In postcolonial Ghana, a fresh start but not a blank slate
A new study of the country’s bureaucracy shows the challenges of state-building at the moment of independence.
Department
Political Science
MIT affiliates named 2026 Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Fellows
Five MIT faculty members and two additional alumni are honored with fellowships to advance research on beneficial AI.
Q&A: Hey AI, who should I vote for this year?
MIT professors Adam Berinsky and Chara Podimata discuss a new project to track how AI chatbots are responding to questions about the 2026 U.S. midterm elections.
Reinforcing the value of human understanding at MIT
During the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences’ 75th Anniversary Symposium, President Sally Kornbluth said “MIT has never needed your particular insight and guidance more than we do now.”
Building trust in governments through digital platforms
Governments and private companies often work together to provide public services online. A new study asks: How do these partnerships affect people’s trust in government?
Discovering the value of humanistic inquiry
Students in MIT’s Concourse program delve deeply into the human condition, debate challenging questions, and learn to develop judgment about issues that can’t be quantified.
Meet the 2026 tenured professors in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Faculty members granted tenure in Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Economics, Political Science, and Theater.
Measure by measure, studying society accurately
Naoki Egami has become a standout in political methodology, helping refine tools that give scholars durable results.
Following the questions where they lead
Assistant Professor Bailey Flanigan has arrived at complex computational methods for helping democracy thrive.
Building a scholarly community
The SHASS Faculty Fellows Program, administered by the MIT Human Insight Collaborative, is fostering new research projects and creating space for supportive and interdisciplinary discussion.
How architecture influences political activity
In Ghana, semi-communal “compound houses” affect how much people vote and participate in political activity, new research shows.
Exploring the societal impacts of AI
During the AI and Society Forum, leading MIT researchers examined critical questions about AI’s influence on employment and democracy.
The crucial human component in computing and AI
The MIT Ethics of Computing Research Symposium brought together experts and researchers working at the heart of ethical and social impact in technology.
Some democracies are struggling to ensure safe drinking water
Countries with developing economies provide at least some public water, but safety may lag because it’s less visible, researchers say.
“I have yet to meet a professor that cares more for their students”
Associate Professor Daniel “Danny” Hidalgo, a political scientist who studies elections, democracy, and political behavior in Latin America, is honored as “Committed to Caring” for graduate student mentorship.