Does Ethnicity Determine Support for the Governing Party?
Book abstract: How do individual Africans view competitive elections? How do they behave at election time?
Research
Vote Self-Prediction Hardly Predicts Who Will Vote, And Is (Misleadingly) Unbiased
Public opinion researchers, campaigns, and political scientists often rely on self-predicted vote to forecast turnout, allocate resources, and measure political engagement.
Leaving Theory Behind: Why Simplistic Hypothesis Testing is Bad for International Relations
Theory creating and hypothesis testing are both critical components of social science, but the former is ultimately more important.
Advancing Evidence-Based Policymaking to Solve Social Problems
Much is known about how to address social problems, but much remains unknown. Here is a plan to help disseminate tested interventions and identify new approaches that work.
Do Political Protests Matter? Evidence from the Tea Party Movement
Can protests cause political change, or are they merely symptoms of underlying shifts in policy preferences?
Does the World Agree About Standards of Electoral Integrity? Evidence for the Diffusion of Global Norms
Drawing upon theories of the diffusion of global norms, this study addresses two issues: is there a shared consensus among experts about standards of electoral integrity?
The New Research Agenda Studying Electoral Integrity
A rapidly-growing research agenda shared by scholars and applied policy analysts is beginning to explore three questions: when do elections meet standards of electoral integrity?
Celebrate our Commitment to Liberty
Professor Burns reflects on recent Supreme Court decisions dealing with voting rights and same-sex marriage.
Political Extremism Is Supported by an Illusion of Understanding
People often hold extreme political attitudes about complex policies.
Can Inaccurate Beliefs About Incumbents be Changed? And Can Reframing Change Votes?
Can independent groups change voters’ beliefs about an incumbent’s positions?
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