Political Science

Political Science News -- ScienceDaily Scientific viewpoint on politics. Read summaries of recent research on political parties, policies and projections.

  • Feeling mental exhaustion? These two areas of the brain may control whether people give up or persevere
    on July 7, 2025 at 8:34 am

    When you're mentally exhausted, your brain might be doing more behind the scenes than you think. In a new study using functional MRI, researchers uncovered two key brain regions that activate when people feel cognitively fatigued—regions that appear to weigh the cost of continuing mental effort versus giving up. Surprisingly, participants needed high financial incentives to push through challenging memory tasks, hinting that motivation can override mental fatigue. These insights may pave the way to treating brain fog in disorders like PTSD and depression using brain imaging and behavior-based therapies.

  • Clean energy, dirty secrets: Inside the corruption plaguing california’s solar market
    on June 11, 2025 at 12:37 pm

    California s solar energy boom is often hailed as a green success story but a new study reveals a murkier reality beneath the sunlit panels. Researchers uncover seven distinct forms of corruption threatening the integrity of the state s clean energy expansion, including favoritism, land grabs, and misleading environmental claims. Perhaps most eyebrow-raising are allegations of romantic entanglements between senior officials and solar lobbyists, blurring the lines between personal influence and public interest. The report paints a picture of a solar sector racing ahead while governance and ethical safeguards fall dangerously behind.

  • Managing surrogate species, providing a conservation umbrella for more species
    on May 23, 2025 at 4:04 pm

    A new study shows that monitoring and managing select bird species can provide benefits for other species within specific regions.

  • Landmark report reveals key challenges facing adolescents
    on May 20, 2025 at 10:38 pm

    Poor mental health, rising obesity rates, exposure to violence and climate change are among the key challenges facing our adolescents today, according to a global report.

  • Investment risk for energy infrastructure construction is highest for nuclear power plants, lowest for solar
    on May 20, 2025 at 12:45 am

    The average energy project costs 40% more than expected for construction and takes almost two years longer than planned, finds a new global study. One key insight: The investment risk is highest for nuclear power plant construction and lowest for solar. The researchers analyzed data from 662 energy projects built between 1936 and 2024 in 83 countries, totaling $1.358 trillion in investment.

  • Exposure to extreme heat and cold temperature is leading to additional preventable deaths, new 19-year study suggests
    on May 1, 2025 at 8:39 pm

    Urgent action must be taken to reduce the ever-rising number of people killed by extreme temperatures in India, say the authors of a new 19-year study which found that 20,000 people died from heatstroke in the last two decades. Cold exposure claimed another 15,000 lives.

  • New research reveals how physiology-inspired networks could improve political decision-making
    on May 1, 2025 at 4:24 pm

    A new study has unveiled a groundbreaking framework for rethinking political decision-making -- drawing inspiration from how the human body maintains stability and health.

  • International experts lead calls to embed nature in city infrastructure for better health and climate resilience
    on April 30, 2025 at 6:27 pm

    Trees, parks, wetlands and green roofs can no longer be seen as a 'nice-to-have' aesthetic enhancement but a vital component for creating climate-resilient, healthier and more equitable cities, according to an international paper.

  • Paying fishers to release endangered catches can aid conservation, but only if done right
    on April 23, 2025 at 8:40 pm

    A new study has revealed that an incentive program increased live releases of endangered species caught as bycatch. However, unexpectedly, the overall positive impact was reduced by some vessels increasing catches of these species. The study is a randomized controlled trial to conclusively assess the effectiveness of an incentive-based marine conservation program.

  • Coastal management model plays the long game against the rising tides
    on April 21, 2025 at 8:28 pm

    To protect against rising sea levels in a warming world, coastal cities typically follow a standard playbook with various protective infrastructure options. For example, a seawall could be designed based on the latest climate projections, with the city officials then computing its cost-benefit ratio and proceeding to build, accordingly. The problem? Future climate conditions might differ substantially from the used projections, according to a civil engineering doctoral student.

  • Faster way to solve complex planning problems
    on April 16, 2025 at 7:21 pm

    Researchers developed a machine-learning-guided technique to solve complex, long-horizon planning problems more efficiently than some traditional approaches, while arriving at an optimal solution that better meets a user's goals.

