Shir Raviv

Shir Raviv Receives the 2025 Harold D. Lasswell Award for “The Evolving Politics of Using AI Algorithms in Public Policy Implementation”” The Harold D. Lasswell Award is presented annually by the American Political Science Association (APSA) to honor the best doctoral dissertation in the field of public policy. Citation from the Award Committee: “The Evolving Politics of Using AI Algorithms” makes novel and groundbreaking theoretical and empirical observations on a rapidly emerging – and high-stakes – issue area: the use of artificial intelligence in public services.

Shir Raviv Receives the 2025 Harold D. Lasswell Award for “The Evolving Politics of Using AI Algorithms in Public Policy Implementation””

The Harold D. Lasswell Award is presented annually by the American Political Science Association (APSA) to honor the best doctoral dissertation in the field of…

Postdoc Spotlight💡Shir Raviv is working on the democratic challenge of AI: aligning algorithms with public values

She designs field experiments & large-scale surveys that track how public attitudes shift based on experience & information exposure

Read more: datascience.columbia.edu/news/2025/th...

The study offers a framework for identifying where AI tools are appropriate, where they may trigger backlash, and where combining algorithmic assessment with human judgment is most appealing. #AIGov #AIPolicy #AIEthics #AIregulations 6/6

➡️ I also experimentally assess the political implications of these views, demonstrating that employing algorithms in contexts where citizens perceive them as unfair significantly undermines the legitimacy of the policy decisions and interventions they inform. 5/6

➡️ I show that across a wide range of domains, people are more likely to accept algorithmic systems in decisions designed to assist rather than punish and in contexts requiring inferences about collectives rather than individuals. 4/6

I introduce a new theory, arguing that views on this matter vary as a function of:
1️⃣ the objective of the decision at stake;
2️⃣ the population directly affected by the decision.

I test the theory using original experiments embedded in a national U.S. survey. 3/6

Government agencies increasingly use algorithmic systems to make high-stakes decisions (policing, welfare, education), often without public knowledge or consent.

I systematically explore when citizens accept or resist these tools in governance. 2/6

🚨 Excited to share that my job market paper is now online at @thejop.bsky.social!

"When Do Citizens Resist the Use of AI Algorithms in Public Policy? Theory and Evidence"

shorturl.at/hHoxw

1/6

Shir Raviv talks at a conference table in a classroom

What does the latest research tell us about the current and future intersection of AI and democracy? Our Democratic Innovations external fellow @shirraviv.bsky.social hosted a conference to catch us up: bit.ly/3YgKlAl

Huge thanks to our speakers for terrific talks & stimulating discussions: @s010n.bsky.social @theophilepenigaud.bsky.social @yamilrvelez.bsky.social @gonzalezrostani.bsky.social @leegeiller.bsky.social @dschiff.bsky.social @kaylynjschiff.bsky.social @melodyyhuang.bsky.social @lexipalmer.bsky.social

Honored to organize the mini-conference on AI & Democratic Governance at @ispsyale.bsky.social! This year, we explored the risks AI poses to democracy, approaches to governing it responsibly, and its potential to enhance democratic participation and representation.

On my way to New Haven 🚆 and very excited to take part in the conference “AI and Democratic Governance: Challenges, Oversight, and Potential”🤖 at @ispsyale.bsky.social tomorrow!

Thanks to @shirraviv.bsky.social for organizing it!

@ispsyale.bsky.social @s010n.bsky.social @theophilepenigaud.bsky.social y @yamilrvelez.bsky.social @gonzalezrostani.bsky.social
@dschiff.bsky.social @melodyyhuang.bsky.social @kaylynjschiff.bsky.social @lexipalmer.bsky.social l @SeulkiLeeGeiller @PeejLoewen @JoseRamon @LilyTsai @RyanKennedy

Excited to organize the AI and Democratic Governance mini-conference at @ISPSYale this Friday!
Join us for a day of conversations on how AI is shaping democracy - its risks, oversight, and potential.
⚠️ Last day to register! shorturl.at/KEaE9
Open to the Yale community!

PhD Fellowship in Politics & Social Sciences (266956) | University of Stavanger Job title: PhD Fellowship in Politics & Social Sciences (266956), Employer: University of Stavanger, Deadline: Sunday, May 4, 2025

My department is *hiring a PhD* student (3 years, fully funded) for a research project on the social and political effects of AI-related technological change. *Deadline: May 4, '25*. See here for more information & to apply: www.jobbnorge.no/en/available... #PoliSky #Sociology #AcademicSky

"The Cultural Origins of Populism" by Yotam Margalit, Shir Raviv, and Omer Solodoch. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

We just launched a call for a workshop and special issue proposal on "The Politics of AI"! Excited to see many great submissions—join us in Oxford!

📢Special issue and workshop on "The Politics of AI: Citizen Perceptions, Preferences, and Priorities" 📢

We aim to bring together cutting-edge research on the political ramifications of AI for a workshop in Oxford and a special issue in a leading political science journal.(1/2)

Klaudia Wegschaider speaks in front of a projection screen in a classroom.

We are excited to announce the recipients of our latest research and conference grants: bit.ly/3ZvyXAj

@winnievandijk.bsky.social @johneric.bsky.social @barbarabiasi.com @jacobwswallace.bsky.social @leegeiller.bsky.social @elizaoak.bsky.social @shirokuriwaki.bsky.social @nottone.bsky.social

Read a summary of last week's conference on AI and Government: bit.ly/49WYO7z

@shirraviv.bsky.social

@dschiff.bsky.social @melodyyhuang.bsky.social @mhaslberger.bsky.social
@dashapruss.bsky.social @skidolma.bsky.social

It was an honor to host the conference on AI in Government at @ispsyale.bsky.social with stimulating conversations and reflections by the talented:
Savannah Thais, Kirk Bansak, Alan Gerber, Eddie Yang, Virginia Eubanks @geomblog.bsky.social @elizaoak.bsky.social @kaylynjschiff.bsky.social

Excited to organize the AI & Algorithms in Government conference at @ispsyale.bsky.social on April 19, 2024.
Join us to explore the promise, challenges, and politics of using AI in public policy.

Agenda + registration: bit.ly/4ayMzii

#Polisky

4/6 🧵  In PSRM @shirraviv.bsky.social & Margalit ask: what redistributive policies do citizens consider when asked about inequality reduction? Original survey & experiment in the US. Informing about concrete redistributive measures boosts support for government action doi.org/mdmt

Polisky

We discuss the methodological implications of our findings for the study of preferences on redistribution. 6

Results indicate that when people are asked about concrete redistributive measures, levels of support for government action change significantly and attitudes align more closely with respondents' self-interest. 5/

We assess the implications of this disconnect between attitudes on inequality reduction and views on redistributive measures using a survey experiment. 4/

Using original survey data from both open-ended and fixed-choice questions, we show that most people have little grasp of what reducing inequality actually entails. 3/

Surveys consistently show high levels of support for government intervention to reduce income inequality. But what does this actually mean? What policies do people have in mind? 2/