Vaccine uptake influenced by politics, socioeconomics

ANN ARBOR—COVID-19 vaccination rates have varied significantly based on partisanship and socioeconomic factors, with Democrats getting vaccinated faster and at higher percentages than Republicans and Independents. A University of Michigan study published at NPJ Vaccines also revealed that vaccine uptake was lowest among Black Americans, individuals with incomes below $30,000 and those with a high… Continue reading Vaccine uptake influenced by politics, socioeconomics

U-M’s Institute for Social Research looks to the future while marking 75 years of research innovation

Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — President Harry S. Truman’s victory in 1948 came as a surprise to the Chicago Tribune and many voters around the country, but not to researchers at the University of Michigan. In that year, researchers Angus Campbell and Robert Kahn launched a national pilot study on attitudes about foreign… Continue reading U-M’s Institute for Social Research looks to the future while marking 75 years of research innovation

Undecided voters unable to pick a candidate whose views align

If you’re an undecided voter in today’s political climate, do not take personally the less-than-flattering labels—lazy, indecisive or frustrating—that partisan voters use. Instead, as a University of Michigan expert says, you simply have struggled with selecting a presidential candidate whose policies neatly align with your beliefs. “Their indecision is different than selecting between two options… Continue reading Undecided voters unable to pick a candidate whose views align

$3M Minerva Project to Investigate the Role of Social Cohesion in Weathering Crises in the Indo-Pacific

The Minerva Research Initiative, a university-based social science research initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, has awarded more than $3 million in funding for a research project led by Allen Hicken, a University of Michigan professor of Political Science and a research professor at the Center for Political Studies at the Institute for… Continue reading $3M Minerva Project to Investigate the Role of Social Cohesion in Weathering Crises in the Indo-Pacific

Studying the social sciences gives a voice to the voiceless

Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — The social sciences can be summed up simply as a mission to understand why people do what they do and think what they think. This rubric works across nearly every discipline of the social sciences, from economics to health-related studies to in-depth political research. This research alone is… Continue reading Studying the social sciences gives a voice to the voiceless

Poll position: Opinion surveys still matter

ANN ARBOR—If you’re feeling a bit confused by the constant media coverage about presidential election polls, you’re not alone. Whether it’s the polls’ margin of error or their fairness and accuracy, the information can become important for some voters in their election choices. And do the polls matter since the presidential winner will be determined… Continue reading Poll position: Opinion surveys still matter

2024 Junior Professional Research cohort joins nine projects at ISR

Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — The nine scholars in the 2024 Junior Professional Researcher (JPR) cohort at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) are now at work, each joining one of nine different projects that represent many different research disciplines. The JPRs are joining these projects for the next two years, and will… Continue reading 2024 Junior Professional Research cohort joins nine projects at ISR

RCGD to Explore Political Polarization

The U.S. is experiencing unprecedented levels of political polarization, especially in terms of affective polarization, or feelings of dislike and distrust towards members of the opposing political party.  This winter, the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research is hosting an interdisciplinary Winter Seminar Series, free and open to the public,… Continue reading RCGD to Explore Political Polarization

CPS launches SUNGEO project to assist in merging data across different scales

Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — The Institute for Social Research’s Center for Political Studies (CPS) has launched a new project to address a common challenge for social researchers: misalignment that arises when data are collected at varying levels of scale. The Subnational Geospatial Data Archive (SUNGEO) went live in its beta form on… Continue reading CPS launches SUNGEO project to assist in merging data across different scales

Sarah Burgard and Team Win LSA Meet the Moment Initiative Grant for Health Equity Research

U-M’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts has awarded $4.7 million to five new faculty research projects that are seeking to enact global change across multiple fields and disciplines. Known as the LSA Meet the Moment Research Initiative, LSA Dean Anne Curzan notes the initiative’s efforts to combat “generational challenges that impact us socially,… Continue reading Sarah Burgard and Team Win LSA Meet the Moment Initiative Grant for Health Equity Research