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2026 Best & Brightest MBA: Derek Adam, Ivey Business School
Derek Adam, who is graduating from Ivey Business School, has been named a Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA for 2026
2026 Best & Brightest MBA: Alfonso Martínez, IMD Business School
Alfonso Martínez, who is graduating from IMD Business School, has been named a Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA for 2026
2026 Best & Brightest MBA: Agustina Bigatti, IMD Business School
Agustina Bigatti, who is graduating from IMD Business School, has been named a Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA for 2026
2026 Best & Brightest MBA: Paramvir Singh, Hong Kong University Business School
Paramvir Singh, who is graduating from Hong Kong University, has been named a Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA for 2026
2026 Best & Brightest MBA: Steven Pillon, Cambridge Judge Business School
Steven Pillon, who is graduating from Cambridge Judge, has been named a Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA for 2026
Why do crabs walk sideways? Scientists trace it back 200 million years
Crabs’ famous sideways walk may trace back to a single evolutionary moment 200 million years ago. Researchers found that most modern crabs inherited this trait from one ancestor—and never looked back. The movement likely gave them an edge, helping them dodge predators with quick, unpredictable bursts. It’s a rare example of a behavior evolving once and then dominating an entire group.
2026 Best & Brightest MBA: Alexander Porte, Wisconsin School of Business
Alexander Porte, who is graduating from the Wisconsin School of Business, has been named a Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA for 2026
Thousands of workers credited as Hard Rock’s Guitar Hotel hits major milestone
The Strip’s largest resort construction project hit a major milestone Friday morning as the final structural beam was placed atop the Guitar Hotel Las Vegas.
Thousands from across NC join teachers rally in Raleigh
Thousands of teachers and supporters gathered in Downtown Raleigh on Friday for the NCAE "Kids Over Corporations" May Day march demanding higher pay and increased school funding.
Nine Key Moments: Hearing with Health System CEOs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – CEOs representing some of the nation’s largest health systems, including the largest for-profit and tax-exempt hospital systems in...
Tens of thousands could lose Medicaid coverage as Nebraska becomes first state to implement GOP work requirement
Nebraska is launching work requirements in Medicaid on Friday, becoming the first state to implement a key pillar of the Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill.”
Letters: San Diego’s fiscal and civic health in free fall
Can we endure two more years with this mayor in charge?
Undergrad Business Roundup: Purdue Gets $20M Gift + Syracuse Whitman's New Experiential Center
Purdue lands a $20M gift for a new healthcare innovation institute, while Houston boosts startups, Whitman expands experiential learning, and global schools launch new partnerships and research.
Nebraska rolls out Medicaid work requirements, putting thousands at risk of losing coverage
The state is opting to begin the program eight months ahead of the federally mandated deadline in Trump's "big, beautiful bill."
How to Build a Superteam That Keeps Getting Better
In periods of rapid change, the teams that outperform everyone else are not those with the best plans or the most talent but those that learn the fastest. Research across thousands of teams reveals a consistent pattern: High-performing teams—“superteams”—build cultures of continuous improvement. Their leaders encourage experimentation even when things are going well, make curiosity and intellectual humility contagious, surface problems early, stay close to the work, give feedback that supports learning rather than punishing mistakes, and invest in people’s growth even when it doesn’t pay off immediately. When work is tied to shared meaning and progress matters more than perfection, teams become more resilient, adaptable, and capable of sustained success—in business settings and beyond.
2026-27 NFL Odds: Which Quarterbacks Will Start Week 1?
There are a few squads who have yet to name a starter. Let's see the odds for Cleveland, Atlanta and more.
Senate Bans Prediction Markets for Its Members and Staff
Senators voted unanimously to prohibit betting practices in the chamber after some users made hundreds of thousands of dollars online by accurately predicting U.S. military actions.
Press gala shooter / Political violence / Iran war price tag
Saturday’s attack at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner was the third assassination attempt on President Trump.Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre and NPR Justice Correspondent Ryan Lucas about what the attack says about the state of political violence in the U.S. and the debate over whether the Secret Service was ready to protect Trump and those around him. Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.orgNPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.npr.org.
Sandisk Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Sandisk Corporation (Nasdaq: SNDK) today reported fiscal third quarter financial results. “This quarter marks a fundamental inflection point for Sandisk — wh...
Crime of the Week: Burglary at business in central SF
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Sioux Falls Police are trying to find out who’s responsible for thousands of dollars of damage at a local business. Authorities say someone broke into a busin…
Janet Mills drops out of Maine Senate race, clearing way for Platner
This is a big win for the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party.
Richmond's $100K plan to add police-linked business cameras
The new safety push focuses on businesses in 13 areas, offering thousands of dollars to install security cameras.
