The Science of Victory
This week’s story update on the Election Central Web site take a look at the growing number of scientists who are entering the political realm. Scientists and the regulators in the federal government often seem to be at odds with each other. President Trump, for example, has questioned the dangers of climate change and has appointed […]
Women Win Big in June Primaries
This week’s story update on the Election Central Web site examines women’s victories in recent primaries. You may not have realized it, but June 5 was a pretty big day. Why? Because eight states held primary elections: Alabama, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. In fact, it was the year’s […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
The Pink Wave Since 2016, the number of women running for Congress has more than doubled. In fact, in 2018, there are 555 women running for 324 U.S. House, Senate, or governors’ races. For many female voters, it’s important to see a woman in office. And Trump’s continued unpopularity among American women makes them more […]
Gerrymandering: How to “Shape” an Election
This week’s story update on the Election Central Web site examines the political practice of gerrymandering–a topic you should hear a lot about in the news as the 2018 congressional elections approach. In a democratic election, whichever candidate gets the most votes wins. If more people vote for Democrat candidates, then the Democrats become the party in power. And if […]
New Rules for Digital Campaign Ads
This week’s story update on the Election Central Web site provides some details on new FEC rules about digital election campaign ads. With the national uproar over Russia using Facebook and Twitter to tamper with the 2016 presidential election, it’s no wonder that digital advertising has come under fire. On Wednesday, the Federal Election Committee, or FEC, […]
Don’t Mess With Texas
The 2018 election cycle is officially underway! Last week, Texas was the first state to hold its primary midterm elections, while political analysts from all over the country watched to see what could be learned from the results. Here, btw takes a look at some of the findings, and what they could mean for midterm […]
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Catalonian Independence? More than 800 people are injured after an election in Europe turned violent last weekend. But that didn’t stop the vote from going forward. Catalonia, a region of Spain with its own distinct language and culture, voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to seek independence from Spain. Over 90 percent of the votes were in […]
Chasing the Youth Vote
This week, over on the Election Central Web site, the main story explains how politicians are trying to win over the elusive (but influential?) youth voter. In races all over the country, candidates target the “youth vote” (young millennials, ages 18 to 29) with television and social media ad campaigns encouraging them to register and […]
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Hurricane Harvey: Recovery Efforts Begin More than a week after Hurricane Harvey first made landfall in Texas, many areas are still heavily flooded. Some south Texas towns are suffering from high bacteria levels in their water, rendering it undrinkable. Hospitals and schools have had to close; in fact, ten to twelve thousand Houston students will […]
What's Next in the French Presidential Election?
Last weekend was the first round of voting in the French presidential election. The two candidates who earned the most votes–Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen–will now advance to the second round of voting, which will take place on May 7. How Does the French Electoral System Work? France has a multi-party political system, which […]