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We are professors of political science sharing academic research relevant to Utah. Posts are not peer reviewed and may discuss work in progress that is subject to future revision. Learn more. Each post reflects only its author’s views.
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Category Archives: Everything
Social science: It works
Data-based analysis can contribute in meaningful ways to Utah’s political dialogue. Last Friday, March 4, the Senate passed HB 497, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom’s illegal immigration enforcement bill, by a vote of 22-5 with 2 absent. The bill was almost identical … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged immigration, legislature, roll call votes
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Social science: It works
Was HB 410 a bipartisan battle between moderates and ideologues?
It’s extremely unusual that the legislators in the center would team up to vote against the legislators at the extremes. Something weird happened today in the Utah legislature. The Utah House of Representatives voted on Becky Edwards’s HB 410, but … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged ideology, immigration, leadership, legislature, measurement, partisanship, roll call votes
3 Comments
Will Sandstrom’s immigration bill pass the Senate?
If the Senate votes on HB 70 without any amendments, I predict that it will pass easily On Friday, the Utah House passed H.B. 70, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom’s illegal immigration enforcement bill. Now it goes to the Senate. If the … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged ideology, immigration, legislature, roll call votes
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Will Sandstrom’s immigration bill pass the Senate?
Do we live in a democracy or a republic?
Maybe it’s not a coincidence that we began referring to ourselves as a “democracy” more frequently at the same time that our country became more (directly) democratic. Do we live in a democracy or a republic? Let’s ask Google. I … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged democracy, direct democracy, education, ideology, initiative, john adams, recall, referendum, republic, thomas jefferson
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Do we live in a democracy or a republic?
How educated are Utah’s legislators?
How do Utah’s two chambers rank in terms of legislators’ education? The Utah Senate is above average. The Utah House is well below average. There are 99 state legislative bodies in the United States. That is, there are 49 states … Continue reading
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Tagged education, legislature
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How educated are Utah’s legislators?
Why do county parties have platforms?
Recently I wanted to dig up all the county-level Republican and Democratic platforms here in Utah. My interest came from the pro-life plank in the surprisingly conservative Utah County Democratic platform–I wanted to see how many other county platforms in … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged county parties, partisanship, platforms
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Why do county parties have platforms?
Is Rep. Dougall the same (ideologically) as Rep. Frank?
Utah news has been aflutter for the past week about an error made by the Utah County Clerk’s office that results in Rep. Craig Frank losing his seat. Seems that a couple thousand Utahns–including Frank–who thought they lived in Frank’s … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged ideology, legislature, partisanship, redistricting, utah county
4 Comments
Do Mormons really glow? A scientific study
Turns out Mormon radar is real. Even without the leggings and layered tops, you can spot a Mormon a mile off. Maybe you’ve heard something like this before: There was this sense of “glow” from him, which I heard about … Continue reading
An easy way to boost midterm-year turnout in Utah
We could expect a permanent 6.7% boost in Utah’s midterm-year turnout levels if we permanently moved gubernatorial elections to midterm years. Utah’s lieutenant governor declared that 2010 had the best turnout for a midterm election in Utah since 1994. Although … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged turnout
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An easy way to boost midterm-year turnout in Utah
More on whether good Mormons can be good Democrats
If it’s hard to persuade Mormon Republicans to cross party lines and vote for a Democrat, that’s because it’s hard to persuade anybody to cross party lines. Sometimes, people lie to pollsters. Not always, of course. But if you ask … Continue reading