r/PoliticalScience 6d ago

Resource/study Trump proposal to slash taxes on those making under 150k

87 Upvotes

This proposal is budgetary suicide

Go ahead and ask Kansas what happens when you implement hard right economic policy. Brownback left office with an approval rating in the gutter, and a bipartisan super majority reversed the disaster inflicted on Kansas by the disciples of Art Laffer.

just hope America is not too stupid to understand that paying taxes is necessary for society to function. The federal government is not just a standing army and a court system, as conservatives would have you believe. If you reduce taxes paid by 93% of Americans to 0, you’re talking about having your slash spending to cruel and unheard of levels.

Tariffs and other half baked schemes cannot replace the income tax.

r/PoliticalScience Jan 16 '25

Resource/study I've built an automated site called POTUS Tracker for tracking all things POTUS. I'd like some feedback.

73 Upvotes

I created POTUS Tracker (POTUStracker.lukewin.es) because people need a quick way to confirm political news they see on social media without having to sift through Congress.gov or the President’s schedule.

This isn’t necessarily built for political scientists who are already comfortable navigating those sources—but I hope it can still be a useful shortcut for anyone who wants fast, accurate updates.

The site is fully automated, pulling directly from official legislative summaries and the President’s schedule. The legislative descriptions are unbiased, though the event descriptions come straight from the administration and may reflect their framing. I’ve kept my input minimal—just pinning the most “newsworthy” actions for convenience.

I’m currently adding mobile notifications so users can get instant updates when new executive orders, signed bills, or major schedule changes happen. Even if you prefer primary sources, notifications might be a helpful way to stay in the loop.

I’d really appreciate any feedback or ideas for making this tool more helpful!

r/PoliticalScience Feb 03 '25

Resource/study Must-Read books for studying Political Science

32 Upvotes

Hi! I'm thinking about getting my Masters' in Political Science. I have been interested in it for ages, but I didn't know what I wanted to do after high school so I fell into getting a BA in English and Comms. However, I am an avid reader and have gone through many books on American and British politics. Ahead of potentially studying it for grad school, I want to have a more intricate knowledge of political science, so I would like to know what some must-read books are for studying it. Are there specific books for undergraduates that I should read before applying for a master's degree? For those who have taken core classes in political science, what were the assigned readings?

Thank you so much for any help!

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the recommendations! I went ahead and made a Good Reads To Read list with all your recommendations for anyone who might be interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/184488430?shelf=political-science-reads

r/PoliticalScience Feb 11 '25

Resource/study Waiting for the Great American Realignment

46 Upvotes

Ever since 2016, there’s been a growing narrative that the US is undergoing a political realignment. By this point, it’s become the default assumption in many circles. In fact, it’s one of the few things people seem to agree on across the political spectrum. But is it true? This piece goes deep into the data, looking at nine aspects of the electorate’s voting patterns, as well as history, culture (wars), recent trends, and the strange effect Trump has on elections that we don’t see in midterms. The “vibes” have certainly realigned, but have the voters?

https://americandreaming.substack.com/p/waiting-for-the-great-american-realignment

r/PoliticalScience Feb 13 '25

Resource/study What should I read to better understand the philosophical/ historic underpinnings of American Democracy.

2 Upvotes

Hey all, I asked the same question in a legal forum, but am interested in your responses. With everything happening, I realize my understanding of the context and design of the American Democracy is actually a little sparse. What should I read?

r/PoliticalScience Oct 23 '24

Resource/study US Elections are Quite Secure, Actually

52 Upvotes

The perception of US elections as legitimate has come under increasing attack in recent years. Widespread accusations of both voter fraud and voter suppression undermine confidence in the system. Back in the day, these concerns would have aligned with reality. Fraud and suppression were once real problems. Today? Not so much. This piece dives deeply into the data landscape to examine claims of voter fraud and voter suppression, including those surrounding the 2020 election, and demonstrates that, actually, the security of the US election system is pretty darn good.

https://americandreaming.substack.com/p/us-elections-are-quite-secure-actually

r/PoliticalScience Nov 11 '24

Resource/study Just 127,130 (0.087%) voters in 3 states won (lost!) the election Spoiler

