Three federal byelections have been called for April 13 in Ontario and Quebec. Political science professor and department chair Laura Stephenson shares expert insight in coverage picked up by the Canadian Press and national outlets. Read more: www.nationalobserver.com/2026/03/09/n...

City councillors in London are already turning up the election heat before the civic campaign even begins. What does early pre-campaigning mean for local democracy? Political science expert Martin Horak weighs in. Read more 👇 lfpress.com/news/local-n...

The Western Gazette recapped the “Ukraine: 4 Years After Russia’s Escalated War” conference led by Political Science and History professor Marta Dyczok, reflecting on voices and insights 4 years after the Russian invasion. Read more: westerngazette.ca/news/ukraini...

The Department of Political Science Guest Speaker: Dr. Ryan Briggs | "It Must Be Very Hard to Publish Null Reports" 📆Friday, March 27th, 10:30 a.m. |📍SSC 7200 Dr. Briggs is a social scientist & Associate Professor in the Guelph Institute of Development Studies & Dept of Poli Sci at the UofGuelph.

Meet Our Students: Celebrating Success Stories Aidan Runstedler, Honours Double Major in Psychology & Political Science, exemplifies leadership through mentorship, advocacy and community-building as Head Soph and student leader. Read more: www.ssc.uwo.ca/meetourstars...

C-Dem & the Centre for the Study of Political Behaviour at @westernu.ca are pleased to announce the Student Essay Contest on Youth Civic Engagement winner Eliza Yip (McGill U). Eliza's paper “Engaging or Spectating? Social Media Use, Ideology, and Cross-Partisan Conversations Among Canadian Youth"⤵️

If anyone is interested in different forms of racist discourse in text, do I have a paper for you!!!

It’s official → Registration to #CPSA_ACSP26 is open! See you there? 👉🏽👉🏽 conta.cc/4tqlVCt @jonathanmalloy.bsky.social @emmettmacfarlane.com @queenspols.bsky.social @westernupolisci.bsky.social @jlisayoung.bsky.social @matthewlebo.bsky.social @kaelkropp.bsky.social @joannaeveritt.bsky.social

After a long journey, our paper "Machines Do See Color: Using LLMs to Classify Overt and Covert Racism in Text" is out at Sociological Methods & Research. In it, we develop a theoretically driven approach to identify and classify covert and overt racism in text: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Political science professor Amanda Friesen offers insight on coping with political anxiety tied to current U.S.–Canada relations. If recent headlines have you feeling uneasy, this Globe and Mail piece helps break down what’s really going on: www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article...

Our "In Conversation with..." series continues! Join @martadyczok.bsky.social as she discusses her new book "Ukraine, not the Ukraine". Feb 11 | Noon–1 p.m. | Scholars Lab Bring your lunch & drop in! www.uwo.ca/events/2026/... @westernuhistory.bsky.social #WesternU

The Western Gazette examines Trump’s plan to move Venezuelan oil, with expert insight from Western political science professors Adam Harmes, Bruce Morrison, and Matt Lebo. Read the analysis: westerngazette.ca/news/western...

Political science professor Matt Lebo joined 12 CBC afternoon radio shows, including CBC Radio West, to break down President Trump’s comments on nationalizing voting and what it means for democracy. Listen to the full discussion here 👇 iqmediacorp.com/ExternalIfra...

Canada’s Defence Minister has turned down calls for Canada to pursue nuclear weapons, emphasizing diplomacy and security cooperation instead. Political science expert Erika Simpson provides key insight on what this means for Canada’s role on the global stage. www.pressreader.com/article/2815...

Comments from Political Science PhD candidate Noah Vanderhoeven were featured in a Global News story exploring a U.S. skeleton athlete’s claim that the Canadian team blocked her 6th Olympic bid. Read more: globalnews.ca/news/1163951...

R you a recent graduate with a passion for politics? Apply to this transformative internship inside Ontario's legislature. 👉🏽👉🏽 www.olipinterns.ca/apply-to-olip @queenspols.bsky.social @westernupolisci.bsky.social @jlisayoung.bsky.social @matthewlebo.bsky.social

Meet Professor Laura Stephenson in this week’s Wisdom Wednesdays: Humans of Social Science. From election research to critical citizenship, her story explores how understanding motivation helps us make sense of political life. 🔗 ssc.uwo.ca/humans_ssc/m...

