Political Science

Aerial view of a large crowd in Barcelona, many holding Catalonia flags

Barcelona protests: An expert take

Barcelona erupted in chaos and violence in October after Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced former leaders of Catalonia’s independence push to steep prison sentences. Three Penn experts talk to Penn Today about the ruling, the protests, and what it all means for the upcoming Spanish elections.

U.S. Supreme Court building with people sitting on the steps and others in the background

Most Americans trust the Supreme Court, but find it ‘too mixed up in politics’

A recent survey reveals that while most Americans see the U.S. Supreme Court as a trusted institution, they also feel that the distinction between judges and elected politicians is becoming blurred.

‘Centrism is canceled’: High schoolers debate the impeachment inquiry

Survey results from the Annenberg Public Policy Center revealed that only 39% of adults in the U.S. can name all three branches of government, and only 25% can name just one branch.

Mark Alan Hughes at his desk standing and talking with associates by windows in the sunlight.

Leading the way in the field of energy policy

During two decades at Penn, Mark Alan Hughes has made the University a leader in the field of energy policy—and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Cartoon Democrat donkey butting heads with a cartoon Republican elephant.

The 2016 election did not increase political polarization

A new study by Annenber’s Yphtach Lelkes indicates that America is politically polarized, but the findings show no statistical difference between the levels of partisanship in 2014 and 2017.

Poll: Most Americans say they trust Supreme Court

A new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that 68% of U.S. adults have faith in the Supreme Court, and 70% said the court has “about the right amount of power.” However, 57% of respondents said it can get too “mixed up in politics.”

Trump can’t rely on cable news running his rallies in full anymore

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said that coverage of President Trump’s political rallies on cable news is “the equivalent of paid advertising” for his reelection campaign.

In impeachment inquiry, is President Trump more akin to Andrew Johnson or Bill Clinton?

With the opening of an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump late last month, historian Mary Frances Berry compares the case against Trump to three other presidents who were threatened with removal.

Smartphone data show voters in black neighborhoods wait longer

Stephen Pettigrew of the School of Arts and Sciences said a new study that observed 29% longer wait times for voters in predominately black neighborhoods “was a totally, totally different way to try to measure this problem than what we’ve seen before.”

Saudi Arabia vs. Iran: A regional spat with global implications

Political scientist Michael Horowitz, who specializes in international relations and military decision-making, explains the situation and outlines what might happen next.

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