As Election Day approaches, Eric Patashnik from the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy breaks down what he is watching, why the midterms matter and which issues are most important to students.
Rights and Democracy
Research on rights, democracy and the systems that shape justice, accountability and civic life.
Rights and Democracy
Research on rights, democracy and the systems that shape justice, accountability and civic life.
Recent News & Research
Stephen Kinzer writes in The Boston Globe that Washington rarely holds top officials accountable and that new calls to prosecute Trump administration figures and bar Biden officials over Gaza policy could help break that pattern.
Fall 2026 events at the Watson School
This fall, a dynamic lineup of events will bring leading voices to Watson for conversations on some of today’s most pressing issues.
Why Nothing Works: Robber Barons, Algorithms & Governing AI (interview with Marc Dunkelman)
On the Breaking Math podcast, Marc Dunkelman discussed how America's historical approaches to concentrated corporate power can inform today's debates over artificial intelligence regulation.
Stephen Kinzer testifies on CIA MKULTRA program before House task force
Senior Fellow Stephen Kinzer testified before the House Oversight Committee's Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets about the CIA's MKULTRA program and the need for greater transparency and accountability.
In this op-ed, Dany Bahar argues that AIPAC is not the electoral force with bottomless pockets that decides who serves in Congress that its critics portray.
Ashutosh Varshney wrote in The Print that India risks moving toward “competitive authoritarianism” as electoral practices increasingly tilt the political system in favor of ruling parties.
In a C-SPAN discussion with fellow authors, Marc Dunkelman discussed his book, "Why Nothing Works," and addressed current and historic threats to democracy in America.
In The Print, Ashutosh Varshney argues that India's recent state elections reveal both the vitality of Indian democracy and the BJP's systematic efforts to narrow the electoral field through voter suppression and Hindu nationalist politics.
Brown launches new online master’s degree program in public policy
With an emphasis on rigorous, data-driven analysis, the new master of public policy program provides students with topical knowledge and tools to tackle today’s most pressing policy problems.
What We Got Right — and Wrong — in ‘Abundance’ (interview with Marc Dunkelman)
In an interview on the Ezra Klein Show, Marc Dunkelman discussed the abundance movement.
Modi govt lost in Parliament, but India won (written by Ashutosh Varshney)
Ashutosh Varshney wrote in The Print that the defeat of India’s constitutional amendment bill protected federal balance by preventing a shift in parliamentary power that could have disadvantaged southern states and destabilized national unity.