International media outlets including The Straits Times (Singapore), The Print (India) and U.S. News & World Report highlighted a Reuters story quoting Political Science chair Prof. Laura Stephenson on U.S. reactions to PM Carney’s WEF speech. Read more: www.usnews.com/news/world/a...

Political science professor Matt Lebo shared expert insight on Trump’s Davos address on 17 CBC Radio afternoon shows, including CBC Afternoon Drive (part 1 & part 2), and was quoted in the Toronto Star online & print A1. Read more: www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

How are global events shaping the way students learn about politics? CBC London highlights @WesternU Political Science classes where real-world issues bring theory to life. Prof Blair Welsh and students share insights from the classroom and beyond. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Political science professor Martin Horak joined CBC London Morning (part 1, part 2) to discuss why expanding rapid transit in London matters for growth, accessibility and the future of the city. Listen and learn more 👇 iqmediacorp.com/ExternalIfra...

City of London is pursuing provincial funding for a new bus rapid transit route into North London that would extend service to Western University, with insight from Professor Martin Horak on what this could mean for local commuters and growth. Read more: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

R you a recent graduate with a passion for politics? Apply to this transformative internship inside Ontario's legislature. 👉🏽👉🏽https://www.olipinterns.ca/apply-to-olip ⏰Deadline: January 31st! @queenspols.bsky.social @westernupolisci.bsky.social @jlisayoung.bsky.social @matthewlebo.bsky.social

Political Science professor Matt Lebo shares his insights on U.S. politics and Canada-U.S. relations. Featured by CBC News, CityNews Toronto, CTV, BNN Bloomberg & CP24. Stay informed with expert analysis: www.cbc.ca/news/world/d...

I know you all have your THOUGHTS on LLMs and their application in the social sciences... and I agree with all of them, but here is an extension of a method that uses in-context learning (ICL) to improve annotation of text using LLMs: 
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The Body Politics Lab/Political Science Speaker Dr. Tobias Rohrbach (Assistant Prof, Dept of Communication & Media Research, Fribourg U, Switzerland) Wed., Jan 14 @ 2:30pm. This workshop is designed to be an overview of the different steps of conceptualizing, conducting, & reporting a meta-analysis.

It's officially out! City Politics in Canada, co-edited with @jacklucas.bsky.social and Martin Horak @westernupolisci.bsky.social is in print and available for course adoption. Thank you to all chapter authors for their contributions. bsky.app/profile/did:...

Western Political Science professors Christopher Alcantara, Laura Stephenson and grad student Craig Mutter explain why boosting youth voter turnout means first understanding why many don’t vote. A thoughtful read on engaging young Canadians: theconversation.com/encouraging-...

Youth civic engagement matters. A new Conversation piece — republished by Yahoo News — highlights research from Laura Stephenson, Chris Alcantara and Craig Mutter on how to better encourage young people to participate in politics. Read more: ca.news.yahoo.com/encouraging-...

TBT to Fall Preview Day 2025. More than 18K visitors explored Western, and the Faculty of Social Science was full of future Mustangs meeting our incredible team. Thank you to all staff, faculty and volunteers. #ThrowbackThursday #FallPreviewDay @westernuhistory.bsky.social @westernuir.bsky.social

The Morning Brew on CHQR Calgary featured Political Science PhD candidate Craig Mutter, who shared insights from his research on youth civic engagement and political participation. Listen to the interview: iqmediacorp.com/ExternalIfra...

Global National covered former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral, noting key political figures — including Trump and Vance — were absent. Political science professor Matt Lebo weighed in on the significance of the moment. Watch the full clip: globalnews.ca/video/115364...

Political science chair Laura Stephenson co-authored an op-ed in Policy Options exploring how party leaders can make or break a party’s electoral success — arguing that leader swaps can dramatically shift a party’s fortunes. Read more: policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/11/lead...

