Congress

Left, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden greets supporters during a drive-in rally at Cellairis Amphitheatre in Atlanta on Oct. 27, 2020. Right, President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at HoverTech International on Oct. 26, 2020, in Allentown, Pa. AP Photos by Andrew Harnik and Chris Szagola

Third party voters unhappy with Trump’s COVID-19 response are leaning Biden

There isn’t much the president can do to change voters’ impressions of his response to the pandemic, the study by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers reported. The politics of the pandemic suggest that some first-time voters are basing their support on the administration’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak

by Peter Ramjug October 29, 2020

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to members of the media outside his campaign plane at New Castle Airport in New Castle, Del., Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, to travel to Miami for campaign events. Also pictured is Jill Biden. AP Photo by Andrew Harnik

Biden may see sizable gains from mail-in ballots in several battleground states

Nearly 80 million absentee ballots are expected to be cast in the presidential contest, up sharply from 2016. That bodes well for the Democratic candidate and former vice president, a new national study finds.

by Peter Ramjug October 9, 2020

Vice President Mike Pence listens as Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during the vice presidential debate Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, at Kingsbury Hall on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Pool via AP

Pence and Harris’s low-key debate probably won’t change many voters' minds. Here's why.

The debate probably didn’t move the needle in terms of attracting undecideds, Northeastern professors observe. But with a Supreme Court nomination hearing on the way, their discussion set the stage for a looming political conflict

by Peter Ramjug October 8, 2020

Left: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference about COVID-19, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Right: U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. Photo by Drew Angerer/AP Images

Democrats and Republicans both strongly support new round of COVID-19 pandemic aid, study says

Bipartisanship quickly ends as sharp differences continue over the price tag and where the money goes. Democrats favor aid to hospitals, schools, and the Postal Service. GOP opposes money to states and cities, researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers found.

by Peter Ramjug October 2, 2020

Special Counsel Robert S. Muller speaks at the Department of Justice Wednesday, May 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Here’s what Robert Mueller’s statement was not

Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller was not engaging in a political stunt with his appearance Wednesday, say Northeastern law and politics professors. But the bitter partisan divide over his summary of his investigation overshadows what U.S. citizens should be paying attention to: Russian election interference.

by Molly Callahan May 29, 2019

Daniel Medwed. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

How Kim Kardashian, the Koch brothers, and Jared Kushner moved the needle on criminal justice reform

The First Step Act shows a bipartisan awakening about the need to decriminalize and decarcerate, says Northeastern criminal law scholar Daniel Medwed. The sweeping criminal justice reform bill, which garnered bipartisan support in both the Senate and House this week, is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

by Khalida Sarwari December 20, 2018

A bill in the House of Representatives would permit employers to impose penalties on employees who refuse to provide their genetic-test results. Does it violate privacy protections? Photo by iStock

Should employers be allowed to require genetic test results?

A House committee recently passed a bill that would permit employers to impose large financial penalties on employees who don’t agree to provide genetic test results to their companies’ workplace wellness programs. Northeastern’s Kristin Madison explains the function of workplace wellness programs, the arguments for and against the bill, and what repercussions may result if it becomes law.

by Thea Singer March 22, 2017

3Qs: What can we expect in the new congressional session?

The latest legislative session is only hours old, but already wrought with controversy. Nicholas Beauchamp, an expert in U.S. politics, says this is only the beginning, and advises onlookers to keep an eye out for tension, discord, and the deployment of unconventional political tactics over the coming year.

by Molly Callahan January 5, 2017

The House sit-in: examining the political and cultural significance

Wednesday morning House Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, began a sit-in on the House floor demanding votes on gun-control legislation. C-SPAN picked up the live feeds that members streamed from their smartphones after Republicans shut down the chamber. Here, Northeastern faculty members shed light on the significance of the protest and the role of social media in its impact.

by Thea Singer June 24, 2016

What the government shutdown means for Northeastern

Northeastern officials do not expect the shutdown to have an effect on the university’s financial aid program, though opportunities for federally-supported research may be impacted.

by News@Northeastern October 3, 2013