In some years elections bring about enduring changes to the American political scene. In 2006, a pivotal election year, the Republicans suffered a resounding defeat, losing the House and Senate for the first time since the 1994 "Republican Revolution." But what caused this pivotal shift? …
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Activities & Achievements
Transforming information into knowledge
that advances human flourishing.
Explore how the Cline Center and its affiliates are pursuing our shared vision through research, education, collaboration, and outreach.
Fault Lines: Why the Republicans Lost Congress (Controversies in Electoral Democracy and Representation)
Collective Preferences in Democratic Politics: Opinions Surveys and the Will of the People
Scott Athaus
Cambridge University Press, 2003
The Quality and Reliability of Data Generated by SPEED's Societal Stability Protocol: Mechanisms and Tests
Extracting information from global news reports in the post WWII era makes it possible to capitalize on the billions of dollars that have been invested in reporting on newsworthy events during that timeframe. It also offers unprecedented opportunities to improve our understanding of important…
Presidential Campaigns and Presidential Accountability (Democracy, Free Enterprise, and the Rule)
In investigating the presidential campaigns and early administrations of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, Presidential Campaigns and Presidential Accountability shows how campaign promises are realized in government once the victor is established in the Oval Office. To…
Transforming Textual Information on Events into Event Data within SPEED
Creating a valid and reliable body of event data requires meeting a number of challenges (clearly defining the events to be studied, developing reliable sources of information on those events, identifying source documents with relevant information, etc.). The fact that most event data projects,…
Collective Preferences in Democratic Politics: Opinion Surveys and the Will of the People
Since so few people appear knowledgeable about public affairs, one might question whether collective policy preferences revealed in opinion surveys accurately convey the distribution of voices and interests in a society. Scott Althaus' comprehensive analysis of the relationship between knowledge…
Gauging Cross-national Differences in Educational Attainment: A 60 Year Look at Global Educational Trends
Educational attainment is both a driver of developmental processes and a key indicator of human development. Yet cross-national data on educational attainment for the post WWII era is spotty, despite significant efforts by the UN and several highly respected academic teams to compile it.…