FAMU doctoral candidate is among record number of public health grads
Sandy Noel-Jones is one of eight public health doctoral candidates making history at FAMU, the largest cohort ever.
Port of San Diego expanding Blue Economy Business Incubator program
The Port of San Diego’s ECOncrete pilot project is a one-of-a-kind coastal protection project that has attracted 60 different species of marine life and is now being expanded around San Diego…
San Diego Wave FC and Slalom to Co-Host Event for Mental Health Awareness Month - San Diego Wave Fútbol Club
SAN DIEGO (April 22, 2026) — San Diego Wave FC and Slalom, the global business and technology company, are bringing together business, sport, and community for Making Waves in Mental Health Awareness, a special event hosted on May 12. The event will feature a powerful conversation with Wave FC co-captain Kennedy
How G10 garage demolition will displace Tennessee football fans during gamedays
The Neyland Entertainment District could be a gem for Tennessee, but its construction will displace thousands of fans parking on gamedays.
Longtime sports anchor Pete Gilbert named WBAL-TV 11 Sports Director
WBAL-TV 11 today announced that longtime sports anchor Pete Gilbert has been named Sports Director, succeeding Gerry Sandusky, who retired after an extraordinary 37-year career with the station.
Supreme Court hears arguments over temporary protected status for Haitian and Syrian migrants
The court’s decision could affect hundreds of thousands of people who benefit from Temporary Protected Status.
'Rose' and the piece of fabric that embodies gender politics
As the film starring Sandra Hüller is released in Germany, DW talked to director Markus Schleinzer about why women passing as men inspired his historical drama, and why it's a current topic.
Exploding watermelons and sagebrush: Teton Science Schools' science fair showcases youthful inquiry
Students tackled their hottest scientific questions in the lead-up to Teton Science Schools' science fair last week. A watermelon explosion was underwhelming, but the lessons learned weren't.
‘Make me miss California’: In deleted tweets, Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow disparaged Middle America
As Democrats brace for a bruising primary in Michigan’s US Senate race, Mallory McMorrow, one of the party’s top contenders, has quietly deleted thousands of old tweets — including posts in which she took jabs at the rural Midwest, lamented ever leaving California, and said she continued to vote there after she said she’d moved permanently to Michigan.
Interventional radiology group inks 2 more practice partnerships with urologists
Founded by interventional radiologist Sandeep Bagla, MD, IR Centers is a platform helping other specialties manage and deliver such services.
Fort Myers family construction business hit hard by soaring fuel prices
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—A Fort Myers construction company says rising diesel prices are forcing them to spend thousands more each month just to keep their trucks on the road.
ICYMI: Chairman Smith on Squawk Box: Not-for-profit hospitals “look like hedge funds with hospital beds.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) joined CNBC’s Squawk Box ahead of a full Committee...
Thousands of Appalachian voters flip from Democrat to Republican, narrowing registration lead
A wave of party switching in West Virginia has reshaped voter rolls, with over 68,000 voters changing affiliation ahead of the state's 2024 primary.
Thousands of Marylanders downgraded health plans on ACA marketplace amid rising premiums
As fewer Marylanders qualify for federal tax breaks that used to keep health care costs down, state officials report that higher monthly premiums have led thousands to opt for lower-coverage healthcare plans than in previous years.
Businesses impacted after Mifflin Street Block Party crowds move to State Street
Thousands of people moved from the Mifflin Street Block Party to State Street around 5 p.m. Saturday night, with police recovering multiple guns and responding to large physical fights.
Smyrna business owner under investigation after immigrants allege fraud
Smyrna police are investigating a local business owner, Laura Ward, after multiple immigrants filed reports alleging they paid thousands of dollars for immigration services that were never completed.
San Diego Politics Show: The GOP civil war shaping the county’s District 5 race
Democrats could win a supermajority in San Diego County, but its an internal GOP feud defining the District Five race.
Dr. Pimple Popper gives health update after suffering stroke while filming new season
Dr. Sandra Lee, aka Dr. Pimple Popper, suffered a stroke five months ago, but insists it’s nothing her fans should worry about.
Dr. Pimple Popper gives health update after suffering stroke while filming new season
Dr. Sandra Lee, aka Dr. Pimple Popper, suffered a stroke five months ago, but insists it’s nothing her fans should worry about.
Facebook Has a Health Scam Problem
A new report found hundreds of thousands of scam ads for medical products, some of which were illegal or had been deemed dangerous.
Inside the Full-time MBA at Canada’s Smith School of Business
What differentiates the Smith MBA experience? Learn what drew current MBA students to the Canadian business school program, and how life inside and outside the program has influenced their professional goals.
