Presidents
Viewfinder: The Rotunda Awaits George H.W. Bush
A World War II combat veteran, Bush served as a member of Congress from Texas, ambassador to the United Nations, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, vice president, and 41st president of the United States.
The Improbable Rehabilitation of George W. Bush
Despite being, at one point, one of the most hated presidents of all time, 53 percent of Americans now approve of George W. Bush.
How Climate-Skeptic Organizations Have Influenced American News and Presidents
A new analysis scours climate-skeptic PR, American news articles, and American presidential speeches. The results aren’t good.
A Robot Analysis of All of America's State of the Union Addresses
The dataset includes an address for nearly every year from 1790 to 2014.
'Speeches Must Be Short': Radio and the Birth of the Modern Presidential Campaign
The origin of the soundbite can be traced to the 1924 U.S. presidential election, the first one ever covered heavily by a broadcast medium, radio.
Presidents’ Day: Just Another Presidential Fable
A number of folk stories and a few divisive rumors have surrounded the office of the U.S. presidency, and skeptical folks like us check a few of them out.
Brams: Use Approval Voting in Presidential Primaries
Steven J. Brams says approval voting, in which voters can vote for more than one candidate, is a better way to conduct multiple candidate elections.
Nixon's Presidential Library: The Last Battle of Watergate
Who controls the Nixon Library? A dispute over how to tell the story of his presidency raises questions about the purpose, and legitimacy, of presidential libraries.
Obama's Vow to Cut Oil Imports Sounds Familiar
President Barack Obama sounds like his predecessors when he vows to kick the nation's addiction to foreign oil.
The Ultra-Imperial Presidency
Yale's Bruce Ackerman, a constitutional scholar, warns that unilateralism in the "most dangerous branch" of government is setting the stage for a tragic future.
Obama's Decay Curve Steeper Than Most But Not Unusual
The study of decaying presidential popularity finds Barack Obama's large point decline in his first year fits into the pattern of all recent chief executives.
Congratulations, Obama. Here's Your Decay Curve.
Researchers analyze the productivity and popularity of new U.S. presidents.
Obama Speech Sends Rhetoricians Back to the Future
Candidate's victory speech at the conclusion of the 2008 Iowa Democratic caucus has political scientists comparing it to ones delivered by icons of oratory from years past.