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...
Governance
Political Orientation — Not Party — Predicts Political Tolerance
In an age of high political polarization in the United States, the popular narrative often focuses on an “us versus them” battle between the two major political parties, each accusing the other of intolerance. But new research shows that political affiliation and its relationship to political tolerance is more nuanced. Social scientists Christoper Garneau and Philip Schwadel...
More U.S. Adults Carrying Loaded Handguns Daily
The number of U.S. adult handgun owners carrying a loaded handgun on their person doubled from 2015 to 2019, according to new research led by the University of Washington (UW). Data come from the 2019 National Firearms Survey (NFS), an online survey of U.S. adults living in households with firearms, including nearly 2,400 handgun owners....
No, an Indictment Wouldn’t End Trump’s Run for the Presidency – He Could Even Campaign or Serve from a Jail Cell
Donald Trump announced his 2024 run for the presidency on Nov. 15. In his address he railed against what he perceived as the “persecution” of himself and his family, but made scant mention of his legal woes. Confirmation of Trump’s White House bid comes at a curious time – a week after a lackluster Republican...
Massive Turnout in Defense of Mexico’s Electoral Authority
Tens of thousands of people packed the Mexican capital’s main boulevard Sunday to protest President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s proposal to overhaul the country’s electoral authority in the largest demonstration against one of the president’s efforts during his nearly four years in office. The massive turnout was a strong rebuke of the president’s assertion that...
New Study Shows How Voting Methods Affect Group Decision-Making
When groups of people need to reach a decision, they will often take a straw poll to test opinions before the official vote. New research from the University of Washington shows that one specific voting method proved more effective than others in identifying the best choice. In a study published September 28 in Academy of Management...
Revisiting Government-Backed Migration Policy Decades Later: A Potential Marginalization of Native Communities in Today’s World?
Transmigration programs are known to have relocated millions of people from the centers of domestic economies to the national geographical peripheries to support a more equitable resource distribution. The practice is salient to the nation-building process in many developing countries, most notably in Indonesia, dating back to the 1905 Dutch settlement programs pre-independence. The transmigration...
U.K. Prime Minister Forced from Office Amid Economic Turmoil, Chaos in Parliament and a Party in Disarray
The U.K. government is in tatters after Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Oct. 20, 2022 – the second leader to be forced out in mere months. It follows an economic mess largely of her own making that resulted in U-turns, a high-profile firing, curious absences and plummeting support. The resignation means that Truss will...
Slavery Is on the Ballot for Voters in 5 U.S. States
More than 150 years after slaves were freed in the U.S., voters in five states will soon decide whether to close loopholes that led to the proliferation of a different form of slavery — forced labor by people convicted of certain crimes. None of the proposals would force immediate changes inside the states’ prisons, though...
Nearly 40% of Voters May Cross Party Lines for Candidate with Plan to Lower Healthcare Costs
Scientists across Canada will be able to better predict and mitigate extreme weather events in the face of climate change thanks to a new satellite mission that’s received more than $200 million in federal funding. The HAWC satellite system – which stands for High-altitude, Aerosol, Water vapour and Clouds – is Canada’s contribution to NASA’s...