RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: BLOG READERS AND POLITICAL AFFILIATION

New GW research focuses scholarly attention on blogs – who reads the more than 112 million blogs worldwide, the politics of these readers, and how much they participate in American politics.

Henry Farrell, GW assistant professor of political science and international affairs; Eric Lawrence, GW assistant professor of political science; and John Sides, GW assistant professor of political science, examine these questions in their paper “Self-Segregation or Deliberation? Blog Readership, Participation, and Polarization in American Politics.” The paper was published July 1, 2008, on TheMonkeyCage.org, a blog dedicated to political science research.

The paper identifies two key findings. First, blog readers are highly polarized, which shows that the Internet is changing the relationship between media and politics and welcoming people with strong partisan opinions and less emphasis on moderation.  Second, blog readers are more prone to engage in politics, and left-leaning blog readers are likeliest of all to be politically active, which exposes partisan differences in the ways Republicans and Democrats are taking to Internet-based politics. This may have significant consequences for the current election.

Click here to read more and hear the authors discuss their research.

To read about other recent research from GW, click here.

 

$1.6 MILLION GIFT-IN-KIND ESTABLISHES MIDGE SMITH CENTER FOR EVALUATION EFFECTIVENESS

The Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration recently established the Midge Smith Center for Evaluation Effectiveness through a $1.6 million in-kind donation plus future sustaining funds from M. F. "Midge" Smith. Smith has been named GW research professor of public policy and public administration and associate director of the center.  The first of its kind in the world, the center creates and facilitates the use of evaluation knowledge and best practices to enhance program performance in the public and nonprofit sectors.  The center also will house The Evaluators' Institute (TEI), an internationally recognized organization, which was founded in 1995 by Smith with leaders in the profession of program evaluation.

“Wise investments in public and nonprofit programs require solid assessments of their effectiveness,” said Peg Barratt, dean of GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and professor of psychology.  “The Midge Smith Center for Evaluation Effectiveness puts The George Washington University at the forefront of providing training for those conducting and being informed by these evaluations.”

Smith said, "The new center will continue to build on the excellence of TEI's programs and is meant to enhance our ability to meet longer-term interests in research, education, and outreach.  The goal of the center is to be the premier unit in the world known for its successes in creating and facilitating use of evaluation knowledge to further effective programs in the public and nonprofit areas.  The prestige, location, and research capabilities make The George Washington University an ideal fit for TEI.”

To learn more, read the GW press release.

 

HEAVY STUFF: STUDENT RECYCLING EFFORTS ADD UP

Green Move Out

During the national “RecycleMania” competition this spring, GW students collected more than 275,100 pounds of recyclables and generated only 72.43 pounds of waste per person over a 10-week period and earned top ten honors in two categories. GW received ninth place out of 61 schools in the National “Gorilla Prize” category and 10th place out of 23 competitors in the National “Waste Minimization” category for the partial campuses division during the Environmental Protection Agency's RecycleMania competition this spring.

More than 400 colleges and universities across the United States participated in the college recycling contest held last spring, collecting more than 58 million pounds of recyclables and organics. The Gorilla Prize competition recognizes schools that collect the highest gross tonnage of recyclables, regardless of campus population. The Waste Minimization competition focuses on overall waste reduction instead of recycling, and schools compete to see who can generate the lowest amount of total waste per capita (both trash and recycling).

In addition, GW conducted its second annual Green Move-Out, May 1-21. More than 200 students, faculty, staff, and neighbors donated approximately 2,261 bags, or 11.5 truckloads, of clothing, household goods, and bulk items; 3,000 pounds of food; 4,500 books; and e-cycled 51 items. Volunteers donated their items to Bread for the City, So Others May Eat (SOME), National Children's Center, Capital Area Food Bank, and several local animal shelters. The program also partnered with Books for Africa and conducted a campus-wide e-cycling drive to recycle batteries, ink cartridges, computer monitors, computer parts, and cell phones.

Read more about Green Move Out and see photos here.

 

Will Johnson, GW student and staff member, and Joe Scarborough

MSNBC’S JOE SCARBOROUGH ADDRESSES GRADUATE SCHOOL OF POLITICAL MANAGEMENT

Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and former congressman (R-Fla.), spoke at the Graduate School of Political Management’s 21st graduation ceremony, Saturday, July 26 in the Cloyd Heck Marvin Center. During his remarks, the celebrated political analyst shared his expertise in the areas of politics, legislation, and public service. Fifty-six students received their diplomas at the graduation ceremony.

GW’s Graduate School of Political Management offers graduate programs in political management, legislative affairs, public relations, and PAC management, as well as international programs in Latin America and Europe. The school seeks to improve politics by educating its students and professionals about the tools, principles, and values of participatory democracy; preparing them for careers as ethical and effective advocates and leaders at the international, national, and local levels.