Steven W. Webster
@stevenwwebster.bsky.social
Political scientist and Director of the Center on American Politics at IU Bloomington.
Featuring some of my latest research, w/ @nickbichay.bsky.social and Mary Adams Plooster.
How is it that Tucker Carlson is calling for a more measured response to the death of an American citizen than the president and vice president are?
Wrote about “partisan dehumanization” and the unsettling response to Renee Good's death this week.
www.huffpost.com/entry/charli...
Wrote about “partisan dehumanization” and the unsettling response to Renee Good's death this week.
www.huffpost.com/entry/charli...
You're Not Imagining It: The Same People Up In Arms Over Charlie Kirk Are Silent On ICE Shooting
Even Tucker Carlson is unsettled by the response to Renee Good's death.
www.huffpost.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Featuring some of my latest research, w/ @nickbichay.bsky.social and Mary Adams Plooster.
New working paper w Mary Adams Plooster (a fantastic IU grad student) and @nickbichay.bsky.social. We draw on two survey experiments to investigate the effect of partisan anger on partisan dehumanization. We also examine heterogeneous f.x. by trait dogmatism.
www.stevenwwebster.com/research/ang...
www.stevenwwebster.com/research/ang...
January 3, 2026 at 10:49 PM
New working paper w Mary Adams Plooster (a fantastic IU grad student) and @nickbichay.bsky.social. We draw on two survey experiments to investigate the effect of partisan anger on partisan dehumanization. We also examine heterogeneous f.x. by trait dogmatism.
www.stevenwwebster.com/research/ang...
www.stevenwwebster.com/research/ang...
Old Dominion played IU closer than Alabama is playing them.
January 1, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Old Dominion played IU closer than Alabama is playing them.
"The Indiana Statehouse is tense this week. Republicans on both sides of the redistricting debate have faced threats and swatting attempts. Most senators never wanted to vote on this."
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
Republicans Are Fighting With One Another in Deep-Red Indiana. Here’s Why.
www.nytimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 10:21 PM
"The Indiana Statehouse is tense this week. Republicans on both sides of the redistricting debate have faced threats and swatting attempts. Most senators never wanted to vote on this."
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
Reposted by Steven W. Webster
After 3 years and 5,322 emails (and counting) our Encyclopedia of Political Communication is finally out at @elgarpublishing.bsky.social
📚 Three volumes
⭐ 431 entries
🎓 581 wonderful authors from across the world
A very short 🧵
📚 Three volumes
⭐ 431 entries
🎓 581 wonderful authors from across the world
A very short 🧵
December 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
After 3 years and 5,322 emails (and counting) our Encyclopedia of Political Communication is finally out at @elgarpublishing.bsky.social
📚 Three volumes
⭐ 431 entries
🎓 581 wonderful authors from across the world
A very short 🧵
📚 Three volumes
⭐ 431 entries
🎓 581 wonderful authors from across the world
A very short 🧵
Reposted by Steven W. Webster
‼️ New working paper ‼️
We find bipartisan appeals credibly signal policymaking intentions—on an issue-by-issue basis
We show how and why bipartisan lawmaking persists amid congressional conflict: progress often comes through issue-specific pathways rather than broad consensus between Ds and Rs
🧵👇
We find bipartisan appeals credibly signal policymaking intentions—on an issue-by-issue basis
We show how and why bipartisan lawmaking persists amid congressional conflict: progress often comes through issue-specific pathways rather than broad consensus between Ds and Rs
🧵👇
December 8, 2025 at 2:42 PM
‼️ New working paper ‼️
We find bipartisan appeals credibly signal policymaking intentions—on an issue-by-issue basis
We show how and why bipartisan lawmaking persists amid congressional conflict: progress often comes through issue-specific pathways rather than broad consensus between Ds and Rs
🧵👇
We find bipartisan appeals credibly signal policymaking intentions—on an issue-by-issue basis
We show how and why bipartisan lawmaking persists amid congressional conflict: progress often comes through issue-specific pathways rather than broad consensus between Ds and Rs
🧵👇
Rage as a political strategy.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
Opinion | Carville: How About a Sweeping, Aggressive, Unvarnished Platform of Pure Economic Rage
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Rage as a political strategy.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
Anyone have quotes for non-opt in survey platforms? Asking for no reason, of course...
November 19, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Anyone have quotes for non-opt in survey platforms? Asking for no reason, of course...
Sean presented this at the inaugural IU Center on American Politics conference. The mood in the room was ... grim.
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Sean presented this at the inaugural IU Center on American Politics conference. The mood in the room was ... grim.
Charles Higgins's Wikipedia page has already been updated. People move fast.
November 18, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Charles Higgins's Wikipedia page has already been updated. People move fast.
Is MSPA offering free registration for those who are only assigned to be a discussant? I seem to remember them doing this in the past, but perhaps I made this up.
November 18, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Is MSPA offering free registration for those who are only assigned to be a discussant? I seem to remember them doing this in the past, but perhaps I made this up.
