https://phys.org/science-news/political-science/ en-us The latest news on political science In environmental, health and technology crises, Americans are more persuaded to take action by scientists and public consensus than by leaders in government and industry, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers at Boston College and Princeton University. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-citizens-persuasive-industry-mobilizing.html Social Sciences Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:00:07 EDT news703140968 Psychedelic drugs are known to make people highly sensitive to their surroundings. In other words, a user's mindset and immediate environment heavily shape the entire trippy experience. In a study published in the journal Psychedelic Medicine, scientists wanted to test a brand-new idea: whether an invisible backdrop of national culture, rather than just a person's local setting, could influence people's support for partisan violence after taking a psychedelic. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-fourth-july-celebrations-national-political.html Social Sciences Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:30:01 EDT news702737327 A new ancient DNA study published in Science Advances provides evidence that political power among Scythian elites may have been inherited through family lineages that extended across multiple burial sites. By combining archaeology, anthropology and genetics, the new study offers fresh insight into how social inequality and political authority developed among ancient nomadic societies. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-newfound-family-link-scythian-elite.html Archaeology Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:00:09 EDT news702200941 AI-generated impersonations of political figures are judged by members of the public to be more authentic, relevant and coherent than the speakers' actual debate responses, according to a study appearing in PLOS One, written by Steffen Herbold of the University of Passau in Germany, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-generated-debate-outscore-real.html Social Sciences Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:00:18 EDT news702049502 When people think of workplace segregation, they usually think of race or gender. Yet Americans are also sorted at work by something employers rarely measure: how they vote. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-politics-door-workplaces.html Economics & Business Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:40:06 EDT news701609214 At the end of every presidential term, the End of Term Web Archive preserves that administration's web presence as a vast trove of documents and webpages. The archive began in 2008, with George W. Bush's second term, and runs through 2024, collecting images, text, graphs, redacted pages and other media. So while it contains important public information, finding that information in the glut can prove difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-web-archive-easily-millions-documents.html Political science Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:10:04 EDT news701539021 Sicilian populations have been genetically diverse for many centuries, and they have remained that way even through major regime changes and religious transitions, according to a study published in PLOS One by Aurore Monnereau of the University of York, U.K., and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-sicily-medieval-pot-major-political.html Archaeology Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:00:08 EDT news701428071 In spring 2024, more than 100,000 people protested in Taiwan's streets. On Threads, a parallel fight was underway. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-generated-cartoons-reshaped-taiwan.html Political science Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:20:04 EDT news701353781 Three decades ago, researchers working atop the Llullaillaco volcano, located on the border between Argentina and Chile, discovered exceptionally well-preserved remains. The find included the mummified bodies of three children along with associated artifacts. The site became known as the Capacocha burial, which was linked to the Inca ritual by the same name, which involved sacrificing children and young women. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-human-sacrifice-inca-empire-driven.html Archaeology Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:00:04 EDT news700902842 Individuals subject to extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), or "red flag" laws, were significantly less likely to be arrested—including for violent and firearm-related offenses—while the orders were in effect than in the six months before. Strikingly, the drop in arrests did not end when the orders expired and continued for months afterward, according to a new study published in PNAS Nexus. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-red-flag-laws-linked-sustained.html Social Sciences Tue, 16 Jun 2026 16:10:01 EDT news700842302 Listening to someone who disagrees with you on a controversial topic, but shares basic values, might not change your mind—but it could moderate an extreme position, reducing polarization, new Cornell economics research finds. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-political-opponents-common-values-ease.html Political science Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:20:10 EDT news700743061 Global migration has risen sharply from approximately 13 million people per year in 2000 to around 35 million people per year in 2023. This is according to a new dataset on human migration published in Nature by researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), IIASA and the University of Hong Kong. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-annual-global-migration-tripled-reshaping.html Social Sciences Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:40:04 EDT news700323661 A new study from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago offers underlying evidence that the engagement-based algorithms used by major social media platforms amplify intergroup, moralized, emotional (IME) and toxic political content—and that a relatively simple redesign can reduce that amplification without hurting users' overall experience of the platform. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-diversifying-social-exposure-toxic-content.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 May 2026 18:00:01 EDT news699194161 Global food systems are fragile. Recent shocks such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have raised prices and exacerbated food insecurity. Governments are increasingly trying to shield themselves from future food crises, whether caused by conflict, climate shocks, disruptions to global trade or failed harvests. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-global-food-reveals-sufficiency-crises.html Economics & Business Thu, 28 May 2026 16:10:01 EDT news699199681 The world's urban population increased by 785 million people between 2000 and 2020, but that tells only part of the story. Now, a research team including an expert from the University of Michigan has dug into the demographics of more than 10,000 individual cities to obtain insights that can be lost in the aggregate. The findings are published in the journal Nature Cities. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-analysis-cities-reveals-hidden-people.html Economics & Business Wed, 27 May 2026 17:10:01 EDT news699119942 A large-scale analysis of Grokipedia, the world's first AI-written encyclopedia, has found that while many Grokipedia articles closely resemble their Wikipedia counterparts, a substantial subset diverged markedly in style, sourcing and political leaning. