Politics and Government

"Facebook and Twitter have already removed dozens of Russian accounts spreading disinformation. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the problem is far worse this year than in 2016. He blames the increase in foreign trolling for Trump on the weak U.S. response to the ongoing threat. Yet that’s not the whole story. No matter how cunning the trolls or relentless the bots, Russia could not reasonably expect to achieve meaningful results in the absence of an already receptive audience," write Scott Livingston at George Washington University and W. Lance Bennett, professor emeritus of political science at the UW.

Jonathan Kanter, research associate professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted, and Mavis Tsai, senior research scientist of psychology at the UW, is referenced.

“The vice presidential debate was deemed ‘civil.’ But civil does not mean it was fair. As long as interruptions are rewarded and seen as standard behavior, as they were in both the vice presidential and the presidential debates, many women will be disadvantaged in politics,” write Sapna Cheryan, professor of psychology at the UW, and Laura Vianna, a graduate student in psychology at the UW.

Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and of laws, societies and justice, is quoted.

James Long, associate professor of political science at the UW, says we'd be losing an important part of the political process if the debates were canceled.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, explains Amazon's "Climate Pledge Friendhly" label and whether it'll impact online shopping.

How climate change and U.S.-China relations could affect the 2020 elections were top of mind last week at a University of Washington presentation. The presentation was given by Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, and Susan Whiting, an associate professor of political science at the UW.

Political Science faculty member James Long launched a podcast focused on election security, featuring experts from the UW and elsewhere.

President Trump is still using Seattle as a bogeyman in his campaign. What’s the point, and why does this tactic work? Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.

There is widespread speculation about the true state of President Trump’s health – and whether the drugs he is taking suggest a more serious case than the president and his doctors have described. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

The Southeast Asia Center will spearhead a new initiative to explore the effects of authoritarianism in Southeast Asia and on Southeast Asian American communities in the United States.

“Watch out Seattle. There is a totalitarian, cult indoctrination under way to promote toxic propaganda, through anti-American re-education camps. What is this insidious force? Anti-racism training and education,” writes columnist Naomi Ishisaka. Edwin Lindo, a lecturer in the UW School of Medicine, and Ralina Joseph, professor of communication at the UW, are quoted.

How do you protect a culture that is being wiped out? For Uighurs, this is more than just a hypothetical. The Chinese government has corralled more than 1 million of them into internment camps. Since 2016, dozens of graveyards and religious sites have been destroyed, the Uighur language has been banned in Xinjiang schools in favor of Mandarin Chinese and practicing Islam, the predominant Uighur faith, has been discouraged as a “sign of extremism.” Devin Naar, associate professor of history and of Sephardic studies at the UW, is quoted.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, says undecided voters may not think President Trump is the best person to lead the country after his illness.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, talks about how he hopes the president’s illness will give the election a reset and lead to a more thoughtful conversation around choosing our leaders.