict can also affect the relationship, causing individuals...
A new study from the University of Ottawa found that minority candidates, particularly women and LGBTQ2S+, are more likely to be positioned by parties to lose elections. The research highlights the need for political parties to adopt more inclusive nomination processes.
The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends removing barriers to participating in the electoral process to advance health equity. ACP supports policies ensuring safe and equitable access to voting, opposes partisan gerrymandering, and encourages civic participation among healthcare professionals.
A new study explores the intensity of impatient emotion during different phases of a waiting period. The research found that people experience the highest levels of impatience as the end of the wait approaches, driven by their desire for closure.
A new study on the role of polls in South Korea highlights the limitations of polling in a democratic society. The research finds that technology, methodology, intentions, and reporting can affect poll results, leading to a social construction of public opinion influenced by pollsters and media.
Researchers found that social media influencers with distorted messages cause political parties to moderate their policies to win over independent voters. However, this leads to traditional media outlets becoming more extreme in their editorial positions, and citizens swayed by influencers growing more polarized.
Research suggests that early women parliamentary candidates struggled to make distinct appeals as parties increasingly controlled campaigning. The study examines how mass observation surveys and election addresses reveal the challenges faced by female politicians during the early decades of mass democracy.
Researchers analyzed data from the 2020-2021 NBA season to investigate how far-right views impact immigrant workplace performance. They found that immigrant players in regions with strong Trump support were more likely to make game errors, while native players in these areas performed better.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that exposure to norm-violating rhetoric from politicians like Donald Trump can reduce support for certain core democratic principles. The researchers found that Trump supporters who were shown his antidemocratic tweets indicated less support for partici...
Research in Seattle's Democracy Vouchers program found a significant increase in voter turnout, with candidates relying more on small contributions. The study suggests that public financing programs can help address problems of low voter turnout and disproportionate influence of big donors.
Current online trust mitigation efforts are focused on a single topic and geographic scale, leading to limited effectiveness. The 'glocal' phenomenon means distrust is spreading with diverse topics and local-global interests, making it challenging for organizations to address.
A new study found that Trump's election was associated with a 5-percentage-point decrease in well-child visits for children of immigrant mothers, compared to US-born families. This decline may have resulted in missed vital pediatric care, including vaccinations and health screenings.
A Washington State University study found that faster USPS efficiency increases the likelihood of voting by 3.42% in restrictive states. Mail voting laws with universal or no-excuse options had a higher probability of voter turnout, up to 70%.
A recent paper by University of Auckland academics explores why losing politicians fight back, highlighting the role of electoral integrity in ensuring power transitions. Protests, election results clarity, and transparent processes interact to determine an incumbent's decision to step down.
A new study in the Global Strategy Journal found that electoral uncertainty creates challenges for state-owned businesses and multinationals with indirect government ties. These companies are less likely to expand internationally during election years and instead adopt more flexible strategies or withdraw state support.
New research from the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management suggests that managing public transit projects requires a comprehensive approach considering rational, psychosocial, and political dimensions. This involves engaging stakeholders, including non-users, to ensure societal impact and cost-effectiveness.
In Ghana, WhatsApp is used to connect national-level executives with local candidates, extending to rural areas. In Nigeria, individual actors drive campaigns with loose party control, lacking formal online structures.
A new analysis shows that social media facilitated information flow across a controlled media ecosystem, while face-to-face communication remained key. The study highlights how UPND's online messaging resonated with users, portraying Hakainde Hichilema as an electorally viable alternative to President Edgar Lungu.
A recent study by Dr. Ansgar Hudde found that women in Germany have been voting more left-wing than men, with the youngest voters being particularly left-leaning. The trend is most evident among those aged 18-24, where parties like the Greens and Left are more popular among women.
Researchers found that social media algorithms prioritize 'Prestigious, Ingroup, Moral, and Emotional' (PRIME) information, which can lead to extreme political content being amplified. To address this, the study proposes increasing user awareness of algorithmic biases and introducing more diverse content in feeds.