  • Government urged to tackle inequality in 'low-carbon tech' like solar panels and electric cars
    on April 11, 2025 at 3:00 pm

    The UK government needs to go beyond offering subsidies for low-carbon technologies (LCTs) like electric cars and solar panels for energy and heating, if it is to meet its net-zero targets by 2050, a report suggests.

  • Police officers face twice the risk of traumatic brain injuries and PTSD, survey finds
    on April 11, 2025 at 3:00 pm

    Police officers are more than twice as likely to have traumatic brain injuries compared to the general population.

  • Caspian Sea decline threatens endangered seals, coastal communities and industry
    on April 10, 2025 at 5:07 pm

    Urgent action is needed to protect endangered species, human health and industry from the impacts of the Caspian Sea shrinking, research has found.

  • Conceptualizing psychological contract theory in the context of digital labor platforms, app workers, gig economy
    on April 9, 2025 at 7:46 pm

    In a new article, researchers explored whether a worker can create a psychological contract with a non-human agent in the form of an algorithm that mediates their relationship with an organization.

  • Simultaneously burying broadband and electricity could be worth millions to people in MA towns
    on April 8, 2025 at 11:16 pm

    When it comes to upgrading electrical and broadband infrastructure, new research shows that a 'dig once' approach is nearly 40% more cost effective than replacing them separately. The study also found that the greatest benefit comes from proactively undergrounding lines that are currently above ground, even if lines haven't reached the end of their usefulness.

  • How changing L.A.'s tree rules could cool more neighborhoods
    on March 26, 2025 at 4:29 pm

    Los Angeles has some of the strictest tree planting rules in the nation. These policies limit tree growth, worsen shade disparities and don't improve safety, researchers found. When researchers modeled looser planting restrictions in a lower-income neighborhood, potential tree space increased by nearly 26%. But narrow sidewalks and dense infrastructure still limited where larger, shade trees could thrive. Many of L.A.'s strict tree-spacing rules are internal guidelines -- not laws -- meaning they could be updated more easily to allow for more trees. Closing L.A.'s shade gap, however, will require more than policy tweaks; infrastructure investments are also needed.

  • Delaying the net zero transition could impose significant economic costs
    on March 25, 2025 at 3:52 pm

    Delayed and disorderly energy transitions will threaten economic and financial stability whilst also increasing the economic risks from climate change, according to a new study. Conversely, transitions that are started sooner are likely to be more orderly and economically beneficial.

  • Kansas, Missouri farmers avoid discussing climate change regardless of opinions, study finds
    on March 18, 2025 at 6:11 pm

    Researchers conducted interviews with farmers in Missouri and Kansas about their thoughts on climate change. Even though they are on the front lines of the topic, the farmers reported they avoid discussing it, even with family, regardless of their opinions to avoid arguments, violence and damage to their livelihood. The findings show it is difficult to address the issue for policy or mitigation if those most affected do not want to discuss, researchers argue.

  • Conservation efforts analysis reveals which actions are most helpful for endangered species status
    on March 18, 2025 at 6:07 pm

    Targeted conservation actions are essential to prevent wildlife extinctions, but more efforts are needed to fully recover biodiversity, according to a new study.

  • Stock market performance enhanced through integrated reporting
    on March 17, 2025 at 8:41 pm

    Companies can significantly enhance their stock market performance by adopting Integrated Reporting (IR) and Combined Assurance (CA) practices, according to new research that underscores the importance of transparency and accuracy in financial reporting.

  • As next hurricane season nears, study explores impacts of 2024's storms
    on March 13, 2025 at 7:21 pm

    When major storms hit Houston last spring and summer, losing power was a nightmare for residents, but for many, the financial fallout was just as devastating. A new report finds that more than half of Houston-area workers lost income due to these storms, either because they couldn't get to work or their jobs were forced to close.

  • Delhi air pollution worse than expected as water vapor skews figures
    on March 12, 2025 at 4:46 pm

    New Delhi's air pollution is more severe than previously estimated with particles absorbing atmospheric water vapor leading to particulate matter levels across the city being underestimated by up to 20%.

