Honors Thesis Spotlight: Accommodation, to Competition, to Rivalry: An Evaluation of U.S.-China Relations in the Obama & Trump Administrations

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, public opinion has changed regarding the PRC in the populations of the United States and others, while showing the hazardous Chinese behavior has to the international community (1). Steven Richards’s thesis explores the US-China relations and identifies major events and trends within their history. In addition, the research will explore the…

IOP@FSU Field-Advancing Research: The Debate on Vote Buying Continues: Enter the CARES Act

The Institute of Politics at Florida State University (IOP@FSU) is a world-class, nonpartisan, and nationally renowned institute that promotes engagement in politics by students and citizens. Housed within the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, the IOP@FSU supports applied political research by a cadre of world-class scholars and mobilizes the talents of our alumni, students, faculty,…

Research Spotlight: The Impact of COVID-19 on Firefighters

When people think of public servants, they traditionally think about police officers, teachers, and counselors. Each public servant represents a unique and valued member of society. Yet, firefighters do not always come to mind as public servants even though they are one of the most essential professionals in American society. 2020 data indicates that a…

Research Spotlight: Cooperation and Conflict in Florida’s Response to COVID-19

We address state-local relationships during COVID-19 in Florida by asking two research questions: Were state-local relations characterized by cooperation or conflict during COVID-19? Was this relationship a one-off, or does it foreshadow future state-local relations? We deploy a three-part survey of Florida city managers distributed by the Florida League of Cities. The first part asks…

Christmas 2021: Will We Look Beyond Politics This Holiday Season?

Social scientists continue to unveil the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, including temporary or permanent unemployment, social isolation, and increased healthcare disparities. One of the most interesting effects of COVID-19, however, is increased political polarization. Brown University economist Jesse Shapiro finds that the American mass public is polarizing faster than citizens in any other democracy….

Research Spotlight: Distrust in Social Institutions During COVID-19

The United States is seeing a growing distrust in social institutions of knowledge like science and media. These groups which attempt to systematically validate or invalidate information are losing influence in favor of alternative sources of information like blogs, YouTube videos and conspiracy theorists. This poses an obvious threat to public health in the context…

Research Spotlight: Examining the Impact of Communicative Processes on Civic Engagement Among College Students During a Crisis

The objective of this ongoing study is to collect preliminary data on how message content and social norms impact college students’ responses to preventive behavior calls to actions (i.e., mask-wearing as an act of civic engagement) in regards to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and how these responses are exacerbated when such messages  interact with individual…

DeSantis undermining individual freedom, conservative principles | Opinion

This article originally appeared in Tallahassee Democrat. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed policymakers in a tricky position, Gov. DeSantis included. He and others are forced to find a balance between protecting public health and safeguarding individual freedom.  One of Gov. DeSantis’ signature initiatives is a ban on agencies and businesses that might want to impose…