Political Science | Penn Today

Despite Trump’s racial rhetoric, white prejudice has gone down, Penn study finds

A study by Daniel Hopkins of the Schools of Arts and Sciences and recent graduate Samantha Washington found that “expressed prejudice” declined in response to racist political rhetoric, particularly among Democrats.

Q&A

Will stalemate lead to resolution in Venezuela?

In a Q&A, political science professor Dorothy Kronick says negotiation is an uphill battle but may be the only way to settle the dispute over who will lead the troubled country.

If you fear the deep state, history explains why

A recent poll found that “three-quarters of Americans believed that unelected government and military officials secretly control policy decisions in Washington.” John Gans of the Perry World House sees these beliefs as concerning evidence of “collapsing trust” in the U.S. government.

Newborn on a blanket wearing a crown resting their head on their hands.

How modern monarchies are evolving

With the birth of the latest royal baby, Wharton's Mauro Guillen discusses his research on monarchies, and how the economies of countries with modern monarchies compare to those without.

Urban League annual report addresses voting rights, suppression

Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts and Sciences commented on the Urban League’s report on voting rights, cosigning their recommendation of passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would counteract strict voter-ID laws. She also expressed doubt that the Electoral College would be abolished any time soon.

Leaders are failing human rights. I know because I was in charge of it.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Perry World House was featured in a video op-ed about human-rights abuses. “Most of our political leaders are morally weak, shortsighted, and mediocre. It used to be that abuses were called out and many were stopped. Human rights violators had something to fear,” he said. “But today, the silence of those public officials is astounding. Their hypocrisy, sickening.”

Bush on public service: ‘Don’t be cynical about it’

During a conversation with Presidential Professor of Practice and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, hosted by the Fels Institute of Government, Bush remarked on politics, public service, and policy.

Latin American and Latino Studies celebrates 30 years of growth, plans for the future

What began as a handful of faculty and students has matured into a program offering a major and minor, grants, and a local and international community hub.

Three people sitting at a small, round table outside, with greenery in the background.

Kurdish is the newest class on the global language roster

A course taught by Annenberg doctoral student Mohammed Salih offered, for the first time at Penn, entrée into the basics of a language spoken by 30 million people worldwide.

Radicalizing the vote: 10 ideas that just might save democracy

The Stuart Weitzman School of Design’s Mark Alan Hughes proposed weighting each vote based on the voter’s age, making a person’s first vote their most significant one. The diminishing impact of a person’s vote over time would boost participation and empower those most affected by the long-term consequences of election outcomes, he said.

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