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The Federal Reserve's Independence is Under Attack
May 15, 2026 - Dr. Erica Frantz
MSU Political Science Associate Professor Erica Frantz, a Charles F. Kettering Foundation Research Fellow, has written about the independence of the central bank in this Kettering blog article.
MPP students showcase their research at this year's Capstone Forum
May 15, 2026 - Karessa Weir
From affordable housing to right-to-work legislation, this year's MSU Master of Public Policy graduates put some of the most-pressing policy debates of our time under the microscope.
MPP Capstone Forum features student research and alumni inspiration
May 15, 2026 - Karessa Weir
Five graduates of the Master of Public Policy program presented their final research project at this Spring’s Capstone Forum, which also featured an inspiring speech by Michigan State Budget Director Jen Flood, herself an MSU MPP alumna.
MSU Political Science major Stella Weiss has been awarded the 2026 Gerber Scholarship.
May 14, 2026 - Karessa Weir
The Burton L. and Rosalie P. Gerber Scholarship was established to provide assistance to a student who has shown through academic excellence and diverse activities that they have a commitment to public service, with a goal of joining one of the foreign affairs or national intelligence agencies of the United States.
Access Torch: Lin Cabada
May 13, 2026 - Emily Jodway
Our May Access Torch is Lin Cabada. Cabada is a rising senior majoring in Political Science and Linguistics with minors in Asian Pacific American Studies and Women and Gender Studies. Next fall, she will be entering her third year of working with the Asian Pacific American (APA) Studies Program as a Program Assistant.
PLS Spring Graduate Reception
May 6, 2026
The Michigan State University Department of Political Science came together to celebrate the spring graduation of our Master of Public Policy and Doctoral students.
Political Science celebrates our 2026 graduates
May 6, 2026
The Michigan State University Department of Political Science came together to celebrate the spring graduation of our undergraduate students on May 1, 2026.
Will there ever be comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S.?
May 6, 2026 - Eric Gonzalez Juenke
Immigration reform remains popular, but Trump may have closed the window – for now.
How Africans get their news is changing – how much they get might not be
May 5, 2026 - Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz, Komi Amewunou and Kelechi Amakoh
MSU Political Science Associate Professor Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz and MSU PhD candidate Kelechi Amakoh, published recent findings on African news consumption together with Komi Amewunou, an editor at Afrobarometer.
Three PLS students awarded Michigan Government Semester Program scholarships
April 28, 2026 - Karessa Weir
The undergraduate internship program, overseen by PLS Associate Professor Dr. Marty Jordan, pairs students with mentors in legislative, government, public policy, non-profit and advocacy groups around the Lansing region. The students work 18 hours a week as an intern and attend weekly lectures as well. The current class marks more than 300 students who have gone through the program.
PLS students shine at University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum
April 27, 2026 - Emily Jodway Patyna
Three Political Science students are among the winners after more than 190 students from the College of Social Science participated in Michigan State’s 28th annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) on April 17, showcasing an array of research projects in the form of posters and presentations. A total of 21 presentations from the College of Social Science received accolades at this year’s symposium.
Four PLS students stand out in research, assistance and community service
April 24, 2026 - Karessa Weir
Political Science students excelled at public service, research and teaching assistance this year and three of them have been honored for their efforts by the department.
Four PLS students named the newest Katosh Scholars
April 20, 2026 - Karessa Weir
Four MSU Department of Political Science students are recipients of the Jack Katosh Scholarships to assist MSU students in research, education, study abroad, and ROTC programs.
Six PLS seniors graduate with perfect 4.0 gpas
April 17, 2026
The students received the Board of Trustees' Award, recognizing their achievement of the highest scholastic average one can receive.
Public Policy major Ben Lowen named PLS Outstanding Senior for 2026
April 15, 2026 - Karessa Weir
Ben, a Public Policy major, with minors in Urban & Regional Planning, Economics, and Environmental Social Science, is this year’s Political Science Outstanding Senior as selected by the department.
Five Political Science PhD students awarded for their work, writing and service
April 14, 2026 - Karessa Weir
A record number of Political Science PhD students were awarded departmental prizes for their writing, teaching and service this year. These awards are given to the top graduate students each spring by the MSU Department of Political Science, based on nominations from Political Science faculty and determined by the department awards committee.
Good to Know: How composition effects can distort election narratives
March 19, 2026 - Eric Gonzalez Juenke
MSU Political Science Associate Professor Eric Gonzalez Juenke is a fellow at Good Authority and wrote this article on the effects of voter participation.
MSU PLS alumna establishes Experiential Learning scholarship to support first-generation college students
March 18, 2026 - Emily Jodway Patyna
Joellen Snow, a 1975 graduate of Michigan State, recently partnered with the University to establish the Experiential Learning Scholarship Fund, an award created to support first-generation college students in experiential learning and study away opportunities.
