Welcome
Notes on political science research
A Strong History
Back in grad school, we used to exchange 1- or 2-page summaries of journal articles with my peers. All of us read the articles (at least I did), but we shared the task of writing notes about them. We would collect summaries from fellow grad students at UCSD and post them to wikisum.com. You’ll find lots of summaries of classic books and articles there, although the summaries vary widely in quality depending on who wrote them.
Now that grad school’s over, we still read books and journal articles. And I still take notes on them. We post the notes here mainly for my own benefit–storing them in this format makes it easier for me to search through them. If these summaries are useful to you, great. If you’d like to discuss my reviews, please post a comment. If you’d like to start blogging here with me, please do, as long as you’re a professor or doctoral candidate in political science.
Political Reviews
Large-scale Field Experiment on Voter Mobilization
In 2008, Gerber et al. published a pioneering study of mobilization. Using heavy-handed tactics, they found that they could shame people into voting. Using heavy-handed tactics might be fine for academics, but real-world campaigns can’t use those tactics without...
U.S. State Election Reform and Turnout in Presidential Elections
If you move from one state to the next, you may find dramatic differences in election administration. Back in my home state of California, I registered as a permanent absentee voter. Prior to each election, I received my ballot in the mail, which I completed at my...
Leadership Power in U.S. State Legislatures
Those who study Congress have engaged in long arguments about the importance (or lack thereof) of Congressional leaders in influencing outcomes. Among others, see Cox and McCubbins 1993 and 2005, Krehbiel 1993 and 1998, Binder 1996,...
Timing Is Everything
In recent years, political scientists have run a variety of field experiments to show exactly which methods of voter mobilization are most effective. However, those experiments have focused mostly on method, not on timing. In a recent article, Costas Panagopoulos used...
Motivating Voter Turnout by Invoking the Self
A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science suggests that we can dramatically boost turnout simply by reminding people to “be a voter” rather than “to vote.” When we ask people to “be a voter” and not just “to vote,” we lead them to think about...
The Impact Of The New Healthcare Bill On American Citizens
The potential impact of the new healthcare bill on American citizens. The bill has yet to be signed into law, but there are many people who are concerned about what it could mean for them and their families. The bill includes many changes that could have a negative...
How To Make Your Voice Heard In Today’s Political Landscape
It is essential for people to make their voices heard in the political landscape. With so much going on in the world, it is crucial that people take the time to learn about the issues and cast their votes accordingly. In this article, we will explore some ways that...
What is Socialism?
Socialism isn’t communism – they’re two different systems with different values at their core. In fact, most socialists don't believe in communism at all! But if you think both systems have similar goals or outcomes.
The character of King George III
King George III was the king of England from 1760 to 1820. King George III became incapacitated and ill in the late 1790s, which led to his eldest son taking over as Prince Regent. The king's illness created a power vacuum that caused conflict between the two branches...
Merits and Demerits of the Electoral College
Merits and Demerits of the Electoral College Since the first US presidential election in the late 18th century, there has been an ongoing public debate about the electoral college's benefits and demerits. The debate has taken center stage when the person who...
How Can We Increase Voter Turn-out?
How Can We Increase Voter Turn-Out? More than 91 million eligible Americans did not cast their vote during the 2016 elections. The situation was worse two years earlier when more than 143 million eligible Americans failed to show up and cast their votes. This is a...