CPS Blog
The Center for Political Studies (CPS) is a non-partisan research center. Posts are not endorsements.
3 Takeaways: What the Polls Are Telling Us About the 2026 Midterms
With Election Day less than two weeks away, University of Michigan public opinion researchers Michael Traugott and Josh Pasek provided an overview of what the data currently tell us about the upcoming midterms. The talk was presented as part of the ISR Insights series...
How Pervasive is the US Public Shift on Israel?
Dr. Shibley Telhami—the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland and an influential scholar on foreign affairs and American public opinion on the Middle East—presented a sweeping historical picture yesterday of how American...
What are the Implications of the 2026 Brazil Election?
Português On Oct. 4, over 100 million Brazilians headed to the polls to elect a president, state governors, two-thirds of the Senate, federal and state deputies and, in the Federal District, district deputies. The top two presidential candidates, President Luiz...
Reading the 2026 Polls: Fake Data Inserted into Campaign Coverage Reveals a Weakness of Our Political System
Editor's note: Michael W. Traugott is professor emeritus of communication and media and of political science at the University of Michigan and is currently completing his term as interim director of the Center for Political Studies at the Institute for Social...
Solar-Powered Clean Water Reaches Rural Tanzania Through University of Michigan Partnership
Bold Challenges Initiative team celebrates milestone as villages gain access to clean water After two years of collaborative effort, a team of University of Michigan researchers is celebrating a major milestone in rural Tanzania: Clean, safe water now flows to...
Information Brokers: Rethinking Political Socialization in Latino Immigrant Families
When we think about how political beliefs are formed, conventional wisdom points to parents as the primary teachers—passing down party loyalties, civic values, and political knowledge to their children from an early age. But what happens when parents themselves are...
Orbán’s overwhelming defeat is a huge victory for Hungary, Europe and the United States
Victor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary for sixteen years (2010-26), has conceded the election to Peter Magyar and his opposition Tisza party. This is an enormous defeat for the right-wing populist leader and his right-wing populist Fidesz party and a landslide...
Bridging the Gap between Theory and Empirical Data: Reflections from the 2025 EITM Summer Institute
Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models at U-M: Advancing Political Science through Integrated Training Why EITM Matters The scientific study of politics and social dynamics requires extensive interaction between theoretical models and empirical research....
Prospects for the 2026 Congressional Elections
History and forecasting methods show there’s a very good chance that the Democrats will gain control of the House after the midterm elections.
Unexpected Margins: Analysis of the 2025 Elections
Democrats had a big night last week, sweeping key elections and winning by unexpected margins up and down the ballot. Voters showed up in high numbers for an “off” election year and sided with Democrats in the elections’ four major contests: The mayor’s race in New...