Heart attack Hoosiers. 😳
November 8, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Heart attack Hoosiers. 😳
Reposted by Steven W. Webster
Political inexperience in Congress has measurable effects on legislative outcomes. Our research finds that when districts elect political newcomers over career politicians, congressional dysfunction tends to increase.
New explainer of our PNAS study:
theconversation.com/amateur-hour...
New explainer of our PNAS study:
theconversation.com/amateur-hour...
Amateur hour in Congress: How political newcomers fuel gridlock and government shutdowns
The public’s frustration with ‘politics as usual’ has led more political newcomers to win office. But amateurs are more likely to view bipartisanship as a concession, not a tool for advancing policy.
theconversation.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Political inexperience in Congress has measurable effects on legislative outcomes. Our research finds that when districts elect political newcomers over career politicians, congressional dysfunction tends to increase.
New explainer of our PNAS study:
theconversation.com/amateur-hour...
New explainer of our PNAS study:
theconversation.com/amateur-hour...
Calm before the storm! Today is the day: the inaugural IU Center on American Politics Conference.
Speakers: Mike Wagner, Marc Hetherington, Josh McCrain, myself, Julia Azari, Rachel Lienesch, Rachel Porter, Sean Westwood.
Follow this thread for key points from talks.
🧵
Speakers: Mike Wagner, Marc Hetherington, Josh McCrain, myself, Julia Azari, Rachel Lienesch, Rachel Porter, Sean Westwood.
Follow this thread for key points from talks.
🧵
October 31, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Calm before the storm! Today is the day: the inaugural IU Center on American Politics Conference.
Speakers: Mike Wagner, Marc Hetherington, Josh McCrain, myself, Julia Azari, Rachel Lienesch, Rachel Porter, Sean Westwood.
Follow this thread for key points from talks.
🧵
Speakers: Mike Wagner, Marc Hetherington, Josh McCrain, myself, Julia Azari, Rachel Lienesch, Rachel Porter, Sean Westwood.
Follow this thread for key points from talks.
🧵
This week. Bloomington, IN. 👇
October 27, 2025 at 11:29 PM
This week. Bloomington, IN. 👇
First ever IU Center on American Politics conference is this week! Since it’s on Halloween, everyone gets treats.
October 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
First ever IU Center on American Politics conference is this week! Since it’s on Halloween, everyone gets treats.
New comprehensive exam question just dropped: do you agree or disagree with this article?
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/o...
Opinion | America Still Has a Political Center, and It’s the Key to Winning
www.nytimes.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:21 PM
New comprehensive exam question just dropped: do you agree or disagree with this article?
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/o...
The fiercest squirrel hunter in all of Bloomington.
October 6, 2025 at 3:38 PM
The fiercest squirrel hunter in all of Bloomington.
September 29, 2025 at 12:50 PM
This is so, so cool.
🚨 New working paper alert 🚨
Missing summer — and the Tour de France? Don’t worry, we got you covered. 🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️
In this paper, we show that being on the route of Tour de France reduces far-right voting. osf.io/preprints/so...
Missing summer — and the Tour de France? Don’t worry, we got you covered. 🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️
In this paper, we show that being on the route of Tour de France reduces far-right voting. osf.io/preprints/so...
September 16, 2025 at 1:25 PM
This is so, so cool.
APSA panel 1: Affect and Emotions. First up is Fu and Lee, presenting on emotional reactions to foreign threats
Three experiments from Taiwan, Lithuania, and Latvia. Threats elicit anxiety, anger, and fear. Can be attenuated by presence of allies and a shared sense of national identity.
Three experiments from Taiwan, Lithuania, and Latvia. Threats elicit anxiety, anger, and fear. Can be attenuated by presence of allies and a shared sense of national identity.
September 11, 2025 at 3:12 PM
APSA panel 1: Affect and Emotions. First up is Fu and Lee, presenting on emotional reactions to foreign threats
Three experiments from Taiwan, Lithuania, and Latvia. Threats elicit anxiety, anger, and fear. Can be attenuated by presence of allies and a shared sense of national identity.
Three experiments from Taiwan, Lithuania, and Latvia. Threats elicit anxiety, anger, and fear. Can be attenuated by presence of allies and a shared sense of national identity.
Who's going to APSA?
September 6, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Who's going to APSA?
Are we doing this again?
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/o...
Opinion | Politicians Are Polarized. American Voters, Not So Much.
www.nytimes.com
August 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Are we doing this again?
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/o...
Cool paper.
FirstView day for my PSRM article, “Presidential Negative Partisanship.” 🥳
I show presidents attack the opposition most (not persuade) when legislating is least likely to succeed—and those attacks mobilize their own side.
cambridge.org/core/journal...
Read on for the 🧵 version...
I show presidents attack the opposition most (not persuade) when legislating is least likely to succeed—and those attacks mobilize their own side.
cambridge.org/core/journal...
Read on for the 🧵 version...
Presidential negative partisanship | Political Science Research and Methods | Cambridge Core
Presidential negative partisanship
cambridge.org
August 20, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Cool paper.
Staring down the new semester.
August 9, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Staring down the new semester.