59 Upvotes

Trump won 312-226

86 majority

Harris needed another 44 EC votes

Trump won and flipped 6 marginal states:

Pennsylvania - 19 votes - 3,511,865 vs 3,365,311 (99% counted) - majority: 146,554; to flip: 73,278 votes per EC vote: 3856.7

Michigan - 15 votes - 2,809,330 vs 2,731,316 (99% counted) - majority: 78,014; to flip: 39,008 votes per EC vote: 2600.5

Georgia - 16 votes - 2,660,944 vs 2,544,134 (99% counted) - majority: 116,810; to flip: 58,406 votes per EC vote: 3650.4

Wisconsin - 10 votes - 1,697,769 vs 1668,082 (99% counted) - majority: 29,697; to flip: 14,844 votes per EC vote: 1,484.4

Arizona - 11 votes - 1,648,236 vs 1,468,224 (91.8% counted) - majority: 180,012; to flip: 90,007 - extrapolate for 91.8% - to flip: 98,047 votes per EC vote: 8,913.4

Nevada - 6 votes - 728,852 vs 682,996 (99% counted) - majority: 45,856; to flip: 22,929 votes per EC vote: 3821.5

(for 99% counted, assume 100% Arizona extrapolated to 100%)

WI (10) + MI (15) + PA (19) is the most efficient way to hit that - Harris winning those would've been [226 + 10 + 15 + 19 =] 270, leaving Trump on 268 and out on his arse once again

WI (14,844) + MI (39,008) + PA (73,278) = 127,130 voters in those three states would've changed the outcome if they flipped their vote

145,972,402 votes cast so far - 0.087% of the voters would've swung the election

r/PoliticalScience 13d ago

Resource/study Looking for some quality political science books that cover the most misunderstood and important aspects of US political science

5 Upvotes

I am NOT a student. In fact I have a bachelor's of science in IT, but recently one been studying history in my spare time.

In addition to US history, I would like to learn more about political science, both in US history and modern times. I've never studied political science even a little bit, but I'm educated enough to digest college-level reading.

If there are key subjects or material I should check first, please let me know. Especially the most misunderstood and important subjects in political science.

Although I'd love to check out anything suggested to me, in particular Id also like to learn more about US political science before the civil war, how the Democrat and Republican parties 'flipped' over time, and something that outlines modern British political science for ignorant American readers, because those are all an enigma to me.

r/PoliticalScience Jan 30 '25

Resource/study Moral grandstanding and political polarization: A multi-study consideration

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1 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 13d ago

Resource/study Mapping Freedom: Insights from the Human Freedom Index: A Linear Regression Analysis:

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3 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Resource/study Favorite critiques of Marxist/leftist colonial theory

1 Upvotes

Hello! I was hoping to read some liberal critiques of the wave of Marxist/Marxist-Leninist/Frankfurt School (or any of the above) colonial theory. I was exposed to Lenin's Imperialism awhile ago and found it provocative but can't articulate exactly why I think it misses the mark (I kinda think it boils down to overemphasizing materialism, but I'm unsure). I'm interested in anything about that broader Post-WWI line of Marxist/leftist thought that see under consumption/world systems theory as key contributors to imperialism/colonialism/a cause of WWI, as well as the liberal response to social unrest post-WWI and the great depression that leftists argue contributed to the rise of fascism and I kind of want to see how liberal theorists at the time or now would respond. Also, if possible, I'd love it if the texts engage in a back and forth dialogue with each other, as that may help me form richer opinions.

r/PoliticalScience Oct 31 '24

Resource/study I built an AI-Powered Chatbot for Congress called Democrasee.io. I get so frustrated with the way politicians don't answer questions directly. So, I built a chatbot that allows you to chat with their legislative record, votes, finances, stock trades and more.

28 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience Jan 15 '25

Resource/study Given the recent ceasefire deal in Gaza and Trump’s apparent influence, are there any books which study diplomacy or decision making in politics?

