A Few Reasonable Words

We are back! And just in time to give you a rundown of what might be in store for us come Tuesday, and beyond. Democracy, y'all: it's a trip! 

Amidst nationwide protests against police brutality & structural racism, we ask: what exactly is structural racism & how does it relate to problems in law enforcement? What does the scholarship on race & policing tell us about how to address the problems inspiring the protests?

What exactly is Plato's beef with democracy? Can it teach us anything about the problems our democracy might be facing today? And is Plato really an enemy of democracy, or is it more complicated than that? And why does Tim like Plato so much anyway?

What happened in the Iowa caucus? And is it actually a big deal? Why do we nominate presidential candidates with this complicated system of caucuses and primaries? And what is the deal with Iowa & New Hampshire always getting to be first anyway?

SPECIAL LIVE EPISODE! How do political scientists think about primaries? How should someone who wants to think like a political scientist think about the current Democratic primary? (nb: spotty sound quality alert!)

The House is considering two Articles of Impeachment against President Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of congress. What does that mean, and how should we think about charges like this against a president? 

What exactly is the Universal Basic Income? Is it a good idea? We take a trip back to the Political Science Reform Corner to find out. 

Impeachment is in the air, but what does impeachment really mean? How should we think about impeachment as a political phenomenon and what can the history of impeachment tell us about our current situation?

At least three semi-serious candidates are challenging President Trump for the 2020 Republican nomination. Is that weird? How common are primary challenges to incumbent presidents? What does the history tell us about how to think about this year's crop?

Debates about health care policy are all the rage among 2020 Presidential candidates. How should a thoughtful voter think about these discussions? And why exactly are we still talking about health care nearly 10 years after Obamacare?

The Dems took over the House of Representatives with an ambitious legislative agenda, but what are they actually proposing? And does it have any chance to pass? Why even suggest big, sweeping legislation if they know the Senate & President won't budge?

Seems like everybody's talking about electability, but what does that really mean? What can we actually know about a candidate's electability, and is thinking about it a good way to make decisions about who to support?

Happy Independence Day! To celebrate, we examine Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" and discuss how it remains relevant to the ways we think about patriotism, tradition, and the founding ideals of the U.S.

We're back just in time for the enormous Democratic primary field's two-part debate extravaganza! Why are there so many candidates? Is it a good thing, or something to be fret about? Let AFRW guide you through the impenetrable forest of candidates!

Should election day be a national holiday? Maybe! We put the proposal through our reform corner ringer to see whether or not it would be a good idea to establish a Voting Day holiday.

How should we feel about sneaky partisan power maneuvers? Is it the beginnings of a tyrannical overthrow of democracy itself or just the normal push-and-pull of democratic politics? We explore recent events in Michigan & Wisconsin to try and figure it out.

Questions about legitimacy (stolen elections, fraud, voter suppression) have surrounded reactions to the recent election here in the U.S. What does it means to have a legitimate election and why do political scientists think this is such an important concept and value in a democratic system?

It's election time, America! You've certainly heard from the pundits and the campaigns, but what do political scientists think about midterm elections in general and this midterm election in particular? What should we expect? What is so important about midterms? And why should we (maybe) not call them "midterms" at all? 

Our first ever live episode! In front of an audience of real live human beings, we discuss the idea of mandatory voting. What is compulsory voting? Do other countries require their citizens to vote? Should we do that? Plus: Q&A with the audience! Fun!

Instant Runoff Voting or Ranked-Choice Voting: What is it, who does it, and is it a good idea? We'll answer all your questions in our most recent trip to the political science reform corner.

Why does voter registration to be a hassle? Can reforms like Automatic Voter Registration or Same Day Voter Registration make it easier for folks to vote? Is there any downside to making it easier for folks to register to vote?

Vote By Mail: Is it a good idea? We take a trip to the Political Science Reform Corner to find out.

Everyone complains about corrupt politicians, but what does corruption really mean in democratic politics? What is the difference between the complicated, messy, and unsatisfying business of everyday politics, and truly problematic political corruption? Is it reasonable to expect moral virtue and total honesty from our elected leaders, or are our complaints somewhat naive?

It's America's birthday! But what exactly does it mean to be an American? We explore theories of what it means to be an American - is it a kind of national identity, a commitment to particular ideas, a set of civic practices, or something else entirely?

What's the deal with primaries? Why do they happen? Why do they matter? Do we really have to pay attention to them? Do I really have to vote twice this year? (Hint: Yes!) And what is the role of political parties in primaries? What should it be? Can a party really "meddle" in its own primaries? (Hint: No!)

What's political about the census? Everything from the apportionment of representatives to the distribution of public resources to the construction of racial, ethnic, & civic identities. It's a big deal, and recent changes are worth paying attention to.

We're back (finally)! In our third installment of our long-gestating media discussion, we look at the professional norms of the political media and how understanding them can help us comprehend and critique the media.

The news media in America has a complicated relationship to partisan politics and political ideology. The mainstream news media continues to prize ideals of objectivity & neutrality, but countless outlets offer an explicitly partisan takes on the news. We should be worried? Is partisan media a problem for democracy, or is it fitting in a democracy with robust protections for freedom of the press? And what are news consumers to make of claims about bias in the ostensibly neutral news media? Is the ‘mainstream media' really liberally biased? Or do other biases—such as those toward celebrity, scandal, and novelty—outweigh any ideological bias? And how does all of this connect with the business incentives of the media we discussed a couple of weeks ago?

