Research on government, elections, law, public and foreign policy. Coverage follows how power is used, contested, and limited.
A Nature Human Behaviour study of 31 million American workers finds party sorting at work now rivals sorting by gender. Whether it’s workers choosing, employers screening, or minorities leaving, the data can’t say — all four look the same.
Most US police de-escalation training has never been rigorously tested on actual use of force. Of dozens of programs adopted nationwide, only two show solid evidence of reducing force.
A Hudson Institute report says America should treat rival kleptocracies as strategic targets, exposing corruption to weaken regimes from China to Venezuela.
Platforms remove fake nudes faster under copyright rules than abuse reports. A CHI 2026 study says reporting systems can deepen victims’ trauma.
A systematic review of 23 net-zero energy and transport studies finds that scientists’ policy recommendations consistently fall short. Every study rated poorly on evidence-communication standards. Many drifted into advocacy, used emotive language, and hid uncertainties. Researchers urge the same rigor for policy advice as for the science behind it.
A survey of 29,169 children across 19 European countries finds most are already on social media well before mid-teens. Only half feel safe online. Children are deeply ambivalent about age bans. Many fear losing friends, freedom and learning opportunities. Researchers argue safety-by-design, not blanket bans, best protects children’s rights.
A four-year RAND street census across Hollywood, Venice, and Skid Row finds unsheltered homelessness has stopped falling. Tent encampments have shrunk, but rough sleeping now dominates and carries higher clinical need. New evidence links tent confiscation to rising rough sleeping, suggesting LA’s encampment-focused strategy has hit its limits.
A new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds 41% of U.S. adults back the MAHA movement, and its food-safety and pesticide concerns resonate broadly. But even among MAHA voters, health care costs far outrank vaccines and food policy as the top priority heading into the 2026 midterms, reshaping how the movement may sway elections.
A new Chatham House paper argues middle powers cannot escape dependence on US and Chinese AI, but can secure meaningful sovereignty through four strategies: specialize, align, share, or hedge. The authors map eight critical building blocks and case studies from the UAE to Japan, urging pragmatic choices over unrealistic bids for full independence.
