Politics and Government

"One of us is a political scientist at the University of Washington, and the other is a former elections commissioner who now studies voting laws. We can explain why voter fraud is so rare – especially for mail-in ballots," write Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, and Charlotte Hill, of the University of California Berkeley.

A 6,600-word internal memo from a fired Facebook data scientist details how the social network knew leaders of countries around the world were using their site to manipulate voters — and failed to act. Katy Pearce, associate professor of communication at the UW, is quoted.

Washington and Oregon rarely feature in presidential races. But as demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism have continued across the country, the Pacific Northwest — the site of some of the country’s largest and most persistent protests — has taken on a narrative role in the national campaign even as it remains an electoral backwater. Jacob Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Smoke and fog shrouded the Puget Sound region as fires continued to burn throughout the West Sunday morning, adding a new layer of anxiety and distress to a summer of pandemic, civil unrest and economic decline. Jane Simoni, professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

"How a society handles disasters says a lot about its resilience, character and governance capacities. Disasters can foster paranoia or encourage solidarity. They can bring the country together or tear it apart," write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

It’s been almost two decades since the events of 9/11, yet we still live in their shadow. That era-defining terrorist assault on the United States prefigured a new age of military interventions abroad and surveillance powers and security protocols at home. The advent of the “war on terror” saw U.S. forces deployed across a wide arc of the planet, from West Africa to the Middle East, in an avowed worldwide campaign against Islamist militancy. Daniel Bessner, associate professor of international studies at the UW, is quoted.

The CDC this week adjusted its guidance for coronavirus exposure to say people without symptoms “do not necessarily need a test.” Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology, is quoted.

Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology, discusses America's "pandemic spiral."

With two months before the general election – and amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – mail-in voting has taken on a greater importance, and drawn more political attention, than in elections past.

Kim England, professor of geography, and Marissa Baker, assistant professor of public health, explain how labor has changed in 2020.

Christopher Adolph, associate professor of political science and John Wilkerson, political science professor and chair of the department explain the results of their study about mask mandates.

Christopher Adolph, associate professor of political science, authored a study showing that governor's political party is the biggest factor in whether a state has imposed a mask mandate.

Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and law, society, and justice is quoted in this article about law and order politics.

Ian Kennedy, a sociology graduate student, discusses his new study on racialized language in Seattle-area rental ads.

Tetsuden Kashima, professor of American Ethnic Studies, contributed to an educational game about the experience of being a Japanese American during WWII.