  • What's in a label? It's different for boys vs. girls, new study of parents finds
    on March 10, 2025 at 7:29 pm

    Research has shown that adults instinctively think of men when asked to think of a person -- they describe the most 'typical' person they can imagine as male and assume storybook characters without a specified gender are men. A new study by psychology researchers shows that the way parents talk to their children may contribute to these perceptions. Their findings show that parents across the US are more likely to use gender-neutral labels -- for instance, 'kid' -- more often for boys than for girls and to use gender-specific labels, such as 'girl,' more often for girls than for boys.

  • Why some are more susceptible to developing PTSD symptoms than others
    on March 5, 2025 at 6:51 pm

    People with a more active amygdala (an area in the brain involved in processing information relevant to threats) are more likely to develop PTSD symptoms after experiencing trauma than people with a calmer amygdala.

  • How 'self-silencing' your opinion may change behavior
    on March 5, 2025 at 6:49 pm

    People who have a minority viewpoint on a controversial topic are more likely to 'self-silence' themselves in conversation -- and that may lead them to behave against their own beliefs, a new study found.

  • Who gets the lion's share? Ecologists highlight disparities in global biodiversity conservation funding
    on March 4, 2025 at 2:54 am

    The extensive loss of biodiversity represents one of the major crises of our time, threatening not only entire ecosystems but also our current and future livelihoods. As scientists realize the magnitude and scale of ongoing extinctions, it is vital to ascertain the resources available for conservation and whether funds are being effectively distributed to protect species most in need.

  • Sometimes, when competitors collaborate, everybody wins
    on February 27, 2025 at 5:59 pm

    A framework helps rail system operators or other planners identify the best joint infrastructure projects to collaborate on with other firms. Their tool can tell an operator how much to invest, the proper time to collaborate, and how the shared profits should be distributed.

  • 'Loot box' virtual rewards associated with gambling and video game addiction
    on February 19, 2025 at 4:13 pm

    A new study of more than 1400 adults who gamble and play online video games has found loot box buying is associated with real-world gambling, video gaming addiction, and other mental health issues. The international research brings new insights into the loot box phenomenon -- the virtual items offered in video games to give players random rewards including weapons, cosmetics or 'skins.'

  • Restoring wildlife habitats in wealthy nations could drive extinctions in species-rich regions, experts warn
    on February 13, 2025 at 7:34 pm

    Researchers call on the international community to recognize and start tackling the 'biodiversity leak'.

  • Generating international testing standards for large outdoor fires
    on February 10, 2025 at 6:29 pm

    The recent LA fires drove home how dangerous wildfires can be when they encroach on urban areas. So-called 'wildland-urban interface' fires are on the rise. However, building codes and standards have long been based on fires that spread from building to building. To address this a professor has updated international standards for large outdoor fires.

  • 'Marine Prosperity Areas' represent a new hope in conservation
    on February 6, 2025 at 4:37 pm

    An international team of researchers introduces a promising new initiative in marine conservation, dubbed 'Marine Prosperity Areas.' This science-informed effort goes beyond protecting marine life -- it uses targeted financial investments to prioritize human well-being, uplift communities, and create a sustainable blue economy.

  • Building a circular future: Study reveals key organizational capabilities for sustainability
    on February 3, 2025 at 7:21 pm

    A recent study by management scholars underscores the importance of organizations' dynamic capabilities for greener business practices. Analyzing data from 139 manufacturing companies, the research reveals that financial and technological expertise combined with adaptability to regulations and evolving consumer demands, are key to advancing the green transition.

  • Tigers in the neighborhood: How India makes room for both tigers and people
    on February 1, 2025 at 12:45 am

    In India, tigers haven't just survived they're making a comeback. Despite a growing population and increasing pressure on their habitats, the number of wild tigers is rising. The reason? According to a new study, it's a combination of ecological restoration, economic initiatives, and political stability. And just as important: a deeply rooted reverence for tigers that has fostered a culture where humans and predators can coexist.

  • Landmark genetic study: Fresh shoots of hope on the tree of life
    on January 29, 2025 at 4:52 pm

    In the most comprehensive global analysis of genetic diversity ever undertaken, an international team of scientists has found that the genetic diversity is being lost across the globe but that conservation efforts are helping to safeguard species.

