LSE US Politics and Policy blog - USAPP

Inflation mattered in the 2022 US midterms, but so did the story politicians told about what caused it | USAPP While inflation did reduce support for Democrats in these elections, partisan narratives about the causes of inflation also shaped voters’ views.

Inflation mattered in the 2022 US midterms, but so did the story politicians told about what caused it writes Leonardo Baccini of McGill University

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The local and global environmental footprint of the AI-driven boom in data centers | USAPP The need for greater computing power to support the development of AI has fueled the growth in demand for data centres and the resources which support them.

The local and global environmental footprint of the AI-driven boom in data centers

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Masked ICE raids are part of a pattern of policing seen in Hong Kong and the Philippines which blurs the line between legitimate law enforcement and criminality | USAPP Without distinct identification, h legitimate law enforcement becomes indistinguishable from criminality, and its integrity is lost.

Masked ICE raids are part of a pattern of policing seen in Hong Kong and the Philippines which blurs the line between legitimate law enforcement and criminality writes Jim Rice

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Trump’s Nobel nomination is rewarding optics over peace | USAPP Trump’s 2026 Nobel Peace Prize nomination has sparked debate over whether his policy actions reflect real peace-building or performative diplomacy.

Trump’s Nobel nomination is rewarding optics over peace writes Sagartirtha Chakraborty of Cotton University

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The 2026 Midterms: Speaker Mike Johnson’s religious rhetoric will continue to shape how Republicans speak to their constituents | USAPP As we move towards the 2026 midterms, religious rhetoric will likely remain part of the political toolkit, especially for Republicans seeking to mobilize evangelical and culturally conservative…

As the 2026 #Midterm elections in the #US draw nearer, speaker Mike Johnson’s #religious rhetoric will continue to shape how Republicans speak to their constituents.

@alenasmith13.bsky.social @stanford.edu and @julthomson.bsky.social @georgemasonu.bsky.social for @lseusablog.bsky.social.

Immigration enforcement did not lead to racial disparities in the criminal justice system, but more non-US citizens were incarcerated | USAPP They found no evidence that S-Comm led to more arrests of Latinos but did find an increased likelihood of incarceration for non-US citizens who were arrested.

Immigration enforcement did not lead to racial disparities in the criminal justice system, but more non-US citizens were incarcerated find Michael T. Light and Avery Warner of the University of Wisconsin–Madison blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Voters like telling their peers to vote — if they can be anonymous | USAPP What motivates people who are likely to vote to encourage others to do so? In new research, Woojin Kim measured young, registered voters’ willingness to encourage their unregistered peers to also regi...

Voters like telling their peers to vote — if they can be anonymous finds Woojin Kim of the Stanford Graduate School of Business
blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Climate-skeptical cities can still go green by building capacity for action | USAPP Building government capacity may be the key to climate resilience, even in politically challenging environments,

Climate-skeptical cities can still go green by building capacity for action writes Jieun Kim of Arizona State University

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The Administrative State with Professor Kimberley S. Johnson | The Ballpark podcast | USAPP In July 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Kimberley S. Johnson, Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University and the John G. Winant Visiting Professor of American Govern...

Listen to the new podcast from The Ballpark: The Administrative State with Professor Kimberley S. Johnson of @nyu.edu

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

My latest with @alenasmith13.bsky.social on what religious rhetoric might mean for the 2026 midterms. #relpol #USAPP @lseusablog.bsky.social

The 2026 Midterms: Speaker Mike Johnson’s religious rhetoric will continue to shape how Republicans speak to their constituents | USAPP As we move towards the 2026 midterms, religious rhetoric will likely remain part of the political toolkit, especially for Republicans seeking to mobilize evangelical and culturally conservative voters...

Speaker Mike Johnson’s religious rhetoric will continue to shape how Republicans speak to their constituents write @alenasmith13.bsky.social of @stanford.edu and @julthomson.bsky.social of @georgemasonu.bsky.social

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The 2026 Midterms: Speaker Mike Johnson’s religious rhetoric will continue to shape how Republicans speak to their constituents | USAPP As we move towards the 2026 midterms, religious rhetoric will likely remain part of the political toolkit, especially for Republicans seeking to mobilize evangelical and culturally conservative voters...

Speaker Mike Johnson’s religious rhetoric will continue to shape how Republicans speak to their constituents write @alenasmith13.bsky.social of ‪@stanford.edu and @julthomson.bsky.social @georgemasonu.bsky.social

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Race and empathy help explain why not all refugees are welcomed equally | USAPP Empathy is a more powerful predictor of support for refugees than both partisanship and education.

Race and empathy help explain why not all refugees are welcomed equally find Hannah L. Paul of the University of Missouri and Courtney J. Nava of @grinnellcollege.bsky.social blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The EPA’s Acid Rain Program shows how more policy can often mean less enforcement | USAPP This form of policy triage is a result of limited administrative capacity which sees some implementation tasks prioritized over others

The EPA’s Acid Rain Program shows how more policy can often mean less enforcement write ‪@kaplaner.bsky.social‬ and @cknill.bsky.social of Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich and Yves Steinebach of the University of Oslo

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

A nice write up from my co-author about our article exploring the growing connection between presidents and congressional candidates.

