Political Science | Penn Today

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Mail-in ballots, foreign interference, and the 2020 election

In a Q&A, Kathleen Hall Jamieson discusses what we learned from the election four years ago plus how journalists can responsibly share hacked content and what role the public at large can play.

Latin American Green New Deal

Daniel Aldana Cohen, an assistant professor of sociology in the School of Arts & Sciences, organized and moderated an event on the Latin American Green New Deal, rethinking recession recovery and carbon emissions reduction.

As the presidential election approaches, experts warn ‘risks are definitely on the horizon for investors’

Nikolai Roussanov of the Wharton School spoke about how November’s election will affect the stock market. “I only see more uncertainty ahead, because this election is probably going to be close and the result is not going to be settled for quite some time,” he said. “I would say the risks are definitely on the horizon for investors.”

What’s at stake for higher ed in the election?

Mitchell Orenstein of the School of Arts & Sciences called on colleges and universities to take a strong role in defending democracy. “Academic freedom can only exist in a society that protects political freedom,” he said.

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Q&A

Presidential health and contested elections

Political scientist Rogers Smith gives some background on why the 25th Amendment was established, who can invoke it, and what happens if an election’s results are contested by a sitting president.

The election is being fought on social media amid the pandemic

Pinar Yildrim of the Wharton School spoke about social media as a political tool. “You don’t have to have the big money, big bucks, big fundraisers, big supporters to be able to communicate on Twitter with your constituency,” she said.

Early voting begins in Georgia with long lines, high turnout

Research by Stephen Pettigrew of the School of Arts & Sciences found that nonwhite voters were seven times more likely than white voters to wait in line for more than an hour to vote. “Waiting in a line makes you less likely to turn out in subsequent elections,” he said.

Book cover shows three people, one on the left holding a flag, one in the middle wearing glasses and one on the right wearing U.S. military fatigues.

Q&A

Trump’s 2016 rhetoric and Latino immigrant civic behavior

A new book by political scientist Michael Jones-Correa sheds light on immigrants’ attitudes before, during, and after Trump’s election.

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Past successes, future questions as United Nations turns 75

Perry World House held a series of virtual talks with global leaders looking at the organization’s current efforts, ongoing struggles, and future.

Kamala Harris waving and smiling at left, Vice President Mike Pence at a podium on the right

Takeaways from the vice presidential debate

Historian Barbara D. Savage shares her thoughts on the first vice presidential debate in history featuring a Black woman.

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