Director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, Princeton Universtiy
Director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
PROFILE
Larry Bartels
Guest
FROM Larry Bartels
To the Point
How Informed (or Uninformed) Are American Voters? Classic studies dating back to the 1950's and 60's reveal that Americans are unsophisticated when it comes to issues or ideology. Their votes are determined "more by faith than conviction" and "by wishful expectation rather than careful prediction of consequences." What does that mean for the quality of their decisions in presidential elections? In a country with universal suffrage, aren't these are important questions? Larry Bartels directs the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton University.
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To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.