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Politics

Risks of Obesity: Financial Cost/Benefit Analysis

By Pattie Thomas, Ph.D. on February 22, 2012 in I Take Up Space

Cost/benefit analyses are estimates, not scientific studies. “Studies have shown" are magic words conferring truth on any words that end the sentence. Objections to cost risks of obesity can be raised both on data quality grounds and on ethical grounds. At the heart of most moral panics lies profit-motives and prejudice, but not much science. Read More

Why Do Politicians Want to Police Dick and Jane's Private Parts?

By Professor Barry X. Kuhle, Ph.D. on February 22, 2012 in Evolutionary Entertainment

Polls with genitalia-laden names seem fixated on gonads. Read More

Glory Masculinism 3

By Anthony Synnott, Ph.D. on February 22, 2012 in Rethinking Men

Let us now praise men - not just famous men but regular, run of the mill, average Joes. Read More

Politicians and Their Dogs: The Good, the Bad, and the Media

By Stanley Coren, Ph.D., F.R.S.C. on February 22, 2012 in Canine Corner

Mitt Romney is just one of a long line of politicians who have learned that their relationship to their family dogs can affect their reputation with the press and the public. Read More

Chomsky Supports Occupy Wall Street

By Elizabeth Wagele on February 21, 2012 in The Career Within You

Noam Chomsky (born in 1928) is a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, and political activist. As the "father of modern linguistics" and a major figure of analytic philosophy, he influenced the fields of computer science, mathematics, and psychology. Read More

When the Aspirin Drops From Between "Gals'" Knees

By George Davis on February 21, 2012 in Modern Melting Pot

Fear of the aspirin's dropping is a fear of social evolution. Read More

Is There a Liberal Bias Among American Professors?

By Gad Saad, Ph.D. on February 20, 2012 in Homo Consumericus

We often hear about the Leftist bent at American university campuses. Is this true? See the results of a study that explored voter registration data (Democrat versus Republican) across 11 universities. Read More

The Privatization of Highways

By Walter E. Block on February 20, 2012 in Defending the Undefendable

I advocate the complete, total, and full privatization of all roads, streets, highways, byways, avenues, and other vehicular thoroughfares. And I am serious about this—deadly serious. Read More

The Two Faces of Convenience

By Miki Kashtan, Ph.D. on February 20, 2012 in Acquired Spontaneity

The absence of resources and infrastructure in India is painfully obvious. At the same time, I didn’t see any evidence in India of the crushing isolation so many here experience. I didn’t see people afraid of discomfort. Convenience, the easy access to external resources, makes life comfortable. Yet comfort becomes addictive when we can’t imagine life without it. Read More

Presidential Leadership as Parenting

By Molly S. Castelloe, Ph.D. on February 20, 2012 in The Me in We

We fantasize our government as a caring parent. This election year what kind of parenting do U.S. citizens want? Candidates who contain our aggression over hot-button issues? Or leaders who distort and intensify our emotions in times of crisis? Read More

Laughter as Therapy

By Peter Corning, Ph.D. on February 20, 2012 in The Fair Society

Traditional medicine and grim political diatribes can do only so much to heal our wounds as a society. Why not try, yes, laughter. Read More

President's Day, 2012: In Praise of George W., as in Washington

By Mark Goulston, M.D., F.A.P.A. on February 19, 2012 in Just Listen

In anticipation of President’s Day and the current partisan logjam, hunger for power and lack of grace and graciousness, we might take a lesson from the President we are honoring on Monday, February 20, 2012. Read More

When Progressive Leaders Burn Out, We All Lose

By Michael Bader, D.M.H. on February 19, 2012 in What Is He Thinking?

Progressive leaders are too often martyrs who burnout and recreate grim environments unattractive to others. It stems from both external pressures and internal conflicts involving guilt. A combination of organizational and personal changes can alleviate this problem and is essential to the success of our movement. Read More

Women and Work: How Goes the Revolution?

By Peggy Drexler, Ph.D. on February 17, 2012 in Our Gender, Ourselves

We're more than 30 years into "the quiet revolution." So you'd think we'd have a little better handle on it by now. It began in the late '70s, when women started to surge into colleges and graduate schools, and take their place in medicine, law, business, and other professions once reserved for men. Read More

Once Upon a Time, When "Gals" Put Aspirin Between Their Knees

By George Davis on February 17, 2012 in Modern Melting Pot

When you're talking about race or sex, it's sometimes hard to tell if you're telling a corny joke or if you're actually being serious. Maybe you're doing both. Read More

When Harry and Louise Met Hillary

By Peter A. Ubel on February 17, 2012 in Scientocracy

As part of the Duke undergraduate course I teach on health care policy, I recently prepared a lecture on Bill Clinton's ultimately futile efforts to reform the US health care system early in his first term of office, back in 1993. This preparation gave me an excuse to read Theda Skocpol's wonderful book, Boomerang. Read More

Biology and Awe: Psychology's Critical Juncture

By Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D. on February 17, 2012 in Awakening to Awe

It's time for the profession of psychology to wake up to its larger calling. Read More

What You Don't Know About Rick Santorum

By Hank Davis on February 16, 2012 in Caveman Logic

A pair of taboos about religion and dead bodies have gotten in the way of open dialogue and good political journalism. Read More

7 Vows of Compassion for World Leaders

By Judith Orloff, M.D. on February 16, 2012 in Emotional Freedom

Politicians shouldn't be allowed to act so hatefully anymore. They should get beyond their egos to see there is a greater meaning and purpose to leadership than grandiosity or power. Read why political candidates need to be sent to compassion school. Read More

Voting Rick or Mitt Needs to Be a Risk-Management Decision

By Denise K. Shull, M.A. on February 16, 2012 in Market Mind Games

The last thing electing Romney or Santorum should be about is anyone's sex life. Read More

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Politics Blogs

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  • Peter Ubel

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  • Peter T. Coleman, Ph.D.

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    Finding solutions to seemingly impossible conflicts
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  • Sean Cort

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  • R. Michael Alvarez

    The Psychology Behind Political Debate

    How politicians use psychology, and what it means for democracy.
    By R. Michael Alvarez