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Men Vastly Outnumber Women in Studying Legislative Politics

It’s no secret that men outnumber women in the halls of Congress and in other political arenas, but new research from Rice University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign also found that significantly more men than women study the legislative process in the U.S. and abroad. This has troubling implications for...

Political Apathy Spreads from Parents to Adolescent Children
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Political Apathy Spreads from Parents to Adolescent Children

Political apathy is growing in democracies around the world. Political apathy, also known as political alienation, describes feelings of separation and disaffection, a sense of powerlessness and an indifference to politics and political institutions. A hallmark of political alienation is a refusal to vote or participate in political activities. Adolescents and young adults are no...

Company Culture Shapes Willingness of Workers to Act Sustainably
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Company Culture Shapes Willingness of Workers to Act Sustainably

Amidst rising concerns about the global climate crisis, Princeton researchers have uncovered the surprisingly large role that companies play in shaping sustainable behaviors among employees, as well as a link between eco-friendly behaviors and happier workers. In research published in Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, the Princeton team reported the results from a...

Microtargeting Works, Just Not the Way People Think
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Microtargeting Works, Just Not the Way People Think

Recent U.S. elections have raised the question of whether “microtargeting,” the use of extensive online data to tailor persuasive messages to voters, has altered the playing field of politics. Now, a newly-published study led by MIT scholars finds that while targeting is effective in some political contexts, the “micro” part of things may not be the game-changing...

The Voting Rights Act’s Impact on Black Representation in Local Government
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The Voting Rights Act’s Impact on Black Representation in Local Government

When the Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965, it didn’t just enfranchise Black voters in the American South. It also led to greater representation of Black lawmakers in local government, according to a new paper published in the April 2023 issue of the Journal of Political Economy. In “Race, Representation, and Local Governments...

Ilhan Omar Embarks on New Path No Longer Defined by ‘Firsts’
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Ilhan Omar Embarks on New Path No Longer Defined by ‘Firsts’

President Joe Biden was winding up for a speech at a Minnesota clean energy facility when he spotted a lawmaker in the crowd whom he wanted to recognize. “I want to thank you for being here,” Biden said, gesturing toward Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar during his recent visit. “You never stop working to level the playing field...

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Correspondence Shows Troubling Interactions Between U.S. Officials and the Alcohol Industry

Growing evidence exists that the alcohol industry uses a variety of strategies to influence public policy in a way that is advantageous to its own corporate interests, rather than the interest of public health. Recent communication between employees of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and alcohol industry groups shows extensive interaction...

USC Study Reveals the Key Reason Why Fake News Spreads on Social Media
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USC Study Reveals the Key Reason Why Fake News Spreads on Social Media

USC researchers may have found the biggest influencer in the spread of fake news: social platforms’ structure of rewarding users for habitually sharing information. The team’s findings, published Tuesday by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, upend popular misconceptions that misinformation spreads because users lack the critical thinking skills necessary for discerning truth from falsehood or...

Evidence About Gun Policies Grows and Supports Laws to Reduce Violence
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Evidence About Gun Policies Grows and Supports Laws to Reduce Violence

There is now supportive evidence that child-access-prevention laws reduce firearm homicides and self-injuries among youth, and that shall-issue concealed-carry laws and stand-your-ground laws increase levels of firearm violence, according to a new RAND Corporation report. The findings are part of a new report updating RAND’s Science of Gun Policy research synthesis, which reviewed the existing scientific literature...