Politics and Government

"As Donald Trump’s second inauguration fast approaches, concerns he threatens American democracy are rising yet again. Some warnings have cited Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric, willingness to undermine or malign institutions meant to constrain any president, and a combative style that strives to stretch executive power as far as possible," writes Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW.

"A new report further documents the evisceration of Washington’s capitol press corps as the state’s news industry shrank in recent years," writes Brier Dudley, an editor at The Seattle Times. A report from the UW is referenced and Matthew Powers, associate professor of communications at the UW, is quoted.

As director of government relations for the Catholic Health Association, Paulo G. Pontemayor (BA, 2005) is dedicated to increasing equity and access to health care in the United States.

Silicon Valley executives, some who have long had contentious relationships with President-elect Donald Trump, are pledging money and support to Trump's incoming administration. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

For the past decade or so, Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, has been teaching a course on climate politics in the UW’s political science department. During that time, there have been three climate change initiatives on the ballot here. He’s had a front row seat for how policymakers, activists and campaigners have sought to frame and spin one of the toughest issues in politics.

Washington had the smallest rightward shift of any state in the 2024 presidential election, an Axios analysis finds — although, after three weeks of vote counting, it's no longer true that the state trended slightly more blue. Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Married couples across the U.S. have had access to no-fault divorce for more than 50 years, an option many call crucial to supporting domestic abuse victims and key to preventing already crowded family courts from drowning in complicated divorce proceedings. Mark Smith, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

"Climate policy should not become associated with halted mobility, dark and cold buildings, and spoiled food in refrigerators. An important collective (as opposed to household) level response to outages is to strengthen grid resilience via undergrounding power lines," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

In the aftermath of the 2024 election, Democrats are confronting a possible existential threat: The erosion of support among important demographic groups, particularly Latinos. Sophia Jordán Wallace, professor of political science at the UW, is interviewed.

Democrats faced heavy losses nationwide on Election Day, with many districts turning away from the party as Republican Donald Trump won another term as president. Experts say Democratic leaders should take pointers from U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

The free trade era that has defined the U.S. economy for decades made clear winners and losers. It tanked the Rust Belt, but sent the Pacific Northwest’s global economy to new heights. Washington state has always benefited from its international companies and the free flow of talent across borders. So what does the potential end of the free trade era mean for our economy? Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.

After a week of vote counting, Washington still appears to be the only state that got slightly bluer in the 2024 presidential election — and political observers have several theories why. Victor Menaldo and Mark Smith, professors of political science at the UW, are quoted.

Silicon Valley didn’t shift right. It just wants to be left alone. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

The UW's political science professors James Long and Victor Menaldo are interviewed on whether the U.S. election was the latest eruption of populism across the globe.

"While voters overwhelmingly rejected I-2117 by a 62%-38% margin (that is, voted to continue cap-and-invest), they narrowly supported I-2066 by a 51% - 49% margin (that is, they opposed transitioning from gas)," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.