Politics and Government

Washington state’s Electoral College gave President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their votes in Olympia today. James Long, associate professor of political science at the UW, is interviewed.

See public a public art exhibition on the side of city buses, watch a talk about "Public Opnion and Polls in the 2020 Presidental Election, revisit Marc Seales Group's performance at Town Hall, and more!

Angelina Godoy, director of the Center for Human Rights, explains how detainees are being held in close conditions despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Christopher Parker, professor of political science at the UW, talks about the significance of the selection of General Lloyd Austin as U.S. Defense Secretary.

New research from the University of Washington shows that for Black youth, having an encounter with police in middle school means a higher likelihood of being arrested by age 20. Annie McGlynn-Wright, who led the study while a doctoral student in sociology at the UW, is quoted.

"Social media played a significant role in the way that Armenians and Azerbaijanis experienced this year’s brief war. Globally, people could follow military movements, drone footage, respond to statements by authorities and discuss the events. All of this activity provided leaders with instant public opinion that informed decisions," writes Katy Pearce, associate professor of communication at the UW.

In the early days of modern computers, the Simulmatics Corporation manipulated technology to mine data, affect the news, and influence voter and consumer preferences. Sound familiar? The tech titans of today have formidable ancestors. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, interviews Harvard University’s Jill Lepore.

Black youth are more likely to face a tough criminal justice path than white youth after being stopped by police in middle school, a new study out of University of Washington found. Annie McGlynn-Wright, who led the study while a doctoral student in sociology at the UW, is interviewed.

Local notaries, whether in trade or politics, many have strong but guarded optimism for how a Biden administration will bring stability and mutual growth back to China-U.S. relations. David Bachman, professor of international studies at the UW, is quoted.

Harlequin Productions is offering a radio theater-style “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Orson Welles, available for streaming beginning Sunday, Dec. 6. Antonio Mitchell, who is pursuing a master of fine arts in acting at the UW, is playing Jacob Marley.

Documents recently obtained through the Freedom of Information Act paint a troubling picture of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, two years after a Russian asylum seeker died in ICE custody. A report by the UW Center for Human Rights is referenced.

A newly released study by the University of Washington shows how being stopped by police in middle school can lead to different criminal-justice paths, based on race. The study, conducted over a period of years, found that Black youth are more likely than white youth to be treated as “usual suspects” after a first encounter with police, leading to more subsequent arrests over time. Kevin Haggerty, professor of social work at the UW; Robert Crutchfield, professor emeritus of sociology at the UW; and Annie McGlynn-Wright, who led the study while a doctoral student in sociology at the UW, are mentioned.

President Trump on Wednesday released a 46-minute videotaped speech on Facebook including a series of wild claims urging people not to accept the election results. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is referenced.

Of the 2020 election, George Washington University’s Steven Livingston and W. Lance Bennett, professor emeritus of political science at the UW, write, “Not only did Republicans hold the Senate — at least until the January runoff for both of Georgia’s Senate seats is decided — they gained seats in the House and strengthened their grip on state legislatures. It seems that rather than die, conservative political parties evolve. The question is: Evolve into what?”

Once in a decade, America comes together to count every person in every home on every block in every neighborhood, coast to coast. In theory. Politics and a pandemic have made this year’s count extra fraught, says Sara Curran, director of the UW’s Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology and professor of international studies, of sociology and of public policy and governance. [This is the second segment in the Dec. 2 episode of the “The Record.”]