Elizabeth Suhay (Lafayette): The Polarizing Effect of Incivility in the Political Blog Commentsphere. Richard L. Hasen (UC-Irvine): Keynote Address to the Voting Wars Symposium. Nathan P. Kalmoe (GWU): Voting is the Best Revenge: How Violent Metaphors Shape Voter Turnout. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which eviscerated the Voting Rights Act, is leading to a new era of voter suppression that parallels the pre-1960s era — this time affecting not just African-Americans but also Hispanic-Americans, women, and students, among others. Keith O’Brien on how better arithmetic is no match for partisan politics. Sure, Congress is more partisan, but it’s also more honest: David Weigel on what we can learn from a new political almanac. America was built on extremism: Michael Kazin on a kind word for Ted Cruz — Unpopular opinions move history forward. When polarization doesn’t happen: Seth Masket on what happens when activists and interest groups support political candidates who are not in their pocket, and give them leverage to behave more moderately. Joshua Green on an amazing chart that explains Washington's dysfunction. From The Nation, Reed Richardson on how the media’s process obsession stifles liberalism and undermines our democracy. Does public broadcasting increase current affairs knowledge? Joshua Tucker investigates. Joseph Mazor on the case for requiring citizens to engage in political deliberation. Elites are ruining America: Michael Lind on how the hype market dominates US politics (and more from Salon). Leon Neyfakh on the myth of the visionary leader: We pine for boldness and charisma — but, say experts, we should vote for something else.
