Political Engagement Increases Among Emory Students

Mirroring national trends among college-age youth, a survey conducted this semester by Emory University political science professor Alan Abramowitz indicates that Emory students are much more politically engaged this year than they were two years ago.

The survey, which was conducted in early October in Abramowitz's introductory American politics class and his upper division American elections class, found that 66 percent of Emory students described themselves as very interested in politics or as "political junkies" this year compared with only 52 percent in 2002.

Even more striking was the fact that 95 percent of the students claimed to be registered to vote this year compared with only 68 percent two years ago, just before the 2002 midterm election.

To read more about Abramowitz's student survey, click here.


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For Journalists:
 

Since 1988, Presidential Election Forecast Model Picks Popular Vote Winner
Despite mediocre approval ratings and below average economic growth, President George W. Bush won a second term in the White House as correctly predicted in July by the "time-for-change" forecasting model developed by political scientist Alan Abramowitz. The model has correctly predicted the popular vote winner in every presidential election since 1988.
Dec. 3, 2004

Analysis Shows Bush Made Largest Gains Among Less Religious
Emory political scientist Alan Abramowitz says that President Bush made gains across the board among voters, regardless of their degree of religious commitment, but that he made his largest gains among less religious voters.
Nov. 9, 2004

Gay Marriage Referenda Did Not Affect Voter Turnout
An analysis by Emory political scientist Alan Abramowitz of voter turnout in each state during the presidential election indicates that the presence of gay marriage referenda on the ballot had no impact on turnout levels.
Nov. 9, 2004

After the Election: Emory Experts Can Discuss Moving On
The 2004 presidential election has been one of the most heated in decades. The electorate has never been so divided with a nearly 50-50 split, so half of voters will be disappointed with the outcome of the election. Emory faculty members are available to discuss various aspects of life in the United States after the election.
Nov. 2, 2004
Elections Experts
The following Emory faculty, all veteran campaign watchers, are available to discuss the latest developments in the 2004 presidential campaign, from the primaries to what's on voters' minds.

Merle Black Notes Historic Election Feature
Assuming President Bush is re-elected, the truly historic feature of the 2004 elections is that "this will be the first time since the late 1920s that Republicans have held the White House and both houses of Congress in two consecutive elections," says Merle Black. "You have to go back to the days of Herbert Hoover to see a similar result." Black is an expert on national politics and political parties. He, along with his twin brother Earl, is the foremost authority on politics in the South, particularly the rise of the Republican Party. He can be reached at 404-727-6570 or merle.black@emory.edu.
Nov. 3, 2004

Poll Analysis Finds Presidential Race Still Tight
An analysis of the most recent national polls by Emory political scientist and national elections expert Alan Abramowitz finds the Presidential race too close to call heading into the final weekend of the campaign.
Oct. 28, 2004
Election Preview Offered at Forum
Three of the nation's most distinguished political scientists offered their insight into the 2004 presidential election, national politics and current voter trends during a forum on "Presidential Elections in an Age of Uncertainty" hosted by Emory University Oct. 26 at the Atlanta History Center.
Oct. 28, 2004

Potential Conflicts Exist Between e-Voting, Law
In this year's horse race of a presidential election, voting and election administration errors could swing the outcome, and in the case of electronic voting, the lack of a paper trail may leave existing election recount laws out of sync with the reality of the new technology, says Emory election law expert Michael Kang.
Sept. 16, 2004

National Poll Analysis Raises Questions About Bush Lead
Although the latest Gallup Poll shows President George W. Bush ahead of Sen. John Kerry, an analysis of the poll by Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz, based on the results of other recent national surveys, indicates that Kerry may actually be ahead.
Sept. 7, 2004

Education Levels and Ideology May Help Drive Partisanship
The staunch party loyalty of American voters is driven more by ideology than the social identities that drove the preferences of previous generations, according to research by Emory political scientist Alan Abramowitz. The result has been a realignment of party loyalty in the United States in recent decades that is helping to drive partisanship in national politics, he says.
Sept. 1, 2004

Course Explores Politics as Theater
As Republicans and Democrats go full throttle against each other to win the hearts of American voters, Emory students in the course "Why all the Controversy? Rhetoric, Culture and the 2004 Election" are paying close attention to the drama, and analyzing the "scripts" each party follows to get across its messages.
Aug. 31, 2004
 
U.S.-European Relations Unlikely to Improve, Says Emory Expert
No matter who is elected in November, U.S.-European relations are unlikely to improve in the near future, says Christian Tuschhoff, an expert on international politics at Emory. What divides America from its European allies is a fundamental difference in the way foreign policy is approached.
Aug. 24, 2004
Bush Favored to Win in November – But Barely
Despite mediocre approval ratings and below average economic growth, President George W. Bush has a good chance of winning a second term in the White House according to the "time-for-change" forecasting model used by Emory political scientist Alan Abramowitz. The forecasting model has correctly predicted the popular vote winner in every presidential election since 1988.
Aug. 6, 2004
Kerry Should De-emphasize Economic Issues, says Emory Economist
Economist Bob Chirinko warns that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is on the wrong track if he hopes to win the election emphasizing economic issues.
July 28, 2004
Stem Cell Research Hampered by Limits to Existing Cell Lines
As debate about federal limits on stem cell research nears with the Democratic National Convention, Emory scientists feel there is a critical need for new stem cell lines for research in developing treatments for debilitating diseases, such as Alzheimer's, that have proven elusive to medical scientists.
July 20, 2004
Presidential Polling Offers Limited Perspective
Trying to precisely predict the outcome of this year's presidential election based on the current crop of polls is the equivalent of reading tea leaves--and about as accurate, according to Patrick Noonan, an expert on polling and decision analysis at Emory University's Goizueta Business School.
July 1, 2004

Young Voters Have a Duty to Get to the Polls, Opines Emory Student
In a "New Attitudes" column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Emory senior William Corbin writes that young people need to reverse the trend of "abysmal" voter turnout in their age group. He says that the number of young people who turn out to vote is most important for an election, not necessarily the number who register to vote this election year. To read more of his column, click here.
June 9, 2004

Young Republican Women Take Active Role in Politics
To be young, Republican and a woman is an anomaly on many college campuses where most peers lean a little to the left. Although they are in the minority both on campus and nation-wide, female members of Emory's College Republicans say that they have found in the Republican Party a home that reflects their political values: smaller government, strong families, fiscal responsibility, individual empowerment and conservatism on divisive social issues.
May 20, 2004

Political Forecasting Looks at Minds of Voters
Instead of relying on factors such as history, polling and approval ratings to forecast voter behavior, Emory psychologist Drew Westen developed a political forecasting model that looks at the role of emotions in how people make decisions about political issues and candidates.
March 26, 2004

Negative Campaigning a Tricky Tool for Candidates
Whether it's military records, WMDs or alleged infidelity, the mud has already started to flow in this year's presidential campaigns. With negative campaigning a fundamental part of the process, two Emory professors weigh in on its effectiveness.
Feb. 17, 2004

 

 
 
 
           
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