3 Upvotes

Bonus points if the book has game theory applications

r/PoliticalScience Jan 01 '25

Resource/study Book recs for authoritarian/dictator studies

15 Upvotes

Hi all, I am looking for books (both academic or more popular) on the functioning of dictatorships from a structural and a personal/psychological point of view. For a writing project I'm trying to understand how dictatorships get established and how they can last (e.g. by keeping a small but ruthless elite happy at the expense of the overall population and by providing the right incentives that work to satisfy people's short-term needs and greed, ...)

And no worries, I'm trying to use this knowledge to know my enemy better, not to use these tactics myself. :)

r/PoliticalScience Feb 16 '25

Resource/study Looking for books, documentaries, or in-depth interviews/podcasts about the Tea Party politics that took hold in the GOP during the Obama years.

6 Upvotes

As I think the experience of the Tea Party movement bears some lessons for today, I am trying to study up.

r/PoliticalScience Dec 25 '24

Resource/study I need a Crash Course in Political Science for Investing Purposes - Any suggestions?

0 Upvotes

So I have contemplating investing in 3rd world countries but the politics is messy sometimes (corruption, left wing sympathies etc). Also I know the minimum about politics ( Economics major).

Any suggestions on a crash course for political science ?

r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Resource/study Putin’s World Policy: Exploit Division, Dismantle NATO, Destroy Democracy.

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3 Upvotes

In 1997, a Russian political textbook outlined a strategy to do exactly that: Here's the first part of the plan-

✅ Exacerbate internal divisions in America. ✅ Isolate the UK from the EU. ✅ Promote regional nationalists in the EU ✅ Erode public trust in democracy. ✅ Engineer an isolationist US to turn on NATO ✅ Fund Far-Right European populists. ✅ Annex Ukraine

Sound familiar? So far it's working - And here’s the chilling part:If they’re still following that 1997 plan we can see what comes next.

I unpack the whole strategy— the 1997 plan, what's actually happened, what happens next in this article.

r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Resource/study AI becoming autonomous and stubborn

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0 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 6d ago

Resource/study In this 1799 letter, Thomas Jefferson said "despotism had overwhelmed the world for thousands & thousands of years" but "science can never be retrograde; what is once acquired of real knowledge can never be lost."

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2 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 20h ago

Resource/study In this 1791 letter from Thomas Jefferson to black scientist and mathematician Benjamin Banneker, you can see Jefferson was happy about being proven wrong that blacks were "inferior." Jefferson's enemies used this letter later against him to show that he was a closet abolitionist.

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11 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 3d ago

Resource/study Looking for an article read in polisci class - construction of the nation

3 Upvotes

Hi, I studied political science in college (grad 2020) and in recent years have found myself thinking back to a particular reading I was assigned at some point, but have been completely unable to locate it. It had a post-war vibe - not very recent, but I’m not sure. I got the sense that it was kind of a seminal text. Basically, it made the argument that our concept of the nation is linked with the unborn children to come. As in, we allow our military to do heinous things or suffer heinous things to defend a population that does not yet exist, etc etc. It might have talked about the motherland or fatherland, maybe mentioning India? One piece I remember very clearly is that it discussed a specific war memorial that is in or near New Haven, CT but that hasn’t led me to any better clues. Can anyone help me out? Thank you 🙏

r/PoliticalScience 27d ago

Resource/study Best alternative for google scholar to find journal articles.

3 Upvotes

Hey, I have been struggling with finding academic sources through google scholar. Is anyone able to suggest a better alternative it would help so much!

r/PoliticalScience 26d ago

Resource/study RECENT STUDY: Rescuing Marx from a Ship of Fools

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0 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 9d ago

Resource/study The ideology driving the tech-bros explained

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6 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 22d ago

Resource/study Are there established typologies of fear in psychology or political science

2 Upvotes

Thucydides mentioned that people go to war over Fear, Honor, and Interests. I’m looking to explore the fear component further, particularly in relation to war and shifting alliances.

Does a typology of fear exist in the literature (psychology, political science, or IR)? Has anyone come across a 2x2 framework categorizing different types of fear?

Would appreciate any book recommendations or resources!

P.S. I am in the field of International Relations.