A study by University of Houston Professor Brandon Rottinghaus found that scandals have less impact on politicians due to polarized media and partisan fundraising. The study analyzed data from 1972 to 2021 and found that politicians can survive scandals more easily in the current era, with some even benefiting from small scandals.
A study examining Facebook users' news feeds found that reducing exposure to content from politically 'like-minded' sources had no measurable effect on political beliefs or attitudes during the 2020 US presidential election. The study also found that participants were exposed to more cross-cutting sources and less uncivil content after...
A new study from Florida Atlantic University found that parent attitudes about politics can predict subsequent increases in adolescent child political alienation. In households where parents and adolescents are close, parents transmit political apathy to their children, which may contribute to low youth voter participation.
A recent study published in the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties found that crowded ballot options can lead to voter fatigue and decreased participation. The research analyzed data from over 60,000 elections in Brazil between 2000-2020, revealing a significant decline in voter turnout when faced with multiple candidates.
Researchers ran survey experiments to assess the effectiveness of microtargeting in politics, finding that targeted ads can be 70% more persuasive than general campaigns. However, using multiple attributes for targeting did not add further benefit, suggesting a 'one ad does not fit all' approach.
A study found that framing progressive policies with values like patriotism, family, and tradition increases support among conservatives and moderates. However, this approach may not be effective for liberals, who already tend to favor redistributive policies.
A new study by NYU sociologists finds that the persistent gender gap in voting for Democrats can be attributed, in part, to the higher proportion of Black women among female voters. The research suggests that this racial composition explains approximately a quarter of the gender gap in voting Democratic.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 enfranchised a new section of society in the US South, resulting in increased Black turnout and election of Black politicians. Studies found that the act promoted tangible improvements in policy changes, including increased spending on public infrastructure.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 significantly increased Black representation in local government, particularly in county commissions where coverage was implemented. The study found that capital spending grew more rapidly in these counties with higher shares of African Americans, indicating a positive impact on local governance. However, ...
A study by Bocconi University researchers found that terrorist attacks and perceived threats from ethnic minorities shifted German Twitter users' language towards the far-right AfD party. Voters rewarded the party at the 2017 election, with no traditional explanatory variable playing a role in the effect.
A study by Lewis & Clark College researchers found a significant decrease in party registration among Oregon voters automatically registered at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The results show a 66% reduction in partisan affiliation, with little change over time post-registration.
A new study by Dartmouth College researchers found that biased prior beliefs played a significant role in how people from both political parties updated their fraud beliefs after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The study used a probability-based computational model to analyze survey data and found that Democrats and Republicans te...
A new study led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researcher Kevin Smith explores the impact of polarized politics on mental and physical health. The research found that Americans' political anxiety increased before a major election, but decreased after, with specific groups experiencing lower levels of anxiety.
A new Stanford study found that nearly half of Americans visited unreliable websites during the 2020 U.S. election, a decline from 44.3% in 2016. The study suggests that education and mitigation efforts to identify misinformation are working. However, experts caution that exposure to misinformation can still have serious consequences.
A Washington State University-led analysis found that fake news consumption on Facebook was the primary driver of doubt about the election's integrity. Individuals who got election news through mainstream websites were less likely to consume fake news and more likely to believe in the results.
Research by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found a decrease in fake and extremely biased Twitter content between 2016-2020, but top influencers became more polarized, creating an echo chamber effect. The study analyzed vast amounts of Twitter data to examine the social media platform's influence on U.S. politics.
A recent study by Cornell University researchers found that lawmakers are only slightly more likely to respond to AI-generated messages than human-generated ones, highlighting the potential risks of emerging technologies on democratic representation. The research used a field experiment to investigate the impact of natural language mod...