📢 Apply now! @westernu.ca Political Science offering MA & PhD Fellowship w/ Drs. Alcantara & Stephenson’s @sshrc-crsh.canada.ca project on “The Determinants of Public Support for Indigenous Reconciliation Policies”🪶 Deadline: Feb 1, 2026 #WesternU #Reconciliation #Research #ldnont #Grads #Indigenous

🏅We are proud to announce that William Poirier has been awarded the Dr. Harold D. Clarke Graduate Quantitative Research Methodology Fellowship for his demonstrated ability & interest in Quantitative Research Methodology. Congratulations on a well-deserved award! #westernu #quant #research #methods

Members from the @westernu.ca Political Science department attended the 11th Annual Toronto Political Behaviour Workshop (Nov. 7-8) at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy (UofT). #cdnpoli #politicalbehaviour #workshop #grads #uoft #politicaleconomy #tpbw #western 📸credit: Inaara Savani

👩🏽‍💻🧑🏽‍💻 @jplewis.bsky.social & team can't wait to see yr proposal pop up ⏰Submit before the day is over! ➡️ shorturl.at/AgUow #CPSA_ACSP26 @queenspols.bsky.social @westernupolisci.bsky.social @jlisayoung.bsky.social @mcgillpolisci.bsky.social @devoncantwell.bsky.social @matthewlebo.bsky.social

👀 Think young Canadians aren’t political? Think again. From social movements to digital activism & community impact, research shows they’re leading change in unexpected ways ⬇️Watch now or ➡️ read more: news.westernu.ca #WesternU #WesternResearch #YouthPolitics #CanadianActivism #tiktokdebut #polisci

Meet Our Students: Celebrating Success Stories From a Co-op with the Ontario Liberal Party to founding WULA & leading the Leadership and Democracy Lab, Devon Jarovi is shaping his future in politics. 🔗https://ssc.uwo.ca/meetourstars/celebrating_student_stories_devon_jarovi.html #WesternU

Tomorrow at noon! Join APSA’s Careers Diversity Committee for Advising and Mentoring Political Science PhDs for Careers Beyond the Academy, a virtual discussion on challenges #polisci #faculty & #graduateadvisors face when advising doctoral students for careers beyond the academy. buff.ly/cnx2otv

A Canadian Press story on the U.S. government shutdown after President Trump & Congress failed to reach a deal features insight from Political Science professor Matthew Lebo on how it could impact Canada. Read more here: www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/tru...

📢 Advance voting is reshaping the way federal election campaigns are run in Canada. The Hill Times highlights insights from Political Science professor & chair Laura Stephenson on what this trend means for parties & voters. Read more here: www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/0...

Political Science professor Matt Lebo joined 15 CBC afternoon radio programs, including The Homestretch in Calgary, to unpack the implications and impacts of a potential U.S. government shutdown. Listen to his insights here: iqmediacorp.com/ExternalIfra...

Political Science professor Matt Lebo shared insights with the Toronto Star on how the U.S. government shutdown could impact borders and travel for Canadians. Read the full article here: www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Political Science professor Joseph Lyons, Director of Western’s Local Government Program, shared his expert insight with The National (U.A.E.) on the growing adoption of the four-day work week across the country’s public and private sectors. 👇Read here: www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/202...

Political Science professor Martin Horak, chair of a task force reviewing how municipal politicians should be compensated, spoke with CTV London about why the group concluded city councillors should treat their roles as full-time positions. 👉 Read more: www.ctvnews.ca/london/artic...

Yahoo News republished a Conversation piece by Political Science PhD candidate Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven, exploring how the Toronto Blue Jays are showing that America’s pastime can also be a stage for Canadian nationalism. ⚾🇨🇦 Read more 👇 ca.news.yahoo.com/toronto-blue...

Political Science professor Joseph Lyons, Director of Western’s Local Government Program, shared his insights with the Hamilton Spectator on the integrity commissioner process — discussed in light of a recent investigation in Tillsonburg. Read more: www.thespec.com/news/canada/...

Political Science PhD candidate Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven joined six CBC Radio morning shows, including CBC London Morning, to unpack the Blue Jays’ playoff run amid tense U.S.-Canada relations — exploring what the team’s success means beyond the field. ⚾🇨🇦 iqmediacorp.com/ExternalIfra...