Any way you look at it, Election Day 2024 will go down as historic.
One of the most polarizing and closely divided contests for the White House ever, the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has raised questions about campaign strategy, tactics and electoral trends that may change modern understanding of U.S. politics.
University of Utah faculty have been studying it all—from campaign ads to disinformation, calls to abolish the Electoral College and young voter behavior.
On Nov. 4, the Academic Senate adopted guidelines for faculty to follow when engaging in post-election discussions with their students.
“We are living in a highly polarized and divisive political environment. It is likely that students will have strong views and emotions surrounding the election, regardless of the outcome, and worries about what the election results portend for their future,” the letter from Senate leaders said. “No doubt, the election aftermath will offer many learning opportunities and as faculty we should be prepared to manage them appropriately and with civility and de-escalate any inappropriate conduct.”
University of Utah political science faculty also are speaking to local media, sharing their expertise about issues raised in the 2024 election, including:
Faculty Expertise
Juliet Carlisle studies gender and politics; environmental politics, including solar and nuclear energy; political socialization; public opinion and behavior.
“There are ways to mitigate the existing political polarization. One way to do this is through civil discourse,” said Carlisle, professor in the Department of Political Science and the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program. “Civil discourse builds civic trust, mutual respect and can provide an opportunity for folks to come together and find common ground on issues that are of public concern.”
Civil discourse is the practice of deliberating about political matters with an effort to expand knowledge, promote understanding in order to build civic trust and mutual respect, she said.
“An important component of civil discourse is subjecting our own beliefs to critique or criticism. This can cause people to feel threatened or attacked and uncomfortable,” Carlisle said. “It does not mean we silence folks who disagree with us. By not participating in this process and instead stifling or avoiding certain topics, we hurt our community and our democracy. Reasonable people can and should disagree. A strong democracy requires it."
University of Utah political science experts often provide non-partisan insights into a variety of election-related issues to help Utahns and all Americans understand topics such as the Constitution and the courts.
Michael Dichio, an assistant professor in political science at the U, authored the book, The US Supreme Court and the Centralization of Federal Authority which traces how the Court’s constitutional jurisprudence affects the growth of the federal government from the founding era forward. His research has also appeared in Studies in American Political Development, Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Law & Policy, and Just Security, among other places.
Ben Lyons, a University of Utah assistant professor of communication who studies disinformation, recently participating in a massive study of 25 video interventions that points to solutions for reducing polarization, anti-democratic attitudes and support for political violence.
His research has been published in journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Human Behaviour, Journal of Communication, Public Opinion Quarterly, Risk Analysis, and Vaccine, and featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, CNN, Der Spiegel, and other outlets.
University of Utah political science professor Josh McCrain studies elections, lobbying, Congress, media and politics, and the political economy. His work has been published in the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics, and State Politics and Policy Quarterly. It has been covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, Vox, CNBC, New York Magazine, and Nature Human Behavior.
“The vast majority of people who consume media about politics are consuming partisan media. There are very few sources of non-partisan media,” explained Josh McCrain, a University of Utah assistant professor of political science who is a general expert for elections, and offers commentary on lobbying, Congress, media and politics, and the political economy. “That is a natural feature of what happens when media companies try to make money by targeting specific audiences. Major sources of political media now are more partisan than ever. That's definitely the case.”
He added that as for the local election environment, “We're in an era of fewer true sources of local news than we've ever been, so people know less about local politics, local elections and who the candidates are. Those are some prominent features of the current era that have been getting worse over time.”
McCrain said based on the current political environment, there is little indication the divide will narrow anytime soon.
Other faculty election experts include:
- University of Utah political science professor Jim Curry researches Congress, political parties and the presidency.
- University of Utah political science professor Yuree Noh’s work focuses on the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia (South Korea) as well as authoritarian politics.
- University of Utah political science professor Phillip Singer researches healthcare policy, public health, Medicaid, welfare policy and state politics.
In the days and weeks to come, their knowledge will be shared to explain how the 2024 election unfolded.
“There are ways to mitigate the existing political polarization. One way to do this is through civil discourse,” said Juliet Carlisle, professor in the Department of Political Science and the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program. “Civil discourse builds civic trust, mutual respect and can provide an opportunity for folks to come together and find common ground on issues that are of public concern.”
Civil discourse is the practice of deliberating about political matters with an effort to expand knowledge, promote understanding in order to build civic trust and mutual respect, she said.
“An important component of civil discourse is subjecting our own beliefs to critique or criticism. This can cause people to feel threatened or attacked and uncomfortable,” Carlisle said. “It does not mean we silence folks who disagree with us. By not participating in this process and instead stifling or avoiding certain topics, we hurt our community and our democracy. Reasonable people can and should disagree. A strong democracy requires it."