In new research based on a nationwide survey of 1,500 Americans, Jonathan Jackson and co-authors find that years of racially targeted policing is leading people to question the fairness and legitimacy of the police, such that 40 percent believe that the police should be defunded. Regardless of respondents’ race, they find that concerns about the under-protection and over-regulation […]
The death of George Floyd while being arrested by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota has sparked worldwide protests and calls to defund US police forces. Nicola Lacey discusses the differences between these and previous protests concerning police brutality, how the nature of the US criminal justice system affects them, and the chances for meaningful police reform.
1. We’ve seen protests before linked to police related killings, […]
Information claiming that the COVID-19 is a hoax has unfolded on social media at the same time as the virus has spread across the world. Ralf Martin has analysed nearly 12 million tweets for spikes in COVID-19 hoax related content. He finds that those posting coronavirus related hoax content are more likely to mention Donald Trump, and that many […]
Basic income debates seem directed towards a genderless, universal citizen, ignoring the potential to challenge the resiliently gendered division of paid and unpaid labour, writes Sarah Ashwin.
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked renewed fears regarding the future of work. One widely discussed solution to this perceived problem is a universal basic income (UBI), provoking debates about the justice, […]
Yesterday, voters in 14 states and American Samoa voted for their choice to be the Democratic Party’s nominee to face President Trump in the 2020 presidential election. LSE US Centre Director Professor Peter Trubowitz writes that former Vice President Joe Biden had a very good night, having taken the lead in the pledged delegate count. We may now see […]
Last night the Democratic presidential candidates gathered in Las Vegas to debate ahead of the Nevada caucuses later this week. LSE US Centre Director Professor Peter Trubowitz writes that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was the biggest winner from the debate after her pointed attacks on former New York Mayor, Mike Bloomberg. At this stage, the Democratic field remains muddled, […]
Subjective reports of wellbeing or ‘happiness’ are increasingly influential in policy. While past research has found that making comparisons with those on higher incomes can make people unhappy, Laura Kudrna illustrates that this ‘relative income’ effect may not be as straightforward as previously thought, with the structure of society having an impact on how people feel and think about […]
On January 2nd 2020, Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike against his convoy at Baghdad Airport. LSE US Centre Director Professor Peter Trubowitz comments that it appears that there was little or no strategy behind Trump’s decision on the attack: it has not sown political divisions in Iran, and there is little appetite in Washington DC for further escalation.
Was killing Soleimani a huge miscalculation […]
As a place famous for its food, the revitalization of New Orleans’ restaurants has been taken as a sign of the overall recovery of the city following 2005’s Hurricane Katrina disaster. Jeanne Firth writes that despite this progress, commentary on the recent restaurant boom can obscure the unevenness of New Orleans’ recovery, with increasing disparities in access to healthy […]
Yesterday, the US House Intelligence Committee began its first public hearings into impeaching President Donald Trump, with Ambassador Bill Taylor’s testimony suggesting that Trump was more involved with pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden than he had previously claimed. US Centre Director, Professor Peter Trubowitz writes that as these hearings continue, Trump’s approval ratings will be […]
AMLO’s attacks on Mexico’s higher education institutions may accelerate the country’s scholarly exodus to the US.
Book Review: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Primary Primers: Why Texas won’t be turning blue this year
Book Review: The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People’s Economy by Stephanie Kelton
Adhip Amin reviews The Cigarette: A Political History by Sarah Milov 
Alessandro Ford reviews Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs by Antony Loewenstein 
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In this section you can read recent expert commentary from LSE academics on important issues around American Politics and Policy. This section also contains reviews of recent books by LSE academics and book reviews from LSE staff and alumni.