Archive

A passion for policy

August 27, 2018 Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT

While still an undergraduate at MIT, Luisa Kenausis ’17, co-founded MIT Students for Nuclear Arms Control. The organization’s goal: to raise awareness of nuclear arms control issues. As a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation this spring, Kenausis continued her work to raise public awareness of these issues.

Election Management in the U.S. is Improving

August 9, 2018 Claire DeSoi MIT Election Data & Science Lab (MEDSL)

States’ administration of elections overall improved by 6 percentage points between 2012 and 2016, according to the Elections Performance Index (EPI) released today by the MIT Election Data & Science Lab (MEDSL).

Environmental regulation in a polarized culture

July 24, 2018 Fatima Husain MIT News

With an affinity for environmental issues and a knack for analysis, MIT doctoral student Parrish Bergquist aims to clarify the ways in which changing political landscapes influence environmental policy outcomes.

3Q: Barry Posen on the NATO Summit and state of the alliance

July 20, 2018 Michelle English MIT News/Center for International Studies

Barry Posen, a leading national security expert and Cold War historian, offers in-depth scholarship on the historic meetings. Posen, a Ford International Professor of Political Science and director of the MIT Security Studies Program,  discusses the role of NATO today, and whether the alliance is “stronger than ever,” as President Trump stated in a post-summit press conference.

Solidarity and separatism

May 30, 2018 Leda Zimmerman

Doctoral student Elissa Berwick listens closely to the calls for independence rising from regions around the world.

Research on Religion Podcast: Richard Nielsen on Deadly Clerics

May 13, 2018 Research on Religion

http://www.researchonreligion.org/religion-politics/richard-nielsen-on-deadly-clericsPolitical rebellion and violence in the Middle East has recently been associated with religious belief and rhetoric, often spurred on by the writings and recordings of Muslim clerics. What motivates imams to advocate such tactics? Prof. Richard Nielsen, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, answers this question with reference to previous theories of revolution and an examination of the career paths of imams who advocate violent jihad. 

3 Questions: Vipin Narang on the North Korea summits

May 11, 2018 Michelle English Center for International Studies

An historic April 27 summit between Moon Jae-in, president of South Korea, and Kim Jong-un, supreme leader of North Korea, has been lauded as a path to peace for the divided peninsula as well as a tipping point of the North Korean nuclear crisis. But what concrete actions should we expect from the meeting between Kim and Moon? And how will this affect the forthcoming summit between President Trump and Kim? MIT nuclear strategy expert Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science and a member its Security Studies Program, weighs-in with his observations, underscoring that rhetoric is key.

People Power

May 11, 2018 Peter Dizikes MIT News

In politics, your voices make a difference. At least at the state level of U.S. politics, that is. A new study co-authored by an MIT political scientist shows that state policies in the U.S. from 1936 through 2014 have been responsive to public opinion — and have become even more aligned with it in recent decades.

Richard Nielsen on Deadly Clerics

May 8, 2018 The Baylor Institute for Studies on Religion

Political rebellion and violence in the Middle East has recently been associated with religious belief and rhetoric, often spurred on by the writings and recordings of Muslim clerics.  What motivates imams to advocate such tactics? 

Work of the future and the future of work for women in political science

May 2, 2018 Leda Zimmerman MIT Political Science

After a 30-year career focused on the economic institutions of wealthy democracies, Kathleen Thelen, Ford Professor of Political Science, has recently begun carving out time from her globe-hopping schedule to pursue compelling opportunities closer to home.

WOTR PODCAST: A BIG DEBATE ABOUT A LITTLE NUKE

March 14, 2018 War on the Rocks

Why are so many people at odds over low-yield nuclear weapons? Listen to this fierce debate between Frank Miller – a long-suffering veteran of the Pentagon and nuclear strategy, Dr. Olga Oliker of CSIS and a longtime observer and scholar of Russian nuclear and military doctrine, and Vipin Narang – a professor at MIT and, most importantly, a War on the Rocks senior editor. Co-hosts Ryan Evans and Usha Sahay did their best to moderate this high-yield debate about low-yield nukes. Get ready for the fallout.

Vote of Confidence

February 21, 2018 Kara Baskin Spectrum

The MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL), launched in January 2017, champions the efficiency, integrity, and transparency of the democratic process