Steven W. Webster
@stevenwwebster.bsky.social
Political scientist and Director of the Center on American Politics at IU Bloomington.
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.
Meaningful null findings!
Can embarrassment of one's party dampen partisanship and polarization? One would think.
In a forthcoming paper at @poqjournal.bsky.social, Taylor Carlson, @stevenwwebster.bsky.social, and I examine what we call "partisan embarrassment," including looking at the ramifications of these feelings...
In a forthcoming paper at @poqjournal.bsky.social, Taylor Carlson, @stevenwwebster.bsky.social, and I examine what we call "partisan embarrassment," including looking at the ramifications of these feelings...
August 7, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Meaningful null findings!
Excited to announce the speaker lineup for the first ever IU Center on American Politics conference! October 31, 2025, Bloomington, IN. Guests welcome!
More info available here: www.iu-cap.com/conference.h...
More info available here: www.iu-cap.com/conference.h...
August 7, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Excited to announce the speaker lineup for the first ever IU Center on American Politics conference! October 31, 2025, Bloomington, IN. Guests welcome!
More info available here: www.iu-cap.com/conference.h...
More info available here: www.iu-cap.com/conference.h...
A sad update: our colleague, Ted Carmines, has passed. He will be sorely missed.
July 12, 2025 at 12:15 AM
A sad update: our colleague, Ted Carmines, has passed. He will be sorely missed.
Featuring some of my thoughts on the OBBB. An early political "win" for Trump, but the details—and the price tag—could come back to haunt him and Republicans in 2026.
www.dw.com/en/donald-tr...
www.dw.com/en/donald-tr...
How will Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' impact Americans? – DW – 07/02/2025
The battle for President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" appears to be nearing an end. But Trump's signature tax and spending policy isn't popular, even within his own party.
www.dw.com
July 3, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Featuring some of my thoughts on the OBBB. An early political "win" for Trump, but the details—and the price tag—could come back to haunt him and Republicans in 2026.
www.dw.com/en/donald-tr...
www.dw.com/en/donald-tr...
Trying to keep up with world events.
July 2, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Trying to keep up with world events.
Accepted at POQ: "You’re Making Us Look Bad: Can Partisan Embarrassment Dampen Partisanship and Polarization?" w/ Liz Connors and Taylor Carlson
elizabethchaseconnors.com/images/Embar...
elizabethchaseconnors.com/images/Embar...
June 30, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Accepted at POQ: "You’re Making Us Look Bad: Can Partisan Embarrassment Dampen Partisanship and Polarization?" w/ Liz Connors and Taylor Carlson
elizabethchaseconnors.com/images/Embar...
elizabethchaseconnors.com/images/Embar...
"As we start to see violence overtaking American political life, the transition is more like a sunset than a light switch."
I wrote a piece for The Guardian about the spike in political violence. The question: When do we start calling this what it is?
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Violence is coming to define American political life | Stephen Marche
Spectacular violence like Trump’s military parade and real violence like Melissa Hortman’s assassination are part of a growing trend
www.theguardian.com
June 16, 2025 at 12:46 PM
"As we start to see violence overtaking American political life, the transition is more like a sunset than a light switch."
Sunday, 8 AM panel for APSA. 🫣
June 5, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Sunday, 8 AM panel for APSA. 🫣
It’s not easy to work around here.
May 14, 2025 at 9:11 PM
It’s not easy to work around here.