Department of Political Science

Dr. Quintard Taylor, professor emeritus of history, explains the history of interracial marriage in Washington.

As Congress considers expanding voting rights legislation and some Republican-led states restrict access to voting, faculty from institutions around the country are calling for national election standards. In an open letter on the New America website, a growing list of signatories — more than 175 as of June 8 — warns of the dire threat to democracy posed by efforts to curb voter access and alter election oversight. Jake Grumbach, an assistant professor of political science at the UW, explains the situation, which he says has reached "a crisis level."

Ginny Burton, who is graduating with a degree in political science and was the 2020 Truman Scholar for the state of Washington, shares her story about recovering from addiction.

A recent paper by Jacob Grumbach, assistant professor of political science, is referenced.

This week, attend a conversation with a UW political science professor and author, a gallery exhibition, and more.

Three years after Walid Salem was plucked off a Cairo street by plainclothes police officers, blindfolded and then imprisoned, the University of Washington doctoral student remains stuck in Egypt, unable to visit his young daughter or finish his dissertation in Seattle. Michael McCann, professor of political science at the UW, and UW President Ana Mari Cauce are quoted.

Ginny Burton, who is graduating with a degree in political science, shares her inspiring story about overcoming addiction.

It’s too early to tell whether MacKenzie Scott’s approach to giving will create a sea change in how other ultrawealthy donors give or what they support. Megan Ming Francis, associate professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

As an undergrad interested in criminal justice, Anthony Stokes has visited prisons, met with incarcerated men, and worked on court cases.

"Some ask whether climate policy has reached a 'social tipping point,' a self-reinforcing contagion process that will decarbonize the economy. Tipping points can be activated by interventions such as divesting from fossil fuel assets or exposing the moral failings of a fossil fuel economy, both of which are reflected in the recent developments in Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

When North Carolina raised the age when people are considered an adult in the criminal justice system to 18, the change was more than a dozen years in the making. Now, advocates are setting their sights – and their desired age limit – higher. Chelsea Moore, a doctoral student in political science and a law student at the UW, is referenced.

At least 15 states are trying to ban schools from teaching critical race theory and the 1619 Project. Christopher Parker, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Christopher Sebastian Parker, professor of political science, discusses what sparked the summer of social unrest.

Universal, Sony and Warner have paid out just a portion of the money they promised to give, VICE found — revealing a disconnect between how they’ve publicly characterized their donations and what’s really happening behind the scenes. Megan Ming Francis, associate professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

One year after the killing of George Floyd and the largely peaceful protests it spawned, the BLM movement has achieved mainstream recognition in the United States and beyond, with protests last summer hitting all seven continents. But the movement now faces the same challenge many grassroots efforts have: how to move beyond the recognition toward concrete solutions. Christopher Parker, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.