Despite enjoying popular support, federal gun control legislation seems all but impossible. Is the NRA really bribing representatives? Not exactly, but they have an awful lot of influence, and we explore the politics of interest groups to understand why.

In the first of our series on how to think about the media, we explore the economics of the news business. Who owns the media? How does the profit motive explain much of what you see, hear, and read? And what--if anything--can we do about it?

In light of FISA reauthorization earlier this year and the FISA-related accusations leveled against the FBI & the Obama Administration in the Nunes memo, it's a good time to remind ourselves what exactly FISA is, where it came from, what Americans should and should not be worried about, and what it means that both parties in Congress and the President just decided to reauthorize it without much public discussion or controversy.

What happens when there's a government shutdown? Why do we shut the government down, anyway? Do all countries shut down their governments, or is this just a silly thing America does?

In our special holiday episode, we share our Christmas wish lists: what we're asking to get from Political Science Santa. That's a thing, right?

Congress met their goal of passing a tax cut bill before Christmas, which means its to talk about the basics of taxation, the highlights of the bill, and what is likely to follow from the most significant piece of tax legislation since 2001.

Alabama elected a Democratic Senator! Democrats ran the tables in Virginia! How did that happen? What does this mean for the Democrats? What does this mean for the Republicans? Did Doug Jones really win this, or was Roy Moore just a singularly weak GOP candidate? Was this an aberration, or might it signal something bigger afoot?

What is diplomacy, why is it important, and how does it work? How can we know if diplomacy has been successful? Is it just when we're not currently at war, or is it more complicated than that? Special guest Dr. Emily Edmonds-Poli helps us answer all your diplomacy-related questions.

What exactly do we know about Russian interference in the election? There is a lot of news about Russian interference, shady dealings, meetings, fake news, bots, and all manner of complicated goings on about our last election. In the wake of tech companies like facebook and twitter coming before congress to give an account of their behavior, we thought it might be nice to take stock of what we know about Russian interference and ask some questions about how Americans should feel about foreign meddling in our elections.

What's the deal with lobbying? How powerful are lobbyists, really? Nobody seems to like it, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Should we be mad about that, or is the public image of lobbying as an all-powerful enemy of democracy inaccurate?

Despite enjoying popular support, federal gun control legislation seems all but impossible. Is the NRA really bribing representatives? Not exactly, but they have an awful lot of influence, and we explore the politics of interest groups to understand why.

What do NFL Players & tiki-torch wielding Nazis have in common? They put our ideas of freedom of speech to the test! How far do (or should) the legal protections of free speech extend? What exactly is the relationship between the first amendment and the principle of freedom of expression? Does the first amendment really protect speech that many believe by its very nature can harm vulnerable people? What are the best arguments for and against restricting hate speech? Should we try to stop the Nazis from spreading their hateful ideas or do our principles of free speech provide a good enough reason to allow them to speak, no matter how much we hate what they have to say?

From sanctuary states to repealing Obamacare, How should we think about conflicts between the federal government & state governments? Is there any clear way to determine who has the right to set policy, or is our system built for constant conflict between the states and the federal government? And if so, is that a good thing? 

How worried should we be about civic ignorance? Most Americans know very little about government, but is that a problem for democracy? And if so, what should we do about it?

What is (was) DACA? Who is affected by the program? And how well do the administration's claims about needing to rescind DACA for separation of powers reasons hold up to scrutiny?

Congress gets a recess and our students get summer break, so we figured we could take a vacation as well. 

Why do politicians seem to never stop campaigning? Has our democracy lost touch with the difference between governing and electioneering? Should we be mad about all this? And if it is a bad thing, how much of it is the media's fault? (Hint: A lot) 

Everybody knows the Declaration of Independence, but there's nothing quite like political scientists nerding out on founding documents, so grab a hot dog and check out the fireworks while we break down America's great Dear John letter to England.

The Senate finally released their super-secret bill for restructuring the American Health Care system, so we've decided to re-run our “Lawmaking 101” episode in hopes of getting everybody back up to speed just in time for health care battles anew!

What does it mean for the President to invoke executive privilege? Is executive privilege actually in the Constitution? Do Presidents only invoke executive privilege when they have something to hide? And isn't getting to live in the White House privilege enough?

Folks wring their hands about our President's use of social media, but how much do his tweets really matter for politics, policymaking, or the presidency? How does Twitter compare to previous technological innovations like radio and television? Should we care that our president seems addicted to twitter? And how seriously should we take his tweets? 

We believe in the rule of law. We believe the president is above the law. But how do we hold the executive branch accountable for wrongdoing when it's the executive branch's job to investigate and try wrongdoing?  

What is the rule of law, exactly? Where did the idea of the rule of law come from and why do we care about it so much? Does it just mean following whatever the laws say, or is it something more particular than that? And does every society with laws follow the rule of law, or can you have laws but not follow the rule of law? Can breaking the law ever be a way to respect the rule of law? And what on earth does firing the FBI director have to do with the rule of law?