  • Botanic Gardens must team up to save wild plants from extinction
    on January 27, 2025 at 5:45 pm

    The world's botanic gardens must pull together to protect global plant biodiversity in the face of the extinction crisis, amid restrictions on wild-collecting, say researchers.

  • While most Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share that data with their doctor
    on January 22, 2025 at 6:12 pm

    A new national survey found that while many Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share that data with their doctor.

  • Mediterranean sharks continue to decline despite conservation progress
    on January 8, 2025 at 7:43 pm

    New research has found more than 200 measures to protect sharks and rays across the 22 coastal states of the Mediterranean region. However, while elasmobranchs have made it onto many policy agendas, the study found considerable differences in how effectively any legislation was being monitored with no single source for tracking progress in the conservation and management of sharks at national levels.

  • Too many men or too few women? New study finds how the gender gap is framed affects perceptions of it
    on January 2, 2025 at 9:26 pm

    Recognizing that news coverage may have influence in forming attitudes and in driving action, a team of psychology researchers examined whether reframing this gender gap in terms of 'men's overrepresentation' -- rather than as 'women's underrepresentation' -- would have an impact on perceptions of the issue and on motivations to address it. Its findings showed that framing the gap as 'men's overrepresentation' -- as opposed to 'women's underrepresentation' -- in political leadership elicited more anger at the disparity among women and increased perceptions that the gap is unjust. Moreover, the results showed that anger at the disparity leads women to take action to address it.

  • Expanding the agenda for more just genomics
    on January 2, 2025 at 9:23 pm

    A special report outlines opportunities to enhance justice in genomics, toward a world in which genomic medicine promotes health equity, protects privacy, and respects the rights and values of individuals and communities.

  • Addressing gender issues strengthens peace agreements
    on January 2, 2025 at 9:23 pm

    When it comes to peace processes and negotiations, U.N. Women highlights a stark reality: All too often, women remain invisible and excluded. But a new study draws on evidence from Colombia to show that addressing gender-related issues helps peace agreements succeed.

  • Mitigating animal-vehicle collisions with field sensors, artificial intelligence and ecological modelling
    on December 20, 2024 at 6:29 pm

    Using field sensors, various ecological modelling technologies and deep learning algorithms, a French research team has developed a method for mapping the risk of collisions between animals and vehicles along transport infrastructures. In the future, it could contribute to collision management in autonomous vehicles thanks to connected infrastructures.

  • Bias in AI amplifies our own biases, researchers show
    on December 18, 2024 at 6:21 pm

    Artificial intelligence (AI) systems tend to take on human biases and amplify them, causing people who use that AI to become more biased themselves, a new study finds.

  • Staying sharp: Study explores how brain changes may affect financial skills
    on December 16, 2024 at 9:51 pm

    A new article sheds light on how age-related changes may affect the way we handle finances -- and how we can stay sharp as we age.

  • It's worth mixing it up: what combination of policies will lead to a clean energy future?
    on December 16, 2024 at 5:59 pm

    How can we ensure that as many households as possible adopt not only solar panels, but also their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump, and an electric car? Researchers have looked into just this question.

  • Researchers reduce bias in AI models while preserving or improving accuracy
    on December 12, 2024 at 8:03 pm

    Researchers developed an AI debiasing technique that improves the fairness of a machine-learning model by boosting its performance for subgroups that are underrepresented in its training data, while maintaining its overall accuracy.

  • Diversity and inclusion accelerate the pace of innovation in robotics
    on December 12, 2024 at 5:02 pm

    Diverse and inclusive teams are not merely a moral imperative but also a catalyst for scientific excellence in robotics, scientists point out in a study. The team has outlined how a scientific community can benefit if its leadership fosters an environment of diversity and inclusion, and propose a leadership guide for roboticists to help reap these benefits.

  • What is a unit of nature? New framework shows the challenges involved with establishing a biodiversity credit market
    on December 11, 2024 at 5:50 pm

    Leading ecologists have devised a new framework to classify how biodiversity credit operators define what a unit of nature is. The new analysis demonstrates the challenges involved with devising a biodiversity credit market to fund nature recovery, and the risks of relying too heavily on 'offsetting.'