When voters think about congressional elections, they increasingly think first about the president | USAPP Voters now evaluate candidates in the context of how they feel about whoever is in the White House.

When voters think about congressional elections, they increasingly think first about the president write Jamie Carson of @universityofga.bsky.social @jsievert.bsky.social of @ttu.edu‬ and @ryandane.bsky.social of the University of Wyoming blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Why Trump may have an incentive to leverage crypto into Silicon Valley’s political downfall | USAPP Trump could use his and his family’s stake in cryptocurrency to turn his conflict with Silicon Valley elites into profit.

Trump may have an incentive to leverage crypto into Silicon Valley’s political downfall writes @nikhil-kalyanpur.bsky.social of @lseir.bsky.social blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

In its decision on Trump’s birthright citizenship order the Supreme Court has again refused to check presidential power | USAPP Another attempt to carve out a zone in which the Trump administration is free to redefine the limits of presidential power.

In its decision on Trump’s birthright citizenship order the Supreme Court has again refused to check presidential power.

@lseusablog.bsky.social

Improving press coverage of state legislatures is key for better representation and accountability for constituents | USAPP State legislators who receive stronger press coverage work more for their constituencies and better represent them.

Improving press coverage of state legislatures is key for better representation and accountability for constituents

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Comparatively lower Black enlistment rates following Pearl Harbor shows how racial discrimination can hurt state capacity | USAPP After Pearl Harbor, Black Americans, especially those who lived in communities with higher levels of discrimination, were far less likely to volunteer to enlist.

Comparatively lower Black enlistment rates following Pearl Harbor shows how racial discrimination can hurt state capacity

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Minority representation in the police can help address racialized violence in some communities | USAPP Having a higher percentage of Black and Asian officers in police forces is linked with a reduction in victim disparities for their communities.

Minority representation in the police can help address racialized violence in some communities

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

In its decision on Trump’s birthright citizenship order the Supreme Court has again refused to check presidential power | USAPP Another attempt to carve out a zone in which the Trump administration is free to redefine the limits of presidential power.

In its decision on Trump’s birthright citizenship order the Supreme Court has again refused to check presidential power

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Zohran Mamdani has found a way to combine the politics of the street with the politics of the ballot box | USAPP To win in November, Mamdani must leverage his appeal and success in the face of a potentially hostile Democratic Party establishment.

Zohran Mamdani has found a way to combine the politics of the street with the politics of the ballot box writes Glyn Robbins

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Deemphasizing Nuclear Weapons in Nuclear Deterrence with Dr Lauren Sukin | The Ballpark podcast | USAPP What does the focus on nuclear weapons for both deterrence and reassurance mean for US foreign policy and for the security of East Asia?

New episode of The Ballpark podcast: Deemphasizing Nuclear Weapons in Nuclear Deterrence with @laurensukin.bsky.social of @lseir.bsky.social

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The 2026 Midterms: Virginia’s off-year election will show where the parties stand ahead of the midterms | USAPP No matter the result, the Virginia election will be a bellwether for next year’s midterm elections.

The 2026 Midterms: Richard J. Meagher of Randolph-Macon College writes that Virginia’s off-year election will show where the parties stand ahead of the midterms

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The Take It Down Act shows the fragmentation of policies addressing deepfakes and generative AI | USAPP The law is an example of the US government’s piecemeal approach to regulating the potential negative uses of AI.

The Take It Down Act shows the fragmentation of policies addressing deepfakes and generative AI writes Lauro Accioly Filho

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The 2026 Midterms: Trump’s betting his Big, Beautiful Bill will mean electoral success for the Republican Party | USAPP Last week President Trump signed the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act into law. Donald F. Kettl writes that the bill means tax cuts ahead of the midterms next year and $1 trillion in benefit cuts following...

The 2026 Midterms: Donald F. Kettl of @univofmaryland.bsky.social writes that Trump is betting his Big Beautiful Bill will mean electoral success for the Republican Party

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Why is Elon Musk starting the America Party? What social science tells us about why billionaires run for office | USAPP Billionaires like Musk are now more likely to enter politics in autocratic settings, which America is increasingly resembling.

Why is Elon Musk starting the America Party? @nikhil-kalyanpur.bsky.social of @lseir.bsky.social writes on what social science tells us about why billionaires run for office blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Attacks on the Fulbright Program will undermine US intellectual and cultural collaboration overseas | USAPP moves towards intellectual and cultural isolationism will do the US as much harm as economic isolation.

In June, members of the board of the #Fulbright program resigned following the Trump administration’s interference.

Glyn Robbins argues that moves towards intellectual and cultural isolationism will do the US as much harm as economic isolation @lseusablog.bsky.social.

Under the banner of “protecting girls”, anti-transgender legislation continues to progress in state legislatures | USAPP This framing casts transgender people as a threat to safety and the social order and reaffirms patriarchal gender norms.

Under the banner of “protecting girls”, anti-transgender legislation continues to progress in state legislatures write @anlusvardi.bsky.social of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Kaitlin Kelly-Thompson of @sfu.ca

blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...