political science archive

The role of race - Through careful analysis of 2008 exit-poll data, researchers found that Barack Obama won the election precisely because of his race, most significantly because of his appeal among black voters who turned out in record numbers. January 20, 2009

CIS scholars offer advice, new ideas to Obama - In response to the immense global challenges facing President-elect Barack Obama, scholars affiliated with MIT's Center for International Studies (CIS) have produced a document of succinctly stated fresh ideas and suggestions for the new president's consideration. January 14, 2009

Soros says crisis underscores need for regulation - Financier, philanthropist and political activist George Soros told an MIT audience Tuesday that the current financial crisis underscored the need for regulation, even while he warned of the pitfalls of regulation and insisted on the impossibility of predicting the economic future. October 29, 2008

Far from perfect - As part of a News Office series in the run-up to the Nov. 4 presidential election, Charles Stewart III, the Kenan Sahin (1963) Distinguished Professor of Political Science and head of MIT's Department of Political Science, examines issues of voting security. October 27, 2008

Both sides of the Net - As part of a News Office series in the run-up to the Nov. 4 presidential election, MIT professors Hal Abelson and Harry R. Lewis collaborated on answers to a series of questions about Internet policy and technology. October 24, 2008

Conference weighs Electoral College pros and cons - In a lively, sometimes contentious, conference at MIT on the problems and merits of the Electoral College, a group of scholars looked into what one called the "fun house mirror of electoral politics" and debated its reflections of federalism, states' rights and equality. October 20, 2008

Economy experts assess candidates' differences - As part of a News Office series in the run-up to the Nov. 4 presidential election, MIT professors Andrea Louise Campbell and James Poterba answer questions about economic issues and the proposed tax policies of the two presidential candidates. October 16, 2008

MIT's Berinsky breaks down polling surveys - As part of a News Office series in the run-up to the Nov. 4 presidential election, Adam Berinsky, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, answers questions about the role of polling in U.S. elections. October 8, 2008

Report debunks China energy myth - A detailed analysis of powerplants in China by MIT researchers debunks the widespread notion that outmoded energy technology or the utter absence of government regulation is to blame for that country's notorious air-pollution problems. October 6, 2008

MIT panel to address foreign challenges - Tough questions confronting the next American president will be discussed by MIT scholars from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, in a roundtable discussion on "Foreign Policy and the Next U.S. Administration: America's Defining Moment." September 16, 2008

Lucian W. Pye, leading China scholar, 86 - Retired MIT political science professor Lucian W. Pye, one of America's leading China scholars, died Sept. 5 in Boston after a long illness. He was 86. September 8, 2008

Solutions-driven culture draws Fallon to MIT - He has been in all the world's hot spots in the last 40 years -- both as soldier and commander -- and now Admiral William J. Fallon brings his hands-on experience and wide-ranging knowledge to MIT's Center for International Studies. September 2, 2008

Energy policies fuel economist's comments - As jittery consumers contemplate the price at the pump, energy issues have become a major factor in the U.S. presidential race. Have the candidates forthrightly addressed the country's energy needs? Not really, says MIT professor Robert S. Pindyck. August 19, 2008

Don't bank on long-term climate policy success - Long-term climate change policy in the United States and abroad is likely to change very slowly, warns an MIT professor who says the lack of future flexibility argues for stronger short-term goals to reduce carbon emissions. July 11, 2008

What role for America? MIT students weigh in - MIT senior Ali Wyne recalls how four years ago he couldn't get anyone to talk politics. But that has changed with the current presidential campaign, and now Wyne is showcasing his fellow students' new political energy in "America in the World: MIT Speaks." May 29, 2008

'Pay attention to the urbanization of major population centers' - Essay by MIT student Angelica Weiner, excerpted from "America in the World: MIT Speaks," a booklet of 25 essays by a diverse group of student leaders to describe what they think the United States must do to make the world a better place in 2008. May 29, 2008

Disarmament expert sees U.S.-Iran solution - An MIT expert on Iran's nuclear ambitions is gaining recognition for his work in developing a possible face-saving solution to the tense nuclear standoff between the United States and Iran. May 19, 2008

Bingaman pushes amped-up U.S. energy policies - Boosting Washington's "anemic and unreliable support for basic science and engineering enterprise" is a critical step toward a viable energy future, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., told an MIT audience on Friday, April 25. April 29, 2008

