Inside Political Science

Everyone talks about Israel. But do you know the differences between American Jews and Israeli Jews? Author Guy Golan joins Kirby to discuss his new book about Jewish voting behavior and foreign relations between the U.S. and Israel. They also hit on evangelical support for Israel, antisemitism, and pro-Palestinian college campus protests. But first, if you’re a political candidate, be careful what you say! Todd and Kirby discuss the variables Kamala Harris is considering as she makes her vice presidential pick. Should she pick someone with a great economic record, someone who’s tough on crime, or someone who has differing views on immigration? And the most important question - does it really matter? For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

Enthusiasm among Democrats is high… but will it last? In this Inside Political Science mini-cast, Kirby shares the three things he’s watching after President Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential campaign. He discusses why he is surprised at the enthusiasm for presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, why you shouldn’t look at polls anytime soon and why you’ll see a lot more attention paid to the vice presidential nominee than maybe you should. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

How does an assassination attempt affect the election, and where do we go from here? Todd welcomes Dr. Thomas Flaherty to help him dissect the attempted assassination of former President Trump, including the White House response, messaging from both campaigns, the Republican National Convention and how these events could affect the election. Plus, they dive into globalism: why it’s controversial, why it’s more relevant than ever and how Biden and Trump approach the topic. Disclaimer: this episode was recorded on Monday, July 15 at 3 p.m. Information about the attempted assassination of former President Trump and the Republican National Convention may not be up to date when you're listening. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

Does the Supreme Court alignment affect votes? The data says yes - but only for conservative-leaners. Will that change for liberal-leaners this year? Todd is back from his time in Europe and he welcomes constitutional law professor Dr. James Rogers to talk about recent Supreme Court decisions and how they affect campaign strategy. The pair discuss abortion, federal agency oversight, whether the Supreme Court will get involved in the 2024 election and why Europeans are so confused by our government structure. “Inside Political Science” dives deep into topics like this every other week to make you more informed the next time you vote. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

An age-old question (literally): do our representatives actually represent us? While Todd is still away with his group of Aggies abroad, Kirby is joined by Keith Gåddie, a political science professor at Texas Christian University. The two discuss the Hunter Biden conviction, Trump’s VP race and electoral age limits. For the main deep dive, Keith and Kirby break down congressional elections and their lack of competition. Learn how southern politics has evolved over the last eight years and hear what solutions the experts propose to make U.S. House and Senate seats more competitive. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

The economy is confusing, can we agree? But if it makes you feel any better, our political science experts are back to discuss why they are JUST AS CONFUSED! While Todd is away with his group of Aggies studying abroad, Kirby invites a special guest into the studio: Bill Clark, a Texas A&M professor specializing in political economic theory. Kirby and Bill begin their discussion with this week’s political hot topic - former president Donald Trump’s felony conviction. After a few quick takes, the two hosts take a deep dive into the role of the Federal Reserve, the current state of the U.S. economy and how much influence either presidential candidate will actually have on the future of it. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

Would Walter Cronkite be trusted in 2024? Thanks to the 24/7 news cycle and the never-ending push for breaking news, media has changed since Cronkite’s days. In this episode, hosts Kirby Goidel and Todd Kent discuss how the media covers politics and how people respond to what the news has to say. They talk about why it’s so easy to choose which media to consume, why perceived trust in the media continues to decline, why local news is now so national and what citizens should really be doing to stay informed. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

This week, Texas A&M political science professors Kirby Goidel and Todd Kent are joined by a special guest: Lynn Vavreck from UCLA. The acclaimed political scientist and author gives her takes on the 2024 campaign, the purpose of campaign ads, why voters are married to political parties, mobilization vs. persuasion and more. For more on this show, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

Political science professors Dr. Kirby Goidel and Dr. Todd Kent are back with another episode of “Inside Political Science” and today they explore campaign strategy. Find out why persuading voters is so difficult. Learn why campaigns don’t want everyone to vote. And explore why there are so many negative campaign ads. For more on this show, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

Political science professors Dr. Kirby Goidel and Dr. Todd Kent kick off “Inside Political Science” with a deep dive into political polling. Find out why a good poll is like a good scoop of chicken soup. Learn how to identify an accurate poll. Plus, what the experts are looking at 210 days from the election. For more on this show, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.