Steven W. Webster

Remembering Professor Ted Carmines Remembering Professor Ted Carmines

polisci.indiana.edu/news-events/...

Unbothered.

A sad update: our colleague, Ted Carmines, has passed. He will be sorely missed.

How will Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' impact Americans? – DW – 07/02/2025 The battle for President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" appears to be nearing an end. But Trump's signature tax and spending policy isn't popular, even within his own party.

Featuring some of my thoughts on the OBBB. An early political "win" for Trump, but the details—and the price tag—could come back to haunt him and Republicans in 2026.
www.dw.com/en/donald-tr...

She's adorable.

Trying to keep up with world events.

Accepted at POQ: "You’re Making Us Look Bad: Can Partisan Embarrassment Dampen Partisanship and Polarization?" w/ Liz Connors and Taylor Carlson
elizabethchaseconnors.com/images/Embar...

Ignoring the context here, I know, but this gif is legitimately funny.

"As we start to see violence overtaking American political life, the transition is more like a sunset than a light switch."

American rage.

Sunday, 8 AM panel for APSA. 🫣

It’s not easy to work around here.

Big news! I have been named the new Director of the Center on American Politics at IU, which will soon be officially renamed after its founder, Ted Carmines.

I've got some big plans in the works, so stay tuned.

Democrats have never been so angry. Who will step up and lead them? At rallies, town halls and protests, voters are unleashing their fury with Donald Trump, stoking what some believe is a populist backlash

I'm quoted in this piece from The Guardian about Democratic voters' anger at Trump—and their own leaders.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Such a cool cover!

Opinion | Bernie Sanders, A.O.C. and the Surging Politics of Anger Struggling working class voters fear that the country they’ve always counted on is sliding away because of President Trump.

"It was all there at the Bernie rally: Dread, yes, but also an anger and appetite — a tremendous, largely untapped political energy looking, it seemed, for an outlet."
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/o...

Opinion | The Last Thing Democrats Need Is Their Own Tea Party One was plenty.

"Rage is now the defining characteristic of Trump’s Republican Party."

Yes, yes it is.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/o...

Timeline cleanse.

Last up is Scott Clifford talking about anger, aggression, and political participation.

Cleverly applying negative partisanship-style logic to ideological identities.

Next up is Beth Simas, who is talking about “negative ideological identity” and its connections to polarization.

Group norms that emphasize civility and reconciliation (vs conflict and acrimony) can improve partisans’ evaluations of the out-party.

Alexa Bankert is discussing partisan group norms and how they shape polarization / depolarization.

Interest is in cultural conservatism and anti-democratic orientation among Democrats and Republicans. Relationship appears to be stronger for Democrats than for Republicans.

Ariel Malka is now presenting on polarized attitudes and anti-democratic attitudes in the US.

Opposition to Netanyahu and a more pluralist understanding of democracy predict protests against the proposed judicial reform in Israel.

Israelis who were most likely to support democratic backsliding were those who felt a sense of attachment to Netanyahu, and those who were highly affectively polarized. Data from a panel study.

Now up is Noam Gidron, who is discussing democratic backsliding with evidence from Israel.

Key takeaway: “citizens do not mechanically oppose policies from even strongly disliked out-parties.”

He argues that how Americans view policies is shaped by their partisan identity. We fight over the meaning of policies more than just the policies themselves.