Access Spotlight: Joellen Snow
March 18, 2026
Joellen Snow is a 1975 graduate of Michigan State with a degree in Political Science. Originally from Texas, Snow and her family moved to Midland for her father’s job when she was 12. She toured both Michigan and Michigan State in high school and ‘absolutely fell in love’ with the campus of MSU.
Does Military Service Foster National Belonging?
March 9, 2026 - Raymundo Lopez, MSU Political Science PhD candidate
In the APSA Public Scholarship Program, graduate students in political science produce summaries of new research in the American Political Science Review. This piece, written by Raymundo Lopez, covers the new article by Nan Zhang, University of Mannheim, and Melissa M. Lee, University of Pennsylvania, “Military Service and Immigrants’ Integration: Evidence from the Vietnam Draft Lotteries”.
PLS Scholar Spotlight: Lily Dixon
March 2, 2026
MSU Political Science Scholar Spotlight shines on Lily Dixon, a Public Policy student who has recently been named a finalist for the Truman Scholarship.
MSU PLS student named a finalist for the Truman Scholarship
February 26, 2026 - Anneliese Mackel and Kristin Janka
Public Policy major Lily Dixon is one of two MSU students named as a finalist in the nationally competitive Truman Scholarship.
Can election forecasting make people better citizens?
February 25, 2026 - Eric Gonzalez Juenke
MSU Political Science Associate Professor Eric Gonzalez Juenke, a Good Authority Fellow, writes that a simple game might make people more interested in campaigns.
Concerns about US institutions suggest that ongoing loyalty from other democracies can no longer be taken for granted
February 17, 2026 - Ha Eun Choi, Shahryar Minhas, Scott de Marchi and Max Gallup
The last two decades have seen the US intervene in Iraq and Afghanistan. In new research, Ha Eun Choi, Scott de Marchi, Max Gallop, and Shahryar Minhas explore the effects of these often-costly overseas commitments on other countries’ diplomatic alignment with the US. They find that while autocracies tended to move closer to China in response to US foreign policy constraints, democracies remained loyal. They write that the “stickiness” of democratic alliances even in times of constraint may depend on the US being seen as a credible democratic anchor; with new questions over the health of US democratic institutions, this loyalty may no longer hold.
Ask the expert: Political pressure on the Fed has reached a climax
February 6, 2026 - Cristina Bodea
Cristina Bodea is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University’s College of Social Science where she studies central bank independence and monetary policy. Here, Bodea explains why independence matters, how political interference can backfire and the implications for the economy.
Two PLS students win awards in the Diversity Research Showcase
February 3, 2026 - Karessa Weir
MSU PLS majors Alexandra Beck and Lowell Monis took home prizes in this year’s 9th Annual Diversity Research Showcase hosted by the MSU Honors College.
Access Torch: Benjamin Yoel
January 26, 2026 - Emily Jodway
This January, the Office of Institutional Access recognizes Holocaust Remembrance Day, an international memorial day held each year on January 27 commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. We also spotlight members of our Michigan State University community that are doing research or work relevant to this month’s topic. Benjamin Yoel, a PhD candidate in the MSU Department of Political Science and a predoctoral fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Yoel is a descendant of three Holocaust survivors, a facet of his family history that greatly influences his work.
PLS PhD student inducted into national honor society
January 23, 2026
MSU PLS PhD student Raymundo Lopez has been selected to be an inductee in the seventh cohort of the MSU Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.
Four things to watch in Uganda's 2026 election
January 16, 2026 - Kelechi Amakoh
From Museveni’s long rule to repression of opposition parties, these issues have shaped this year’s election, by MSU PLS PhD candidate Kelechi Amakoh, a 2025-26 Good Authority Fellow.
Five lessons from Africa’s 2025 elections
January 9, 2026 - Kelechi Amakoh
MSU PLS PhD candidate Kelechi Amakoh is a 2025-26 Good Authority Fellow. Here is his latest report on African elections.
Faculty-Student Research Collaborations make Political Science real for students
January 7, 2026
Collaborative research between faculty and students has become a defining strength in PLS. In just the last year, 16 faculty members—about two-thirds of the Department—reported working with students on research projects, with several supervising multiple collaborations at once. These projects span topics from representation to international conflict and public opinion, and they show how shared inquiry deepens learning for both students and faculty. They take many forms, including co-authored papers in peer-reviewed journals, joint data collection, and mentoring relationships that develop as students move from coursework into independent research.
Three MSU PLS grads named 2026 Michigan Political Leadership Program Fellows
January 5, 2026 - Karessa Weir
MSU Political Science alumni Jolie Lawrence, Josh Darnell, and Ava Vitale are among the incoming cohort of 24 rising leaders for the Michigan Political Leadership Program.