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-grokipedia-news-sources.html Social Sciences Tue, 19 May 2026 13:20:01 EDT news698410201 Artificial intelligence (AI) companies influence policy and regulation using similar techniques to Big Tobacco, Big Pharma and Big Oil, according to a new study. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-big-ai-laws-oversight.html Economics & Business Mon, 18 May 2026 20:00:01 EDT news698339732 Most Americans know what a real expert's credentials look like: relevant degree, years of experience, and respect from peers. The problem, according to a study recently published in Scientific Reports, is that none of it matters as much once we find out their politics. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-politics-picture-credentials-seat.html Social Sciences Sun, 17 May 2026 17:00:01 EDT news697822396 Researchers have found our emotions toward politics not only play on our minds, but shape how our bodies respond to political experiences, even driving political participation higher. The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that political emotions are not simply experienced as everyday feelings directed at political topics, but are felt differently in the body, becoming a key driver of how we participate in democracy. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-political-emotions-bodies-democracy.html Social Sciences Tue, 12 May 2026 13:00:10 EDT news697800121 TikTok's algorithm did not treat Democrats and Republicans equally during the 2024 US presidential election. According to a paper published in Nature, its recommendation system showed a Republican-leaning skew in three states. The journal's editors have also published a Research Briefing in the same issue covering the study. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-tiktok-algorithm-pro-republican-bias.html Political science Fri, 08 May 2026 10:50:01 EDT news697453295 How are ordinary people drawn into extremist circles—and what role can artificial intelligence play in that process? This question is addressed by a new study which, for the first time, combines psychological theories of radicalization with knowledge of modern AI technologies such as recommendation algorithms, generative AI and botnets. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-artificial-intelligence-path-radicalization.html Social Sciences Thu, 07 May 2026 10:20:04 EDT news697365853 A new study of online communities suggests that their interaction dynamics can amplify small, local imbalances in opinions, rapidly turning initially mixed-opinion communities into highly-polarized ones—even without the algorithms and homogeneity-seeking behaviors typically blamed for sculpting echo chambers. Petter Törnberg of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, presents these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-online-echo-chambers-algorithmic-nudges.html Social Sciences Wed, 06 May 2026 14:00:10 EDT news697275001 If you're registered to vote in the United States and you're not among the richest of the rich, political scientist Peter K. Enns has a message for you: Your voice still matters. So does data analysis methodology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-politicians-statistical-analysis.html Social Sciences Mon, 04 May 2026 18:40:01 EDT news697126082 A physics-inspired model calibrated on 40 years of US congressional data pinpoints a spending threshold of roughly 1.8 million USD at which campaigns stop influencing who wins and start fueling polarization instead. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-physics-explanation-elections-wont.html Mathematics Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:00:07 EDT news696764161 The idea that information should flow freely is deeply embedded in the design of social media. The assumption is that the more information is produced and shared, the better. However, simulations by a team of scientists including University of Groningen Professor of Artificial Intelligence Davide Grossi show that such an unrestricted flow of information can amplify incorrect ideas among like-minded people. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-free-amplify-incorrect-ideas.html Social Sciences Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:10:01 EDT news696616741 The internet and social media platforms have given rise to a rising wave of misinformation, with many users now posting fake news, AI-generated photos or videos and other types of misleading content online. Over the past few years, this rise in misinformation has become a heated topic of debate, with some studies suggesting that it could influence voters during political elections. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-videos-blunt-misinformation-country.html Social Sciences Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:02 EDT news695900044 Past research has shown that even though science is commonly viewed as essential for effective policymaking, Democrats and Republicans cite different scientific research when creating policy—even when addressing the same topic. Now, a new Northwestern study analyzing congressional reports, hearings and think tank publications from around the country, has found that bipartisan citations, while rare, highlight papers of exceptional scientific influence. Policy documents citing these papers also receive more citations, amplifying their policy impact—and perhaps providing a pathway for future bipartisan successes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bipartisan-cited-science-rarely-policymakers.html Political science Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:00:09 EDT news696253441 Over the past decades, the diffusion of fake news and other deceptive content on social media platforms has become a heated topic of debate. Some past studies have explored the broad impact of online misinformation, while others have tried to determine whether deceptive content influences voters during political elections. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-deceptive-content-millions-voters-elections.html Social Sciences Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:30:01 EDT news696162395 Natural resources—such as fossil fuels, water, and minerals—are materials found in the environment that are essential for life and highly utilized in production. Though these resources are viewed as essential to economic development and wealth, many resource-rich countries have paradoxically struggled with limited economic growth and unstable political institutions. This phenomenon, known as the "resource curse," challenges the notion that resource abundance automatically translates into economic prosperity and raises the question of how these regions fall into this trap while other less resource-rich countries manage to leverage their resources for sustainable development. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-resource-curse-natural-abundance-edged.html Economics & Business Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news696090858 If you were to ask democracy scholars what they consider the greatest threat to American democracy, you might assume it is voters who support undemocratic practices or policies. But the real answer may surprise you: These voters are not the main problem. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-america-democratic-limbo-silent-middle.html Political science Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:20:08 EDT news696003423