ANN ARBOR—Eighty-eight percent of American adults viewed the August total solar eclipse directly or electronically. This audience of 215 million adults is nearly twice the size of the viewership of recent Super Bowl football games. A national study of American adults conducted by the University of Michigan under a cooperative agreement with the National Aeronautics… Continue reading A record number of Americans viewed the 2017 solar eclipse
Project: Center for Political Studies
Panel study finds more tolerance, less extremism in Egypt and Turkey
For more than a decade, PSC off-campus affiliate Mansoor Moaddel (University of Maryland) along with ISR’s Arland Thornton, Ronald Inglehart, and Mark Tessler have participated in surveys conducted in Islamic nations on ideological and attitudinal characteristics. In a 2016 wave of an NSF-funded panel study conducted in Egypt and Turkey, results indicate several key trends,… Continue reading Panel study finds more tolerance, less extremism in Egypt and Turkey
U-M professor elected to the National Academy of Sciences
ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan professor Donald Kinder is among 84 new members and 21 foreign associates named to the National Academy of Sciences this year, the organization announced today. “It is most fitting that Don Kinder’s path-breaking contributions to the study of American politics have been recognized with election to the National Academy of Sciences,”… Continue reading U-M professor elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Don Kinder elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Donald Kinder was elected to the National Academy of Sciences for his path-breaking contributions to the study of American politics. He has spend his professional career at the Center for Political Studies in the Institute for Social Research, which has been the academic home of many members of the National Academies. Congratulations Don!
American National Election Studies releases 2016 election data
ANN ARBOR—With public responses on polarizing political issues, such as immigration, trade, and health care, the latest data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) at the University of Michigan are now available. Since 1948, ANES has conducted benchmark election surveys on voting, public opinion and political participation. These data are provided (free of charge) to… Continue reading American National Election Studies releases 2016 election data
Brian Jacob on NAEP scores: “Michigan is the only state in the country where proficiency rates have actually declined over time.”
PSC training faculty Brian Jacob examined scores of 4th- and 8th-graders on the National Assessment of Education Progress. He says: “We found that Michigan students are performing very poorly on national exams, really no matter how you cut the data. If you look at straight proficiency rates, Michigan is 41st out of 50 states. And… Continue reading Brian Jacob on NAEP scores: “Michigan is the only state in the country where proficiency rates have actually declined over time.”
ISR’s Pasek and Conrad discuss the art and science of predicting election outcomes
In another piece examining why the polls got it wrong in the presidential election, Josh Pasek and Fred Conrad look at assumptions, parameters, and other factors in polling models. Conrad says: “There are so many choices in building these models that it is an art in a lot of ways. It all becomes mathematical because… Continue reading ISR’s Pasek and Conrad discuss the art and science of predicting election outcomes
ISR’s Traugott and others speculate on why election projections may have gone awry
Hidden/sheepish voters, unexpected voters, flawed polling methods, too few polls, underestimates of partisan turnouts, unanticipated impact of late-breaking news – what were the reasons that, of the 61 national polls tracking a two-party presidential race, only 6 projected the Republican would win? Mike Traugott says a post-election study should assess this issue: “To the extent… Continue reading ISR’s Traugott and others speculate on why election projections may have gone awry
Science: Public interest high, literacy stable
ANN ARBOR—While public interest in science continues to grow, the level of U.S. scientific literacy remains largely unchanged, according to a survey by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. Funded by NASA, the study found that 51 percent of Americans are interested in science, but only 28 percent have a sufficient level of… Continue reading Science: Public interest high, literacy stable
Researchers Receive $4.9 Million to Examine Common Core
ANN ARBOR—The Spencer Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation have awarded a team of researchers from the University of Michigan, Brown University and Stanford University nearly $5 million for the first phase of a five-year analysis of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a controversial initiative to overhaul academic achievement standards for K-12 students… Continue reading Researchers Receive $4.9 Million to Examine Common Core