Policy & the Economy
April 1, 2026
When Disaster Almost Strikes, Who Takes the Heat?
People are harder on political leaders of the opposite party for near catastrophes, from threats of war to financial bubbles.
Matejas Mackin, Daniel A. Effron, Kai Epstude and Neal J. Roese
February 4, 2026
Bucking the Party Line May Not Be as Perilous as People Think
Republicans and Democrats overestimate backlash from their own party for voicing dissent. It could be making polarization worse.
Trevor Spelman, Abdo Elnakouri, Nour Kteily and Eli J. Finkel
January 22, 2026
How Does Education Shape Our Voting Habits?
The cutoff date for starting kindergarten can make a difference in people’s long-term education levels—and voting behavior.
Ethan Kaplan, Jörg L. Spenkuch and Cody Tuttle
November 1, 2025
When Campaigns Backfire
A leaflet campaign during the 2023 Argentine presidential election was expected to hurt an outsider candidate but had the opposite effect. What went wrong?
Georgy Egorov, Sergei Guriev, Maxim Mironov and Ekaterina Zhuravskaya
October 1, 2025
Strong-Arm Leaders Often Get the Minority Vote
A study of voter preferences in the U.S. and Europe—across a wide range of races, ethnicities, and political affiliations—reveals why.
Krishnan Nair, Marlon Mooijman and Maryam Kouchaki
April 24, 2025
Policymakers Are Relying on Science More Than Ever
But there’s little common ground in the research that Republicans and Democrats cite.
Alexander C. Furnas, Timothy M. LaPira and Dashun Wang
January 13, 2025
The Cold, Cold History of Political Conflict
Sustained temperature shifts during the “Little Ice Age” led to wars, mass migration, and instability. What does this mean for our current moment?
Murat Iyigun, Joris Mueller and Nancy Qian
September 26, 2024
Take 5: How to Talk Politics (Constructively)
Research-backed advice for your next conversation.
Eli J. Finkel, Michalis Mamakos, William Brady, Jacob D. Teeny and Nour Kteily
August 12, 2024
Would Trump Escalate the U.S.–China Trade War?
If former U.S. President Donald Trump returns to the White House, he would likely impose sweeping tariffs against China. His policy agenda would harm lower-income households the most.
Nancy Qian
July 1, 2024
How to Spot Political Deepfakes
AI literacy—and a healthy dose of human intuition—can take us pretty far.
Matthew Groh
June 3, 2024
Why Did Early Governments Emerge?
Was it about cooperation—or exploitation? A new study turns to archeology for answers.
Robert C. Allen, Mattia C. Bertazzini and Leander Heldring
March 1, 2024
How Trolls Poison Political Discussions for Everyone Else
Online political debate isn’t inherently toxic, a new study of Reddit commenters finds. Instead, it becomes toxic because of the kind of commenters who opt in.
Michalis Mamakos and Eli J. Finkel
October 2, 2023
How the Electoral College May Curb Election Fraud
This distinctive aspect of American democracy has come under increased scrutiny. But the very quality that most vexes its critics comes with an underrecognized upside.
Georgy Egorov and Konstantin Sonin
September 28, 2023
It’s Election Season. Here Comes the Morally Charged Language.
In the U.S., presidential candidates across the political spectrum lean on value-laden rhetoric—but emphasize different values.
Kobi Hackenburg, William Brady and Manos Tsakiris
April 10, 2023
Are People on Social Media Actually That Outraged?
One reason we think Twitter is such a polarized place: we’re bad at inferring how angry people are from their posts.
William Brady and and coauthors
January 1, 2023
Partisanship Doesn’t Just Color Our View of Facts—It Alters How We Think about Hypotheticals
New research sheds light on how polarization can shape our counterfactual thinking.
Kai Epstude, Daniel A. Effron and Neal J. Roese
December 1, 2022
4 Science-Backed Strategies to Curb Partisan Animosity
Vilification of the other side is at a fever pitch. But research suggests ways to bridge the gap.
Eli J. Finkel and and coauthors
October 28, 2022
Why Are So Many Politicians Embracing Conspiracy Theories?
Conspiratorial thinking has always been attractive in times of uncertainty—but it’s become more mainstream. An expert explains why, and whether anything can be done.
Cynthia S. Wang
October 1, 2022
When Do People Protest and When Do They Just Grumble? History Offers Clues.
A tradition of anti-government uprisings can impact communities centuries later.
Meng Miao and Jacopo Ponticelli
October 1, 2022
How We Justify Our Unpopular Opinions
The tactic makes controversial views more palatable to others—and has implications for the rampant spread of fake news.
Leonardo Bursztyn, Georgy Egorov, Ingar K. Haaland, Aakaash Rao and Christopher Roth
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March 10, 2026 · 16:52 minutes
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