Edwards urges students to make themselves heard - The global problems of climate change, population growth and severe poverty are so enormous that no one country can solve them alone, John Edwards told attendees at a student-organized conference on global poverty at MIT. April 18, 2008

Memorial service planned for Menand on April 22 - A memorial service is planned April 22 to celebrate the life of Louis Menand III, who died at age 85 of complications from cardiac surgery on Jan. 30. Menand was a senior lecturer in MIT's Political Science department. April 16, 2008

Renowned teacher, administrator Menand dies at 85 - Louis Menand III, a celebrated teacher and political scientist who served three consecutive MIT administrations in senior leadership roles, died Jan. 30 of complications from cardiac surgery. February 5, 2008

MIT site puts human face on Iraq war - As the war in Iraq approaches its fifth anniversary, a new MIT web site aims to provide an accurate account of living conditions, as well as civilian injuries and deaths due to political violence, throughout the Middle Eastern state. January 18, 2008

MIT economist analyzes troop surge in Iraq - Michael Greenstone, 3M Professor of Economics, has applied statistical techniques he uses in measuring the economic impact of climate change to conduct the first quantitative analysis of the U.S. troop surge in Iraq. November 5, 2007

Grad student tracks the 'jihad effect' - An MIT graduate student has received a fellowship from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security-funded research center to study the "jihad effect" - that is, how wars impact the trajectory of terrorist movements. August 29, 2007

Americans warming to nuclear power - MIT survey - Americans' icy attitudes toward nuclear power are beginning to thaw, according to a new survey from MIT. The report also found a U.S. public increasingly unhappy with oil and more willing to develop alternative energy sources like wind and solar. July 23, 2007

A warning against energy governance from Beijing - MIT doctoral student in political science Edward Cunningham warns U.S. policy analysts that placing Beijing in the driver's seat of China's energy governance will lead at best to ineffective U.S. policies and, at worst, to perilously inaccurate forecasting. June 25, 2007

Broad hosts Iraq documentary screening - "No End in Sight: The American Occupation of Iraq," a film directed by Charles Ferguson, visiting scholar at MIT's Center for International Studies, will be screened for the public in the auditorium of the Broad Institute on Wednesday, May 2, at 6 p.m. April 27, 2007

Math says voters win with 'winner take all' - For individuals and small groups to have the democratic power to elect the president fairly, presidential elections must be scored by winner-take-all states--not in a single giant national district too large for small numbers to turn, contends MIT's Alan Natapoff. April 10, 2007

Seventies oil crisis was a 'perfect storm' for U.S. - The energy crisis of the 1970s was a 'perfect storm' of political, global and social events, says an MIT history professor, an example of how chaos can erupt when there is a disconnect between what citizens expect and how government reacts. March 23, 2007

Visiting Iraqi journalist ranks culture over conflict - Iraqi journalist Huda Ahmed never tells questioners whether she is a Sunni or Shia Muslim. Such a question, she believes, is not only inappropriate but underscores a dangerous lack of understanding of Iraqi history. March 21, 2007

As opinions flow, political power relocates, diffusely - There are many ways to define power, but Manuel Castells defines power as the ability to make people think the way you want them to think--or to convince those who disagree that they can't do anything about it. March 14, 2007

Panel reviews economics of climate change - Sir Nicholas Stern's report on the economics of climate change was significant for being produced at all--as the first attempt by a major national government to identify climate change as a major issue, concluded panelists at a recent MIT presentation. February 13, 2007

'Living Weapon' film features MIT bioweapons expert - MIT security studies expert Jeanne Guillemin is among those featured in a Feb. 5 PBS documentary, "American Experience: The Living Weapon," that looks at America's top-secret program to develop biological weapons. February 2, 2007

From Russia with--what? Love? Spite? - The question--as posed in the title of the Independent Activities Period seminar--was "Putin's Russia: Friend or Foe?" The answer--as seminar participants discovered on Jan. 17--may depend on the definitions of "friend" and "foe." January 23, 2007

Professor Stephen Meyer dies at 54 - Stephen M. Meyer, MIT political science professor, an expert in national security issues and a passionate advocate of global biodiversity, died Dec. 10 at the age of 54. The cause was cancer. December 12, 2006

Experts available to discuss international issues - MIT faculty with expertise on national security and international issues are available for comment to members of the media. December 6, 2006

MIT political scientists list key points on Iraq - The Iraq Study Group, headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker, is scheduled to issue its report Dec. 6. Four MIT foreign policy experts have summarized key points they believe the U.S. should consider in addressing the Iraq situation. December 6, 2006