  • Better environmental performance boosts profits and cuts costs
    on December 10, 2024 at 9:34 pm

    Using a new calculation method, researchers found in an international comparative study that investors value corporate environmental performance more than mere information disclosure. In some developed countries, beyond sustainability efforts, companies can improve environmental efficiency to enhance economic performance.

  • Long-distance friendships can provide conservation benefits
    on December 10, 2024 at 4:51 pm

    While sustaining friendships from afar can be challenging, they may offer unexpected benefits for environmental conservation. A new study found that these social ties can positively influence community-based conservation. While the study focused on 28 fishing villages in northern Tanzania, it has potential broader implications for global conservation efforts.

  • Mangroves save $855 billion in flood protection globally, new study shows
    on December 5, 2024 at 11:46 pm

    Mangroves have been shown to provide $855 billion in flood protection services worldwide, according to a new study.

  • Uganda: Major survey brings new light to carnivore conservation
    on December 3, 2024 at 8:44 pm

    Lion numbers in the country are at a critical low while hyenas are faring well across four major protected areas in Uganda, according to new survey findings.

  • Political opinions influence our choice of chocolate
    on November 25, 2024 at 5:50 pm

    We distance ourselves from completely neutral products if they are liked by people who have political views that we find disagreeable. Even chocolate can be political, according to new research from Sweden. The behavior is reinforced if we have to make a decision when others are watching.

  • Fewer than 7% of global hotspots for whale-ship collisions have protection measures in place
    on November 21, 2024 at 7:11 pm

    A new study has quantified the risk for whale-ship collisions worldwide for four geographically widespread ocean giants that are threatened by shipping: blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales. Researchers report that global shipping traffic overlaps with about 92% of these whale species' ranges. Only about 7% of areas at highest risk for whale-ship collisions have any measures in place to protect whales from this threat. These measures include speed reductions, both mandatory and voluntary, for ships crossing waters that overlap with whale migration or feeding areas.

  • Virtual reality could be gamechanger in police-civilian crisis encounters
    on November 20, 2024 at 5:18 pm

    Traditional police training lacks practical tools for handling mental health crises, leaving officers underprepared. New research provides a promising avenue for addressing this gap using VR training by immersing officers in realistic scenarios. Results show moderate to high engagement in the VR environment, which enhances empathy and highlights its potential as a complement to traditional training. Improving immersion, engagement, and VR familiarity can enhance emotional connections, making well-designed simulations more effective for fostering empathy and sympathy.

  • 'Jekyll and Hyde' leaders do lasting damage, new research shows
    on November 17, 2024 at 12:56 am

    Employees struggle when supervisors swing between good and bad behavior

  • Grabbing pizza with coworkers isn't just fun -- it could boost your teamwork skills
    on November 13, 2024 at 12:10 am

    Forming memories around shared experiences, whether something fun like grabbing a pizza or as emotionally straining as an employee strike, has a way of binding people together. But it could also motivate those performing different roles within the same company to socialize more and strengthen their working relationships, according to new research.

  • Small reductions to meat production in wealthier countries may help fight climate change, new analysis concludes
    on November 4, 2024 at 8:05 pm

    Scientists and environmental activists have consistently called for drastic reductions in meat production as a way to reduce emissions and, in doing so, combat climate change. However, a new analysis concludes that a smaller reduction, borne by wealthier nations, could remove 125 billion tons of carbon dioxide -- exceeding the total number of global fossil fuel emissions over the past three years -- from the atmosphere.

  • How local governments can lead the way in decarbonizing the U.S.
    on October 30, 2024 at 9:20 pm

    The success of the $1 trillion that was recently invested by the U.S. federal government to mitigate climate climate change through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law largely depends on how well state and local governments spend the money, according to new a commentary.

  • Reversing environmental decline: Lessons from African communities
    on October 30, 2024 at 6:58 pm

    In rural Africa, where livelihoods are often tied directly to the land, environmental degradation poses a critical threat to both ecosystems and people's well-being. New research reveals ways to tackle the dual challenges of land degradation and poverty.

Sarah Ibrahim