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
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
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.