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Female mayors and violence against women: evidence from Mexico

July 9, 2025
Congratulations to UC Merced Political Science Assistant Professor Marco Alcocer and coauthors Rachel Skillman and Angie Torres-Beltran on their publication "Female mayors and violence against women: evidence from Mexico" in Political Science Research and Methods. Abstract: This...

Depression Due to Politics: the Quiet Danger to Democracy

July 9, 2025
On laptop screens, televisions and social media feeds across the nation, images and words fueled by a fractured political landscape spout anger, frustration and resentment. Clashing ideologies burst forth in public demonstrations, family gatherings and digital echo chambers. Red-hot rhetoric and...

Two Social Science Graduate Students Earn Fellowships

July 3, 2025
UC Merced Ph.D. candidates Eliana Fonsah and Nihan Karagul are recipients of the highly competitive dissertation fellowship from the UC Institute of Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC). They competed with doctoral candidates from across the UC system, resulting in about 10% of applicants...

Sad Citizens: Democratic Engagement in Turbulent Times

June 11, 2025
UC Merced's Political Science Professor Christopher Ojeda joined Talking Policy podcast host Lindsay Shingler of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC) to discuss his new book, "The Sad Citizen", and the implications for our daily lives.  The...

UC Merced Alumna’s Legal Career Soars in Silicon Valley

June 2, 2025
Temnee Wright (’08) has realized a successful career as legal counsel at several Silicon Valley companies. Her interest in law was forged at UC Merced, where she made the most out of being a student in the university’s first undergraduate class, including founding the University's...

Closing the Year with Connection: Political Science Students Gather for Bridges & Beyond

May 21, 2025
“Bridges & Beyond: A Political Science Gathering” was a productive way to mark the closing days of the 2024-25 academic year. The May 13 event was an opportunity for Political Science students, including recent graduates and those set to graduate that month, to hone...

The Role of Health and Health Systems in Shaping Political Engagement and Rebuilding Trust in Democratic Institutions

May 21, 2025
  Congratulations to UC Merced Political Science Assistant Professor Anil Menon and coauthors Nolan M. Kavanagh, Michelle Falkenbach, Scott Greer, and Matthias Wismaron on their publication "The role of health and health systems in shaping political engagement and rebuilding trust...

UC Merced Graduates Encouraged to Embrace Every Moment

May 19, 2025
With cheers, hugs and leis, more than 1,500 UC Merced graduates received a celebratory sendoff to their bright futures as a prominent keynote speaker told them to make the most of the here and now. Hundreds of families and friends joined the graduates in three days of commencement ceremonies at the...

Personal crises reduce voter turnout-but can spur other political action, study suggests

May 2, 2025
“Political scientists have long studied the political consequences of personal crises, such as widowhood, unemployment, and home foreclosure. Typically, researchers examine one crisis at a time; however, growing up in a poor home, I knew that personal crises often co-occurred. So, I was...

Bobcat Comics: The Politics Of Pain

May 2, 2025
This comic illustrates how individual health can shape political thought and action. It examines how a chance decline in health can shape an individual’s perception of the world around them and in turn shape their political attitudes and behaviors.  See the full comic HERE. It is...

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