Economist portrays a new Democratic moment - All eyes may be on Iraq right now. But Alice Amsden, an MIT professor of economy, clearly hopes the new Congress will move to foster the kind of economic growth in the developing world that will fight terrorism by depriving it of oxygen. November 30, 2006

Panelists ponder nuclear age with Iran, North Korea - Alarm over the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran should not derail a calm, careful analysis of the two countries' weapons capabilities and goals, a panel of experts said in a forum sponsored by the MIT Center for International Studies. November 15, 2006

Survey: Climate change tops concerns - According to a recent MIT survey, Americans now rank climate change as the country's most pressing environmental problem--a dramatic shift from three years ago, when they ranked climate change sixth out of 10 environmental concerns. October 31, 2006

Expert discusses U.S.-India nuclear pact - MIT researcher associate Subrata Ghoshroy, an expert on the controversial United States-India "civilian nuclear cooperation" agreement, comments on international nuclear proliferation issues, U.S. policy and anti-missile shield systems. October 20, 2006

'Reporters' Notebook' paints bleak scene in Iraq - Questions about the war in Iraq, posed by MIT visiting scholar Barbara K. Bodine, jumpstarted a conversation between two prominent journalists appearing in an Oct. 3 panel titled "Reporters' Notebook: The US in Iraq," held at MIT. October 10, 2006

Japan expert plans talk for MISTI Week - The power and influence of the United States may be felt all over the world, but Japan is already preparing for the decline of its major military ally, according to MIT professor Richard J. Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies. September 20, 2006

Bustani seminars focus on Mideast - The Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at MIT will celebrate its 21st anniversary this fall with a single lecture on contemporary Middle Eastern affairs. September 13, 2006

SHASS announces new department heads - Five new heads in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences have been named, effective July 1, 2006. September 12, 2006

A prescription for recovery in New Orleans - Hurricane Katrina's devastation should have been a wake-up call for local and federal agencies, but, says Yossi Sheffi, director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, many political leaders still aren't getting the message. September 7, 2006

New Orleans needs 'development bank' - MIT political economist Alice H. Amsden has extensively examined issues of development from a global perspective -- issues that can be applied to the challenges facing the Gulf Coast states following Hurricane Katrina's devastation. August 30, 2006

Professor offers insights on policing Baghdad - A new paper by MIT political sociologist Diane Davis draws surprising parallels between the challenges to establishing order and security in Baghdad in 2006, and those faced almost a century ago in Mexico City. July 25, 2006

Observer weighs in on Mexican election - J. Chappell Lawson, an MIT professor of political science, thinks the Mexican presidential election controversy may demonstrate the potential strength of the country's democracy. July 17, 2006

Mass. candidates share views at MIT - Four gubernatorial candidates agreed on a vision for Massachusetts' future -- clean air, clean water and better public health -- but disagreed on how to realize that vision in a forum held at MIT on July 12. July 14, 2006

Visiting fellow takes stand for Iran - Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, a former member of Iran's parliament who is now a visiting fellow at MIT's Center for International Studies (CIS), has joined other reformist Iranians and human rights advocates in a demonstration to demand the release of three prominent Iranian activists from prison in Iran. July 13, 2006

Political scientist offers perspective on polls - As the media trot out the latest polling data on President Bush and Iraq, political scientist Adam Berinsky and the students who work for him have been poring over polling data from World War II. July 10, 2006

Mass. governor hopefuls to meet at MIT - Four Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates will discuss the environment, energy and public health in a forum at MIT on Wednesday, July 12, in Kresge Auditorium from 7 to 8 p.m. July 10, 2006

Former ambassador joins CIS - Career diplomat Barbara Bodine spent 34 years measuring her words while working in some of the most volatile areas of the Middle East. Now, the new visiting scholar at MIT's Center for International Studies is speaking out about U.S. policies, plans and missteps. June 26, 2006

Professor Posen offers thoughts on nuclear Iran - In a February 2006 essay titled "We Can Live With a Nuclear Iran," Barry Posen, a political science professor at MIT, acknowledges that each time a new nuclear weapons state emerges, "we rightly suspect the world has grown more dangerous." May 4, 2006

Experts discuss alternatives to oil - Professors Barry R. Posen and Ernest J. Moniz discussed how U.S. fuel consumption can persist during the forum, "Are We Too Dependent on Middle Eastern Oil?" held Friday, April 28. May 3, 2006