Familiar sports bar replacing shuttered uptown Hooters. It’s ‘something special’
Expect classic bar bites like chicken wings, burgers and signature sandwiches coming into a space that’s long been vacant.
Hanging it up: Seniors reflect on leaving Grinnell College sports
As the semester comes to a close and their final sports seasons end, many fourth-year student-athletes share how their time in athletics has shaped their Grinnell experience. Ramona Delborne `26, a forward for women’s soccer, said the thing she learned most was the sense of community and love that grew out of the sport. “Giving...
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate touts business background, integrity in fight for Kansas seat
Sandy Spidel Neumann is running to take Sen. Roger Marshall's seat, focusing on the need for accountability in politics.
Longtime Cincinnati barbecue business announces closure
A well-known local restaurant and catering business is closing.
Prison or treatment? Thousands participate in mental health courts. Half graduate — and millions are left out
This story is a collaboration between Illinois Answers and the Chicago bureau of MindSite News; sign up to receive their newsletter here. Bloomington native Shayla Woodworth had struggled with mental illness and […]
The Help That Many Older Americans Need Most
With shortages of medical professionals and an aging population, thousands of community healthcare workers prevent older adults from falling through the cracks.
Rapid City employees weigh in on the best sports movies of all time
A City staff survey asked employees to name their must-watch sports movie. Baseball films led, with The Sandlot, Happy Gilmore and Miracle topping the list.
Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair Students Win Big at the 75th California Science and Engineering Fair
/PRNewswire/ -- The 75th California Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) took place April 11–12 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, bringing...
Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair Students Win Big at the 75th California Science and Engineering Fair
The 75th California Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) took place April 11–12 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, bringing together 900 of the best of 1st place winners from regional competitions covering 58 counties across the state, including the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair (GSDSEF). GSDSEF students earned 40 awards at the event, including two of only six highly coveted spots to the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Sev
DNA research just rewrote the origin of human species
Scientists have uncovered a surprising new picture of human origins that challenges the long-held idea of a single ancestral population in Africa. By analyzing genetic data from diverse modern African groups—especially the highly distinct Nama people—and comparing it with fossil evidence, researchers found that early humans likely evolved from multiple intermingling populations over hundreds of thousands of years. Rather than a clean split, these groups stayed connected, exchanging genes even after beginning to diverge around 120,000–135,000 years ago.
Stagecoach returns to the desert, driving local business and blending genres
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - Stagecoach is back in the Coachella Valley, bringing thousands of country music fans to the desert and delivering a major boost to local businesses. From hotels and restaurants to pop-up bars and local shops, the festival is one of the region’s biggest economic drivers. Business owners say the busy weekend can
2026 NFL Draft: Taylen Green picked by Browns in sixth round; Arkansas QB will compete alongside Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson
Green thrived at the NFL combine and now will join the Browns' QB room.
Runners speed through Dollywood in park's first-ever race weekend
Before Dollywood opened for regular guests, thousands of runners were lined up bright and early for the first race of the Run Dollywood weekend.
Can Class Politics Win Again?
Krystal Ball, Vivek Chibber, and Matt Karp discuss how class politics stalled after the Bernie Sanders campaigns — and why a new political opening is finally emerging.
AIDS Creeps Back in Parts of Zambia, a Year After U.S. Cuts to H.I.V. Assistance
A once-robust H.I.V. treatment and prevention system, credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives, has begun to crumble.
Why a plan to fix health insurance for thousands of children has stalled
In 2023, Florida lawmakers unanimously approved expanding KidCare to extend health insurance to more than 40,000 children. But the expanded coverage has stalled.
Teen of the Week: DeAngelo builds relationships through sports and family
PARKERSBURG – For Leonardo “Leo” DeAngelo, it is about building relationships whether it is through playing sports or working at his family’s restaurant as he prepares for a future in sales. However, it is the connection to his family that remains the strongest. The 18-year-old senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School has been on Catholic’s […]
Warren County teen accused of stealing $25,000 in merchandise from golf business
A 17-year-old in Warren County remains in juvenile detention after being accused of breaking into a Lebanon driving range four times and stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise.
988 hotline linked to thousands of fewer youth suicide deaths since launch, study finds
Nearly 4,400 fewer U.S. teens and young adults died by suicide than projected in the first two-and-a-half years of the 988 mental health crisis hotline, a sign the program is working even as it faces long-term funding challenges.
SF workers have weeks to claim $240 million in health funds — or the city will pocket it
The city may owe you thousands. It’s a use-it-or-lose-it situation, and the clock is ticking.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the most-awarded Game of the Year recipient of all time, celebrates its one-year anniversary with... new haircuts?
As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 celebrates its first anniversary and 8m sales, Sandfall Interactive has released a brand-new update for the acclaimed RPG.