Researchers at North Carolina State University found that anticipating stress related to political elections can cause adverse physical health effects. However, engaging in problem analysis can help preserve health by mentally engaging with anticipated problems.
Researchers developed a model to infer opinions from social networks and measure left-right political division. The model shed new light on how political beliefs are shaped, providing insights for policymakers and real-world debates.
A new study by Dr Stuart Fox found that childhood volunteering increases interest in politics and attachment to community, leading to a greater propensity to view voting as a civic duty. However, the effect was limited, with most children from disengaged households already likely to vote in adulthood.
Research by University of Florida researchers found that disinformation ads on Facebook use a clear recipe with short ad buys, familiar language, and big budgets to reach more people. The most engaging ads were full of positive feelings encouraging good emotions about one's own groups rather than bad emotions towards others.
A new study found that U.S. senators' tweets about greed perform better in terms of likes and retweets, particularly among Democrats who gain stronger traction for negative tweets about their opponents.
Researchers found that televised debates have little effect on voter decisions, with information from other sources such as media and activists being more influential. Voter choice consistency increased by 17 percentage points over the last two months of campaigns, affecting electoral results.
Analysis in the US, UK, Brazil, and Argentina shows that winners' Twitter supporters respond faster and engage more positively than losers' supporters. The study found reduced toxicity levels among winners' supporters, suggesting a correlation between winning and increased social media engagement.
Erik Herron's project aims to create a more perfect union by fostering open discussions about election integrity and values. Through public events and online resources, Herron encourages community groups to prioritize security, efficiency, and access in their elections.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that voter ID requirements motivate supporters of both parties equally to comply and participate. The research suggests that these laws have a countermobilization effect, diminishing their anticipated impact on election results. Instead, lawmakers should con...
A study by University of Gothenburg researchers reveals that the average age of US House members is 58, significantly older than Americans. The analysis found that young adults are under-represented in politics, with only 11% of candidates aged 35 or younger.
West Virginia University professors Dana Coester and Joel Beeson are addressing election integrity in Appalachia through a series of nonpartisan workshops, presentations, and screenings. They aim to foster community resilience against disinformation and manipulation, promoting civic engagement among young people.
A new study by University of Georgia researcher Shane Singh found that mandatory voting laws increase voter turnout when enforced, not the severity of the law. Turnout can increase by nearly 20 points with credible sanctions, compared to 8-10 points without them.
A recent study by University of Missouri researcher Jake Haselswerdt suggests that partisan beliefs do not overshadow how people perceive the severity of COVID-19 in their communities. Local public health information appears to get through to individuals, regardless of their political leanings.
A study found that residents living near occupied areas during the Occupy Central Movement in Hong Kong became more liberal and supportive of pro-democracy camps, with the phenomenon lasting long after the protest. The researchers attribute this to the 'on-site' effect, which increases sympathy for protesters.
A new study by NYU's Center for Social Media and Politics found that Russian Twitter campaigns during the 2016 presidential race primarily reached a small subset of highly partisan Republicans. Despite influencing efforts, there were no measurable changes in attitudes, polarization, or voting behavior among those exposed to these forei...
A new study found that foreign interference in American elections can reduce faith abroad in the United States as a trustworthy ally. Japanese citizens' trust in the US was higher when informed that US democracy is functioning versus not. The findings highlight the international security implications of successful electoral interference.
A Penn State-led research team found that TikTok's unique interface and algorithm make content creation and virality particularly easy yet lead to high rates of creator burnout. The platform's central role of the algorithm in determining viewership makes creators produce new content continuously, leading to burnout.
A study by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that divisive political events negatively influence factors related to public mood, well-being, and alcohol consumption. Participants reported reduced sleep quality, increased stress, negative mood, and higher alcohol use in the days leading up to the election.
A new study reveals significant gender bias in Reddit discussions about female politicians, with more frequent use of given names and language related to their body or family. This perpetuates stereotypes and can affect voter perception, incentivizing female politicians to conform to online expectations.