CIS welcomes former Sri Lankan PM - Ranil Wickremesinghe, a Sri Lankan attorney who served twice as prime minister of his country and currently serves as leader of its opposition party, has joined MIT's Center for International Studies (CIS). April 28, 2006

Grand Mufti says assimilation is possible - Assimilation is possible for the roughly 30 million or more Muslims currently living in Europe, according to Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the highest official of religious law in that country. April 12, 2006

Ambassadorial visit - A full crowd packed Bartos Theater on Thursday, Feb. 16, to hear Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, discuss 'Saudi Arabia and the Global Community.' February 21, 2006

Ambassador from Saudi Arabia set to give talk - Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, will present a talk, "Saudi Arabia and the Global Community," at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, in Bartos Theater. February 8, 2006

Professor sizes up competition in new book - American companies will find the avenues to success in the global economy both wider and less dependent on cheap labor than media reports suggest, according to a new book by Professor Suzanne Berger and MIT colleagues. February 8, 2006

Velasco earns Mitchell Scholarship - Political science graduate student John Velasco, a well-known campus leader, has become the first MIT student to receive the George J. Mitchell Scholarship, which will provide him with one year of graduate work in Ireland. February 6, 2006

Contest spurs Filipino entrepreneurs - "Uncommon Solutions to Common Problems," a talk aimed at transforming the Filipino business climate, highlighted the work that Neil Ruiz and a dedicated team of graduate students have done in the past year with the Philippine Emerging Startups Open (PESO). December 14, 2005

Urban studies shines in series - Innovative design practices and recent research in urban security issues were highlighted in a series of talks presented to midcareer international students by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. December 14, 2005

Posen will direct Security Studies - Barry Posen, Ford International Professor of Political Science, has been appointed head of the MIT Security Studies Program (SSP). November 30, 2005

MIT writer defends Turkish publisher - The Turkish translation of an MIT political scientist's book on the human rights cost of U.S. weapons transfers to Turkey has produced unintended peril for the young owner of an independent publishing house in Istanbul. November 21, 2005

Series to examine 'Future of Water' - The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT is exploring the crucial global challenge of water resource management in a four-part series titled "The Future of Water." October 24, 2005

Egyptian ambassador visits campus - Egypt's ambassador to the United States spoke at MIT on Oct. 18 in an event sponsored by the MIT Arab Students' Organization. October 20, 2005

CIS forum confronts terrorism - A former senator and two scholars who served as national security analysts in the Clinton administration discussed the type and timing of the next terrorist attack on the United States in "Report Card on Terror," a panel held Oct. 17 at MIT. October 19, 2005

Happy 30th, Boston Review - The Boston Review, an independent political and literary magazine edited by Joshua Cohen, professor of political science and philosophy, and Deb Chasman, will celebrate 30 years of continuous publication with a gala on Tuesday, Oct. 11. October 5, 2005

Bustani seminars focus on Middle East - The Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at MIT will celebrate its 20th anniversary this fall with three lectures on contemporary Middle Eastern affairs. September 21, 2005

Scholars explore American Constitution - MIT faculty research on the roots and future reach of the U.S. Constitution -- from a renowned historian's new book to a media scholar's study of video games -- bring Constitution Day, Sept. 17, to life on campus. September 14, 2005

MIT security seminar turns 20 - An MIT program based in Washington, D.C., that once hosted Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and whose overall aim is to enhance critical thinking about politics, economics and foreign policy, celebrated its 20th anniversary at a gala in the capital on Sept. 12. September 13, 2005

Conference slated on forced labor - A former child slave, an anti-slavery activist, and the U.S. deputy secretary of labor will join authors and globalization specialists in two debates at MIT about modern-day slavery on Saturday, May 14. May 10, 2005

Professor, HUD chief Wood dies - Robert C. Wood, a former professor of political science at MIT, died Friday at his Boston home of stomach cancer. He was 81. April 6, 2005

Aspects of voting systems improved - Professor Charles Stewart and other researchers in the CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project studied the 2004 Presidential Election and found that in the "residual vote rate," the U.S. election system improved a good deal. February 16, 2005

Van Evera examines terror threat - According to professor of political science Stephen Van Evera, the terrorist threat to the United States may be even worse than we are being led to believe. February 2, 2005

Stewart named head of political science - Professor Charles Stewart III, a political scientist with expertise in legislative politics , American political development and voting procedures and technology, has been named the new head of the MIT political science department. January 7, 2005