Scientists find perfect fossils in rust beneath Australian farmland
Beneath the dry farmland of New South Wales lies a hidden window into a lost rainforest teeming with life from 11-16 million years ago. At McGraths Flat, scientists have uncovered fossils preserved in astonishing detail—not in typical rock like shale or sandstone, but in iron-rich sediment once thought incapable of such preservation. Tiny iron particles filled and captured entire cells, preserving everything from insect organs to fish eye pigments and delicate spider hairs.
How Undergraduate Business Education Is Evolving For Real-World Impact
How Elon University is redefining undergraduate business education through hands-on learning, mentorship and real-world experience.
Microsoft offers buyouts to thousands of US employees
Microsoft is offering buyouts to employees whose years of service and age adds up to 70 or more.
Local small business broken into and vandalized in Enfield
Local small business owners are out thousands of dollars and years of memories after thieves broke in and stole merchandise and damaged property in Enfield. David LaBerge and his wife recently closed their store, Second Floor Games, at the Enfield Square Mall and are in the process of doing inventory and moving products to their new location, Twilight Cards &…
Peter Molyneux's Latest Game Is A Broken Sandwich-Making Sim
Masters of Albion is out in Early Access, and it sure is a new game from the makers of Godus and Legacy
Last year, Shedeur Sanders was the NFL draft’s mystery. This year, it’s Alabama QB Ty Simpson.
Scientists discover hidden forces are warping Earth deep beneath the surface
Scientists have mapped how Earth’s deepest mantle is being deformed—and the results point to long-lost tectonic plates buried thousands of kilometers underground. Using a massive global dataset of seismic waves, they found that most deformation happens in regions where these ancient slabs are thought to reside. The findings confirm long-standing theories but, for the first time, show the pattern on a global scale. It’s a major step toward understanding how the planet’s interior slowly churns over time.
From sports stars to the attorney general himself, Hoosiers have unclaimed property
Famous athletes are among thousands of Hoosiers with unclaimed property owed to them, available to search and claim through online portal.
AI revolution hits medicine: SandboxAQ targets health, cyber breakthroughs
SandboxAQ CEO Jack Hidary joins 'Mornings with Maria' to discuss AI breakthroughs in healthcare, cybersecurity, and science, plus Dell’s $750M investment in a new AI medical campus.
Senate hopeful Graham Platner calls to investigate Trump and impeach two Supreme Court justices
The underdog Maine candidate, who has risen in polls, told NBC News he wants to carry on the legacy of Bernie Sanders and push Democrats to be more aggressive.
AI Startup Has Helped Reverse Thousands of Denied Health Insurance Claims
Americans rarely fight back when insurers reject treatments their doctors have prescribed. Claimable is working to change that, with a little help from Mark Cuban.
Delivered! - The Courier Driver Business
In many German cities, bicycle couriers deliver burgers, pizza, and other food to people's homes. Thousands of these riders come from India, lured by the promise of studying in Germany, and have incurred heavy debts.
Medical Scans Reveal Hidden Secrets Inside Ancient Egyptian Mummies
Thousands of years later.
How one disappointing order uncovered a massive ‘ghost cake’ delivery scandal in China
A customer’s complaint about a disappointing cake kicked off a massive investigation that uncovered thousands of “ghost” food vendors in China, resulting in staggering fines for some the country’s largest firms and highlighting the pitfalls of the cutthroat price competition.
Morrisey holds ceremonial signing for Small Business Growth Act
CHARLESTON – Gov. Patrick Morrisey held a ceremonial signing Tuesday for a bill – the first to pass the West Virginia Legislature during the recent session – that focuses on benefiting existing small businesses in the state. Morrisey held a ceremonial bill signing Tuesday afternoon for Senate Bill 1, creating the West Virginia First Small […]
A former Missouri lawmaker wins back thousands of dollars seized after sexual misconduct allegations
A former Missouri lawmaker who was censured over sexual misconduct allegations has won a court case to recoup thousands of dollars seized from his salary as a penalty | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Seven Key Moments: Hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ways and Means Committee Republicans emphasized the importance of expanding access to health care for Americans – particularly...
Bernie Sanders' anti-billionaire group defends surprising endorsement of billionaire for CA governor
Bernie Sanders' grassroots group Our Revolution endorses billionaire Tom Steyer for California governor, marking the anti-oligarch group's first such move.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
Good intentions don’t always equal good laws
By Bob Gardner I served in the statehouse for 16 years. I have been a practicing lawyer for over 30 years. In that time, I must have seen thousands of bills introduced with seemingly good intentions but leading to disastrous consequences. The worst of those almost aways had the somewhat curious quality of uniting those […]
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