Society & Politics

When it comes to national politics, Americans are fiercely divided across a range of issues, including gun control, election security and vaccines. It's not new for Republicans and Democrats to be at odds over issues, but things have reached a point where even the idea of compromising appears to be... Read more

A century ago, the section of U.S. federal law governing public health and welfare was relatively small and loosely connected to the rest of the legal system. Today, it is one of the largest and most interconnected parts of the United States Code.... Read more

Just four months ago, Timor-Leste formally became a member of the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN). This week, the tiny country took an unprecedented step: its judicial authorities appointed a prosecutor to examine the Myanmar military's responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It's believed to be the... Read more

Researchers, including Professor of Management and Organization Reuben Hurst at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, have produced VRscores, an unprecedented public database for understanding the partisan lean of different employers in the United States.... Read more

Would you create an interactive "digital twin" of yourself that can communicate with loved ones after your death?... Read more

A new briefing paper produced by the London Social Media Observatory (LSMO) at Royal Holloway and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) details emerging risks to democratic participation on TikTok. The LSMO and WFD brought together 45 policymakers, academics, civil society representatives and strategic advisors at a roundtable discussion to explore... Read more

The introduction of mandatory photo ID in the 2024 general election may not have provided the security boost promised by the government, new research suggests. Polling clerks operating during the UK's first mandatory voter ID election made mistakes in 36% of cases when tested with real ID documents, according to... Read more

Divisions within the US population on social and political issues have increased by 64% since 1988, with almost all this coming after 2008, according to a study tracking polarization from the end of the Reagan era to the dawn of Trump's second term.... Read more

City council public comment periods may focus on local issues, such as housing and public services. But new research from the University of Michigan shows they also serve as powerful forums for expressing broader societal concerns, including democracy, equity and social justice. The study is published in the Journal of... Read more

International labor migration plays a vital role in supporting families across low- and middle-income countries, often providing a critical source of income for families back home. However, when mothers migrate abroad for work, young children may be left without steady parental care during important developmental stages. While this concern is... Read more

Leading English-language news outlets often misuse the term "hard-right" to describe far-right political movements, potentially softening their extremist image and boosting their electoral appeal, according to a new study published in the journal European Political Science. The research, conducted by Dr. Georgios Samaras from King's College London's School for Government,... Read more

A report published today by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law shows that 53% of transgender youth between the ages of 13 and 17 in the U.S.—approximately 382,800 young people—live in 29 states with laws or policies that restrict their access to gender-affirming care, sports, bathrooms and facilities... Read more

On February 4, the New START Treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, is set to expire. Signed in 2010, the agreement caps deployed strategic nuclear forces at 1,550 warheads and 700 delivery systems. It also establishes one of the most extensive verification... Read more

Firearm purchasing patterns can shift in response to specific events, including presidential elections, according to Rutgers Health researchers.... Read more

It's common to wonder as tax season ramps up: Are taxes too high? According to a new study by University of Cincinnati economics professor David Brasington, the answer is no, at least when it comes to Ohio's city service taxes. These taxes go toward local services such as funds for... Read more