Political Science Department

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Voter turnout hits modern low in WA

Voter turnout for this November’s election was the lowest on record for a general election in Washington state history, according to a Seattle Times analysis of election data from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Nearly two-thirds of registered voters did not turn in ballots, leaving…

2023-11-30
Whatcom primary ballots burst with candidates

“It was the norm around here to have incumbents run unopposed,” said Todd Donovan, a professor of political science at Western Washington University and a sitting county council member. Donovan is not up for election this year.

“Even with open seats, a lot of the time…

2023-07-17
Seven Western students complete legislative internships in Olympia 2023-04-13
Rep. Nancy Mace warns her party to adopt a more ‘centrist’ abortion agenda or lose women voters

“I think that Mace is right that the Republican Party right now as it stands, their anti-abortion stances, are not in line with Republican women and Republican-leaning independent women,” said Catherine Wineinger, an expert on gender and politics at Western Washington University.…

2023-01-31
Ranked-choice voting is on the ballot in some state elections

There is growing agreement that the argument ranked-choice voting is “too complicated” is outdated, said Todd Donovan, a political science professor at Western Washington University.  

Instead, new research focuses on how to make ballots more accessible for voters. While there are…

2022-11-01
Fairhaven's Regina Jefferies to moderate Q&A after screening of 'Hostile' Oct. 10 at the Pickford Cinema downtown  2022-09-27
Soaring gas prices, crime rates and homelessness: How will parties position themselves locally headed into primaries?

Early returns from this year’s midterm elections and public opinion polls point to the rising costs of goods, public safety and homelessness dominating political discussion headed into the primaries.

The outlook in Spokane mirrors that seen in urban areas across the nation, with soaring…

2022-06-13
Washington Legislative Internship recruiters on campus for info sessions May 16-17 2022-05-11
WWU’s Caitlin Bannister is Western’s first Behavioral Neuroscience student to receive a coveted Goldwater Scholarship 2022-04-27
WWU student Anna Corinne Huffman wins WSA Liaison of the Year award 2022-03-31
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