Progressives focus on future - Political progressives gathered together in the Mezzanine Lounge on Nov. 12 to find the proverbial silver lining following the Presidential election. November 17, 2004

Giant media hobbled by blogs - Three journalists presented their darkening views of the future for established American news media in a panel discussion at MIT titled "New Roles for Old Media?" November 3, 2004

Tirman named as CIS executive director - John Tirman, a political scientist who has written widely on foreign policy, politics and human rights, has been named executive director of the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS). November 3, 2004

MIT students debate national issues - While many in the U.S. were focused for a few hours on the John Edwards/Dick Cheney debate about our nation's future in Cleveland, Ohio, six MIT students spent their entire weekend in the same place sparring on the same issues. October 13, 2004

Counting on counted votes - Voting experts from MIT and Caltech say that American voters can take seven crucial steps to ensure that their votes are counted in the November 2 presidential election. September 21, 2004

Center for International Studies - 2004 awards listings. June 2, 2004

Social Security can be saved, Diamond says - Economist Peter A. Diamond compared the fiscal status of the U.S. Social Security trust fund with public perceptions and summarized proposals for reforming the program. March 31, 2004

Social Security can be saved - Economist Peter A. Diamond compared the fiscal status of the U.S. Social Security trust fund with public perceptions and summarized proposals for reforming the program. March 19, 2004

Vowell of 'American Life' delights MIT audience - Author and radio personality Sarah Vowell brought a keen wit and sharp cultural commentary to MIT on Feb. 29, when she read her work, fielded questions. March 10, 2004

Electoral system in Iraq - Winning the World Series has something in common with winning a presidential election, and the same method of selecting a winner will also work for Iraq. March 3, 2004

U.S. electoral system would work well for Iraq, physicist says - Winning the World Series has something in common with winning a presidential election, and the same method of selecting a winner will also work for Iraq, says MIT physicist Alan Natapoff. February 17, 2004

Politics of motherhood focus of talk - On Friday, Oct. 18, the first of three lectures in an MIT series on "The Politics and Technology of Motherhood" will take place. October 9, 2002

Fla. voting machines 35% better, project finds - Florida's push to get new voting equipment online for the 2002 primary election appears to have paid off, despite initial reports of problems in the recent gubernatorial primary election. September 25, 2002

New voting technology paid off in Florida - If one measures election success by equipment performance alone, then Florida's push to get new voting equipment on-line for the 2002 election appears to have paid off. September 19, 2002

Seminars focus on Middle East - The Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar will celebrate its 17th anniversary this fall with three Tuesday afternoon lectures on contemporary Middle Eastern affairs. September 11, 2002

Executive director joins CIS - Carolyn Makinson, program officer for population at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will join the Center for International Studies as executive director on Sept. 1. August 15, 2002

US stalled in Colombian war - The ongoing war in Colombia, not Afghanistan, was the topic of a spirited forum on "The Columbian Civil War and US Policy" organized by the Center for International Studies. November 7, 2001

Chomsky criticizes US violence - Giving his take on "The War on Terrorism," Institute Professor Noam A. Chomsky described the events of Sept. 11 as a "horrendous atrocity" that can be seen in the context of the chronic use of violence by powerful, wealthy nations. October 24, 2001

Hume urges respect, patience - John Hume, a 1998 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, spoke on "The Philosophy of Conflict Resolution" as a Ford/MIT Nobel laureate lecturer. October 17, 2001

Defeating Al Qaeda: a strategy - The cunning and ruthlessness of the Sept. 11 attack raises the specter that its likely author might even strike the American homeland with weapons of mass destruction. October 17, 2001

Political scientists explore foreign policy options - Four MIT political scientists explored US foreign policy options in response to recent terrorist attacks and in anticipation of a new era of global interdependence at a teach-in on Thursday, Oct. 4. October 5, 2001

CIS panel warns of threats - MIT political scientists delivered a sobering view of current US security and near-future domestic and military life in panel discussions. September 19, 2001

Exploring the Wen Ho Lee case - "National Security, Civil Rights and Politics: Lessons Learned from the Wen Ho Lee Case" explored the wider implications and deeper roots of the indictment and imprisonment of Dr. Lee. May 2, 2001

Activist decries move to right - Columnist, poet and author Katha Pollitt offered her views in a February 27 talk at MIT. March 8, 2001