PapaBigears

It is described here: The plan, which is awaiting approval, calls for running commercials linking Mr. Obama to incendiary comments by his former spiritual adviser, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., whose race-related sermons made him a highly charged figure in the 2008 campaign. Will this matter?  My guess is that it won’t be effective, […]

This is a guest post from Eric Schickler and Greg Wawro.  Their book on the filibuster is here.  See also this article (gated). ***** Greg Koger, Steve Smith, and Sarah Binder have each offered insightful comments on the recent debates over the constitutionality of the filibuster.  A key question left in dispute by these accounts […]

As you may know, The American Prospect is in somewhat dire financial straits and is doing some emergency fundraising. As I mentioned previously, they also syndicate content from The Monkey Cage (with no financial benefit for us).  So I thought it appropriate to highlight their situation, since the Prospect’s demise would, among other things, reduce […]

David Brooks’s recent column argued this: Why is Obama even close? If you look at the fundamentals, the president should be getting crushed right now. And thus this flight of fancy: He has defined a version of manliness that is postboomer in policy but preboomer in manners and reticence. This is “ESPN masculinity,” apparently.  Ezra […]

Steven Mazie argues for defending social science generally. On-line petition to Congress. Brendan Nyhan weighs in. APSA’s talking points.

This is a guest post by Rick Wilson, Herbert S. Autrey Chair of Political Science at Rice University and current editor of the American Journal of Political Science. ***** Years ago I was a Political Science program officer at NSF and I can attest to Chris Zorn’s comments about the review process posted in this […]

This was posted on May 12 on his Facebook page: I’m taking a bit of criticism in the Washington Post and in the academic blogosphere for offering an amendment (which ultimately passed) to prohibit National Science Foundation funding for political science studies like “Why do candidates employ ambiguity, and what are the consequences.” (By the […]

What makes data journalism different to the rest of journalism? Perhaps it is the new possibilities that open up when you combine the traditional ‘nose for news’ and ability to tell a compelling story, with the sheer scale and range of digital information now available. And those possibilities can come at any stage of the […]

Ezra Klein: I have conflicted feelings about the public money that goes to academic research — including political science — in this country. I admire and rely on the work that comes out of these disciplines. But for all the public money that goes to support them, there’s a decided lack of public-spiritedness in how […]

Seth Masket gets Constitutional. See Dan Nexon too. Insider Higher Ed story, featuring comments from APSA President Michael Brintnall and American University professor Jennifer Lawless, whoseresearch was singled out for criticism by Congressman Flake. Gawker brings the snark. Voteview maps the congressional vote on Rep. Flake’s amendment.