Department of Political Science

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, discusses Amazon's climate pledge.

"In 2016, Donald Trump recruited voters with the highest levels of animosity toward African Americans, assembling a 'schadenfreude' electorate — voters who take pleasure in making the opposition suffer — that continues to dominate the Republican Party, even in the aftermath of the Trump presidency," writes columnist Thomas Edsall. Christopher Parker, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

The Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies has issued a new report, Puget Sound’s Fight for $15: Family Experiences and Policy Impacts of Increasing the Minimum Wage.

"On the last day of its current term, the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts continued its war on voting rights with its decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee ... It is clear that this court will smile upon even the worst vote suppression efforts being undertaken by Republican legislatures in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen," writes Scott Lemieux, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW.

This week, watch a UW alum on NBC’s Making It, attend a discussion hosted by the Henry Art Gallery, and more.

"Trees can cushion urban areas from heat waves … This also means that trees reduce energy costs for running fans and air conditioners, a crucial issue for poor households that tend to spend a higher share of their household budgets on energy," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

This week, attend several museum exhibitions, the Indigenous walking tour, and more.

Amazon wants to cut carbon emissions by 2040 through its no-strings-attached pledge program. The UW’s Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, are quoted.

“As an increasingly vaccinated world emerges from lockdowns, lots of people are talking about whether the fight against the pandemic was too strong or too weak. Some people argue restrictions did not go far enough; others maintain the attempted cures have been worse than the disease. One reason for these conflicting views is that the answer depends on both facts and values,” writes the UW’s James Long, associate professor of political science; Mark Smith, professor of political science; and Victor Menaldo, professor of political science.

Three youth leaders advocated for environmental protection, legislation to ban Native mascots and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis Friday afternoon, June 11, during the Seattle CityClub’s digital series “Civic Boot Camp.” The Zoom event was moderated by Owen Oliver, who graduated from the UW in 2021 with a degree in American Indian Studies and Political Science and is of Quinault and Isleta Pueblo heritage, and featured UW student and athletic advocate Rosalie Fish of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. [This story appeared in multiple outlets]

Three youth leaders advocated for environmental protection, legislation to ban Native mascots and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis Friday afternoon, June 11, during the Seattle CityClub’s digital series “Civic Boot Camp.” The Zoom event was moderated by Owen Oliver, who graduated from the UW in 2021 with a degree in American Indian Studies and Political Science and is of Quinault and Isleta Pueblo heritage, and featured UW student and athletic advocate Rosalie Fish of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. [This story appeared in multiple outlets]

According to new research from Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, GOP lawmakers have been reducing the “democratic performance” of states they control for the better part of two decades. Grumbach is interviewed on the show "On the Media."

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.