Politics and Government

Brian Leung, PhD student in political science, is quoted in this article discussing the future of Hong Kong's democracy movement.

The governors of Iowa and North Dakota recently announced mandates that require people to wear masks in public. Both leaders previously resisted mask rules but issued them in the past week as daily COVID-19 cases spiked in their states, overrunning hospitals and intensive care units. Christopher Adolph, associate professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

One of the last things that Lilienne Shore Kilgore-Brown did during her senior year of high school before the pandemic was travel to Olympia, the capital of Washington, to advocate for state-wide comprehensive sex education. In March, the Washington state legislature passed the legislation that Kilgore-Brown and her peers had advocated for. Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

“The Bezos Earth Fund (BEF) is giving away $791 million to support climate action. Much of this money will go to well-established NGOs ... Yet, if BEF wants to change climate action’s playbook, it needs a new theory of change that tackles the key barrier to climate action. Funding these NGOs does not achieve this objective,” write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

The 2020 census has been subject to court fights, shifting deadlines and pandemic-related process adjustments. Sara Curran, director of the UW Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, explains the developments with this year’s count.

“The Bezos Earth Fund (BEF) is giving away $791 million to support climate action. Much of this money will go to well-established NGOs ... Yet, if BEF wants to change climate action’s playbook, it needs a new theory of change that tackles the key barrier to climate action. Funding these NGOs does not achieve this objective,” write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

In this conversation, Associate Professor of political science and Adjunct Professor of law, societies Megan Ming Francis talks about mentorship, understanding the immense structures that shape our democracy and lives, asking important questions of our institutions and ourselves with the intention of making both better.

"Combating the pandemic will be President-elect Joe Biden’s top priority upon taking office. Biden will simultaneously focus on reviving the United States’ economy and restoring jobs. Prioritizing trade and restoring U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific region must be part of this recovery agenda," writes The Seattle Times Editorial Board. David Bachman, professor of international studies at the UW, is referenced.

“The concept of ‘pay equity’ doesn’t just demand equal pay for women doing the same work as men, in the same positions. Such efforts, while worthwhile, ignore the role of occupational segregation in keeping women’s pay down: There are some jobs done mostly by women and others that are still largely the province of men. The latter are typically better paid,” writes Anna Louie Sussman. Michael McCann, professor of political science at the UW, is referenced.

In this lecture and follow-up conversation, distinguished teaching awardee and Professor of sociology Alexes Harris shares her research into how people’s interactions with institutions — like the criminal justice system — shape the outcomes of people’s lives. She delves into how those outcomes are different based on a person’s race and ethnicity, gender, income bracket and other identities people hold. Harris also talks about being born and raised in Seattle and how she got to be able to share her research with policy makers, legislators, judges and community members so her scholarship can contribute to a more equitable criminal justice system.

President Trump has refused to concede the election and allow President-elect Biden to start the transition process. Today, the “Seattle Now” podcast asks what history can tell us about what will happen next. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.

Washington Republicans woke up after Election Day to a crushingly familiar math problem bedeviling their prospects in statewide races: a cratering of support in King County. The UW’s Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science, and Margaret O’Mara, professor of history, are quoted.

Margaret O'Mara, professor of history, explains the history behind election concessions and what a refusal to concede means.

Christopher Parker, associate professor of social justice and political science, explains the role of race in the 2020 election in a UW panel on the topic.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, talks about polarization in the 2020 race, the role of social media, how the results differed from expectations and what the election means for climate change.