Faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences pursue collaborative research agendas linked to political communication. They focus undergraduate students’ attention on the symbiosis between politics and communication, with special emphasis on digital technology’s growing role in campaigns and public policy debates. Faculty affiliated with the Center for Political Communication regularly conduct cutting-edge research through national and statewide public opinion polls. Studies sponsored by the CPC have received coverage in a wide range of news outlets, including the Atlantic, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, US News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Slate, and Wired.
National survey shows public still opposes Internet ‘fast lanes’ but resists government regulation
As a federal court considers new national rules on Internet service, a November 2015 national survey by the University of Delawares Center for Political Communication shows most people still oppose Internet “fast lanes.” But the survey also shows Americans are reluctant to give the federal government power to regulate “net neutrality.” The study shows that a large majority of people surveyed still oppose Internet fast lanes (71 percent). Opposition is down from a similar survey one year ago (81 percent), when President Barack Obama announced his support for new net neutrality rules. Such rules would restrict Internet providers from offering “fast lanes” in the form of premium service to web streaming operations such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. University of Delaware’s Communications and Public Affairs published the findings in a December 2015 article, “Internet opinions.” Media outlets such as Delaware Public Media, Wired.com and Phys.org reported the UD study.
Researcher(s):
Brewer, Dr. Paul R.
Delaware voters: Democracy is under attack
NEWARK, Del. A majority of Delaware voters believe that American democracy is under attack, a view that Democrats and Republicans in the state share. That’s according to a September 2022 poll by the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication, which finds that 61% of registered voters see democracy in danger. Of those polled, 63% of Democrats, 62% of Republicans, and 51% of Independents agree. It’s rare to find much that Democrats and Republicans agree on,” said Professor Phil Jones, research director of the Center for Political Communication. But Delawareans from both parties are worried about the future of our democracy.”
Researcher(s):
Jones, Dr. Philip Edward
2023 Blue Hen Poll Results Released
Read the news story.
The 2023 Blue Hen Poll has been revived after a long hiatus by the students in Dr. Lindsay Hoffmans COMM418 “Public Opinion & Democracy” course. The survey created by students, for students, sampled 1,194 of full- and part-time students on the University of Delawares Newark campus with a completion rate of 92%. A press conference was held on November 16 with students across campus and media in attendance. Topics included the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, discomfort discussing controversial issues in front of classmates, and safety on and off campus.
Researcher(s):
Hoffman, Dr. Lindsay