Kirshbaum, S., Brake, S., Cuthbert, L., Eichen, A., La Raja, R., Mohanty, J., Nteta, T., Rhodes, J., Snyder, D. & Theodoridis, A. (2024). The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election: Public Opinion on the Economy and Immigration Helped Return Trump to the White House, but with No Clear Policy Mandate. The Forum, 22(2-3), 343-368. https://doi.org/10.1515/for-2025-2012
We use data from three nationally representative surveys conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll in the months leading up to the 2024 general election to provide a data-driven foundation for discussion about the factors contributing to the 2024 presidential election results. Although we do not claim to causally identify any one driver of the election outcome, our polls provide insights about public opinion reflecting the context of the election, the potential drivers of voting behavior, and the degree to which the second Trump Administration enjoys a public mandate for policy change. The public started 2024 with low levels of enthusiasm for a potential rematch between Trump and Biden, although the entrance of Kamala Harris into the race elevated interest and, for Democrats, increased enthusiasm. In the weeks before Election Day, the economy and immigration were top-of-mind issues that a majority of respondents thought Trump would handle more effectively. Heading into a second Trump presidency, we find middling support among Americans for some of Trump’s key policy proposals and those of conservative policymakers entering his administration.
Hojjat, M., Moyer, A., Brake, S., Nelson, B., Richmond, B. D., Schleider, J. L., & London, B. (2024). Friendship in the time of COVID-19. In M. Hojjat & A. Moyer (Eds.), Modern Relationships: The Evolution of Romance, Friendship and Family (pp. 232-250). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197655504.003.0014
Cultural, political, and legal changes in the 21st century have changed the landscapes in which our close interpersonal relationships take place. Many choose to remain single or get married later. Online dating and cohabitation are more readily accepted and common. Our friendships, especially on social media, have gained importance. Issues surrounding gender identity, equity, and sexual orientation also loom large. With the help of technology, more couples, including same-sex couples, are now able to become parents. From same-sex to open and polyamorous marriages, how we define and perceive some of our most important close relationships have changed. The dissolution and reformation of partnerships and families have gained new importance as nontraditional families have become more common. The formation of families through adoption raises questions of identity and successful parenting. Relationships across cultural, racial, religious, and national lines are also more relevant in today’s pluralistic societies. Finally, what types of relationships are considered worthy of scholarly and scientific attention, and the lenses with which to study them, have also evolved. This volume compiles the latest research and theory on close relationships of the 21st century from multidisciplinary and international perspectives with the intent of taking stock of this shifting terrain.