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Political scientist wins grant to study effectiveness of economic sanctions

Rice's Clifton Morgan, the Albert Thomas Professor of Political Science, received a grant from the National Science Foundation that will allow him to study every case of economic sanctions around the world for the last 65 years to see if the sanctions had their desired effect.

Rice researcher examines campaign finance regulations in new 'laboratory'

Keith Hamm, professor of political science, has received funding from the Carnegie Corporation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to pursue his work on how politicians, donors and lobbyists have reacted to Connecticut's new standards since their implementation in the 2008 statewide election.

Political scientist's book wins award for best in comparative politics

Conventional wisdom says the economy is the paramount issue for voters in any election. Randolph Stevenson, associate professor of political science, set out to determine if that truism is real.

Rice-run poll finds low interest in Houston mayoral election

Houstonians aren't paying attention -- yet -- to the mayoral election scheduled for this November. According to a poll conducted by Rice University's Center for Civic Engagement for KHOU-TV and KUHF-FM, the vast majority of likely voters do not know the candidates and are undecided about whom to vote for on Election Day, which is a little less than two months away.

Rice research examines efforts to increase voter turnout

People have been trying to increase voter turnout for decades, using a variety of reforms that would ease the challenges would-be voters face each election. Two Rice political scientists have released their findings that indicate one new concept -- Election Day vote centers (EDVCs) -- actually increases "voter turnout generally, and among infrequent voters in particular."

Political scientist named visiting scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation

Melissa Marschall, associate professor of political science, was recently appointed as a visiting scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation. The foundation, based in New York City, is devoted to research in the social sciences and publishes books based on the work of its grantees and visiting scholars.

Rice study finds shortcomings in Katrina evacuees' health status

Katrina evacuees who moved to Houston have experienced problems accessing physical and mental health care, according to a study published by three Rice University researchers. They examined data from three separate waves of surveys administered at different times to different groups of the most disadvantaged Katrina evacuees in the Houston area (specifically, those who did not have resources to evacuate in advance of the hurricane).

Political science professor honored for meritorious service to Rice

Dr. Richard J. Stoll was among two professors and two alumni who earned the Association of Rice Alumni’s (ARA) Meritorious Service Award, recognizing their significant, sustained and voluntary contributions of energy, time and creativity toward the advancement of the university.

Rice political scientist offers prognosis on US-Central American relations during Costa Rica, Honduras trip

 While the new U.S. administration is likely to be more sympathetic to Latin American concerns than its predecessor, the people of Central America should not expect a sudden burst of attention from Washington. That's the message Mark Jones, professor of political science, delivered to academics, political leaders and the news media on a recent trip to Costa Rica and Honduras.

Political scientist's research looks at relationship between globalization and human cooperation

Does globalization increase or decrease human cooperation? In a recently published study, Rice political scientist Rick Wilson and five other academics found that globalization may be "fundamental in shaping contemporary large-scale cooperation and may be a positive force toward the provision of global public goods."

Rice professor's study links physiological traits to political attitudes

Is America's red-blue divide based on voters' physiology? A new paper in this week's  journal Science titled  "Political Attitudes are Predicted by Physiological Traits" explores the link. Rice's John Alford, associate professor of political science, co-authored the paper.

Rice political scientist wins Deutsch Award for international relations and peace research

Brett Ashley Leeds, the Albert Thomas Associate Professor of Political Science, has won the Karl Deutsch Award for her work on military alliances and states' compliance with international commitments. The award is presented annually by the International Studies Association.

Rice political scientist wins NSF CAREER grant to study policy-public opinion link

Is policymaking in multiparty democracies responsive to citizen preferences during the government's term in office? Lanny Martin, assistant professor of political science, hopes to answer that question through research he will conduct with his National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant.