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efranklinfowler.bsky.social
Erika Franklin Fowler
@efranklinfowler.bsky.social
5.9K followers 1.4K following 130 posts

Prof @ Wesleyan U; Co-Director of WesMediaProject (@wesmediaproject.bsky.social & mediaproject.wesleyan.edu); policomm, polisci, public opinion & health policy scholar; member of Collaborative on Media & Messaging for Health & Social Policy (commhsp.org) .. more

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Erika Franklin Fowler is an American political scientist. She is a Professor of Government at Wesleyan University, having previously served as a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in Health Policy Research at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. .. more

Communication & Media Studies 40%
Political science 24%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler

conradhackett.bsky.social
Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 11h
50% of American adults are more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life. Just 10% are more excited than concerned.
🧪
Chart showing concerns about AI are especially common in the United States, Italy, Australia, Brazil and Greece, where about half of adults say they are more concerned than excited. But as few as 16% in South Korea are mainly concerned about the prospect of AI in their lives.
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efranklinfowler.bsky.social
Erika Franklin Fowler @efranklinfowler.bsky.social · 1d
Relevant for #wesgov372 #wesgov366 and #wesgov380
ophastings.bsky.social
Pat Hastings @ophastings.bsky.social · 5d
The GSS asked the same people about their childhood income rank three different times. 56% changed their answer, even though what was trying to be measured couldn’t change! We dig into this in a new article at @socialindicators.bsky.social. 



doi.org/10.1007/s112...

🧵👇 (1/5)
Growing up Different(ly than Last Time We Asked): Social Status and Changing Reports of Childhood Income Rank - Social Indicators Research
How we remember our past can be shaped by the realities of our present. This study examines how changes to present circumstances influence retrospective reports of family income rank at age 16. While retrospective survey data can be used to assess the long-term effects of childhood conditions, present-day circumstances may “anchor” memories, causing shifts in how individuals recall and report past experiences. Using panel data from the 2006–2014 General Social Surveys (8,602 observations from 2,883 individuals in the United States), we analyze how changes in objective and subjective indicators of current social status—income, financial satisfaction, and perceived income relative to others—are associated with changes in reports of childhood income rank, and how this varies by sex and race/ethnicity. Fixed-effects models reveal no significant association between changes in income and in childhood income rank. However, changes in subjective measures of social status show contrasting effects, as increases in current financial satisfaction are associated with decreases in childhood income rank, but increases in current perceived relative income are associated with increases in childhood income rank. We argue these opposing effects follow from theories of anchoring in recall bias. We further find these effects are stronger among males but are consistent across racial/ethnic groups. This demographic heterogeneity suggests that recall bias is not evenly distributed across the population and has important implications for how different groups perceive their own pasts. Our findings further highlight the malleability of retrospective perceptions and their sensitivity to current social conditions, offering methodological insights into survey reliability and recall bias.
doi.org
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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz, Scott L. Greer, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 7 more

lenasun.bsky.social
Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 4d
NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4
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Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, Dave O’Brien, Erika Franklin Fowler , and 3 more

ophastings.bsky.social
Pat Hastings @ophastings.bsky.social · 5d
The GSS asked the same people about their childhood income rank three different times. 56% changed their answer, even though what was trying to be measured couldn’t change! We dig into this in a new article at @socialindicators.bsky.social. 



doi.org/10.1007/s112...

🧵👇 (1/5)
Growing up Different(ly than Last Time We Asked): Social Status and Changing Reports of Childhood Income Rank - Social Indicators Research
How we remember our past can be shaped by the realities of our present. This study examines how changes to present circumstances influence retrospective reports of family income rank at age 16. While retrospective survey data can be used to assess the long-term effects of childhood conditions, present-day circumstances may “anchor” memories, causing shifts in how individuals recall and report past experiences. Using panel data from the 2006–2014 General Social Surveys (8,602 observations from 2,883 individuals in the United States), we analyze how changes in objective and subjective indicators of current social status—income, financial satisfaction, and perceived income relative to others—are associated with changes in reports of childhood income rank, and how this varies by sex and race/ethnicity. Fixed-effects models reveal no significant association between changes in income and in childhood income rank. However, changes in subjective measures of social status show contrasting effects, as increases in current financial satisfaction are associated with decreases in childhood income rank, but increases in current perceived relative income are associated with increases in childhood income rank. We argue these opposing effects follow from theories of anchoring in recall bias. We further find these effects are stronger among males but are consistent across racial/ethnic groups. This demographic heterogeneity suggests that recall bias is not evenly distributed across the population and has important implications for how different groups perceive their own pasts. Our findings further highlight the malleability of retrospective perceptions and their sensitivity to current social conditions, offering methodological insights into survey reliability and recall bias.
doi.org
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler, Andrew Chadwick

claesdevreese.bsky.social
Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 14d
The new EU rules on political advertising online take effect October 10.

Google and Meta (FB, Insta) will stop political ads on their platforms 🛑

But when??? FB is now very explicit about when it takes effect: October 6

www.facebook.com/business/hel...
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Reposted by Richard Price, American Library Association, Lesley A. Hall , and 8 more

anthonyclark.bsky.social
Tony Clark @anthonyclark.bsky.social · 15d
If you've done in-person research at any of the following presidential libraries in the last 8 months, can you please follow me/contact me—soon—for a story I'm working on (can be off the record)?

Hoover
FDR
Truman
Eisenhower
JFK
LBJ
Ford
Carter

And either way, can you please share this request? 🙏
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler

larrylevitt.bsky.social
Larry Levitt @larrylevitt.bsky.social · 15d
New, and a big deal: Based on updated data and changes made by the Trump administration, we now estimate that ACA enrollees would see their out-of-pocket premiums increase by 114% if enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire.
www.kff.org/affordable-c...
ACA Marketplace Premium Payments Would More than Double on Average Next Year if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire | KFF
KFF estimates that, if Congress allows the enhanced premium tax credits to expire at the end of this year, ACA Marketplace enrollees on average would see their premium payments more than double next y...
www.kff.org
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Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Nancy Kanwisher, Scott C. Doney , and 15 more

dangaristo.bsky.social
Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 19d
New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
www.nsf.gov
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler, Barrett

epidnique.bsky.social
Dominique Heinke, ScD @epidnique.bsky.social · 23d
In news that the HHS should be shouting from the rooftops:

Availability of the RSV vaccine for pregnant people and RSV shots for infants lead to a 50% reduction in RSV-associated hospitalization of newborns during the last year! 🥳

Spread the good word, folks!
#Episky
Interim Evaluation of Respiratory Syncytial ...
This report describes RSV-associated hospitalization rates among infants and young children during the 2024–25 respiratory virus season.
www.cdc.gov
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler

ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 25d
This is hopeful.
scottlgreer.bsky.social
Scott L Greer @scottlgreer.bsky.social · 25d
“52% of all autocratization episodes become U-Turns, which increases to 73% when focusing on the last 30 years. The vast majority of U-Turns (90%) lead to restored or even improved levels of democracy”

V-Dem data
When autocratization is reversed: episodes of U-Turns since 1900
The world is in a “wave of autocratization.” Yet, recent events in Brazil, the Maldives, and Zambia demonstrate that autocratization can be halted and reversed. This article introduces “U-Turn” as ...
www.tandfonline.com
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler, Andrew Kydd, David Darmofal

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 29d
These estimates of public support for violence (from www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/o...) are inflated - *much* higher than what we and others have found using question wording that reduces acquiescence bias: brightlinewatch.org/accelerated-... The vast majority of Americans reject political violence.
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efranklinfowler.bsky.social
Erika Franklin Fowler @efranklinfowler.bsky.social · Sep 14
Pertinent to #wesgov214 #wesgov372
conradhackett.bsky.social
Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Sep 14
How do Americans typically react when they hit a paywall on a news site?
1% pay
11% try to get the article for free
32% give up
53% look for info elsewhere
A Pew Research Center survey also asked anyone who said they ever come across paywalls what they typically do first when that happens. Just 1% say they pay for access when they come across an article that requires payment. The most common reaction is that people seek the information somewhere else (53%). About a third (32%) say they typically give up on accessing the information.
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Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Erika Franklin Fowler

conradhackett.bsky.social
Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Sep 14
How do Americans typically react when they hit a paywall on a news site?
1% pay
11% try to get the article for free
32% give up
53% look for info elsewhere
A Pew Research Center survey also asked anyone who said they ever come across paywalls what they typically do first when that happens. Just 1% say they pay for access when they come across an article that requires payment. The most common reaction is that people seek the information somewhere else (53%). About a third (32%) say they typically give up on accessing the information.
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler, Christian Baden

thieled.bsky.social
Daniel Thiele @thieled.bsky.social · Sep 13
Are you an R-user looking for a ✨reproducible and free✨ solution to use #machine-translation in your #text-as-data project? Try out my new #rstats package #easieRnmt that wraps around the EasyNMT py-library for local machine tranlsation: github.com/thieled/easi...
GitHub - thieled/easieRnmt: R wrapper around the EasyNMT python library, providing "Easy to use, state-of-the-art Neural Machine Translation for 100+ languages" locally.
R wrapper around the EasyNMT python library, providing "Easy to use, state-of-the-art Neural Machine Translation for 100+ languages" locally. - thieled/easieRnmt
github.com
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Reposted by Sarah E. Gollust, Erika Franklin Fowler

commhsp.bsky.social
Collaborative on Media & Messaging for Health and Social Policy @commhsp.bsky.social · Sep 12
What can the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine PSAs teach us about public health communication? In our newest COMM blog post, first author Margaret Tait breaks down her recently published research on the critical messaging missteps in federally-sponsored PSAs.
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efranklinfowler.bsky.social
Erika Franklin Fowler @efranklinfowler.bsky.social · Sep 11
Some evidence pertinent to our #wesgov372 discussion today.
carolyneholmes.bsky.social
Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · Sep 11
Hi, yes, this is a very good question.

Does anyone have an answer?
titonka.bsky.social
Danielle Kurtzleben @titonka.bsky.social · Sep 11
A stat I wonder about a lot: what % of Americans have been present for a shooting?

I mean I have. All those college kids in Utah have now. Everyone in Butler was. All the kids who have been there for school shootings.

So: how many?
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler

carolyneholmes.bsky.social
Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · Sep 11
Hi, yes, this is a very good question.

Does anyone have an answer?
titonka.bsky.social
Danielle Kurtzleben @titonka.bsky.social · Sep 11
A stat I wonder about a lot: what % of Americans have been present for a shooting?

I mean I have. All those college kids in Utah have now. Everyone in Butler was. All the kids who have been there for school shootings.

So: how many?
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Reposted by Jon Green, Efrén O. Pérez, Erika Franklin Fowler , and 2 more

jonmladd.bsky.social
Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · Sep 11
Research: Believing that the mass public in the opposing party supports undemocratic tactics leads people to be more supportive of undemocratic tactics themselves. Being assured that a majority of your opponents oppose such radical tactics increases support for democratic norms osf.io/my987/download
osf.io
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler

garyschw.bsky.social
Gary Schwitzer @garyschw.bsky.social · Sep 10
If you didn't see Marion Nestle analyze the MAHA children's health strategy report on PBS NewsHour last night, I urge you to watch at this link: open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
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Reposted by Will Jennings, Erika Franklin Fowler, Lisa Dellmuth , and 1 more

jayvanbavel.bsky.social
Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · Sep 9
Social media undercuts public health and institutional trust

A new study finds causal evidence that morally charged attacks generate anger and social media engagement which exacerbates the political polarization of public health
www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
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efranklinfowler.bsky.social
Erika Franklin Fowler @efranklinfowler.bsky.social · Sep 9
Awesome—can’t wait to read it, and congrats!!
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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Jon Green, Erika Franklin Fowler , and 4 more

alexanderfurnas.com
Zander Furnas @alexanderfurnas.com · Sep 9
Excited to see my new paper "Conflating Lobbying and PACs: The Surprisingly Low Overlap in Organizational Lobbying and Campaign Expenditures" with @timlapira.bsky.social and @clarebrock.bsky.social out at @pspolisci.bsky.social!
Conflating Lobbying and PACs: The Surprisingly Low Overlap in Organizational Lobbying and Campaign Expenditures Alexander C. Furnas, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA Timothy M. LaPira, James Madison University, USA Clare Brock, Colorado State University, USA ABSTRACT This article investigates whether campaign contributions and lobbying are com- plementary, substitutive, or distinct forms of organizational political engagement. Our study reveals minimal overlap between organizations that engage in lobbying and those that make campaign contributions despite the perception that these activities are interchangeable forms of “money in politics.” Using comprehensive contribution and lobbying report data from 1998 to 2018, we find that most politically active organizations focus exclusively on either lobbying or making campaign contributions. Only a small percentage of organizations engage in both activities. This finding challenges the assumption that these forms of political activity are inherently linked. The majority of organizations engaged in political activity do so exclusively through lobbying. However, the top lobbying groups spend the most money and almost always have affiliated political action committees (PACs). Most lobbying money is spent by a small number of big spenders—organizations that also have affiliated PACs. Organizations that both lobby and make campaign contributions tend to be well resourced and rare.
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler, Julie Novkov

poqjournal.bsky.social
Public Opinion Quarterly - POQ @poqjournal.bsky.social · Sep 8
POQ's 2025 special issue underlines the importance of qualitative research in the social sciences.

Roller & Smith outline different methodological approaches to qualitative research and its critical role in social and behavioral sciences.

Read now: doi.org/10.1093/poq/...
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Reposted by Jan W. Mueller, Scott L. Greer, Juan Cole , and 1 more

conradhackett.bsky.social
Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Sep 7
Most people in Mexico and Canada say the United States is their country's greatest threat.
www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/...
When asked which country is the most important ally to their own, many people around the world name the United States. This is the most common response in 12 of the 24 non-U.S. countries included in a new Pew Research Center survey. It is tied for the top response in three additional countries. But others say the U.S. is their nation’s greatest threat. This is the most common response in six countries and tied for top in two others. In neighboring Canada and Mexico, as well as in Argentina, Brazil and Kenya, the U.S. is the top response on both the ally and threat questions.
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Reposted by Philip N. Cohen, Erika Franklin Fowler, Timothy D. McBride

dwillis.bsky.social
Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · Sep 7
Here's a scenario that someone should ask RFK Jr. about: an under-65 person with no major health conditions who is providing some in-person support for an older family member undergoing treatments that weaken the immune system. Can that person get a COVID shot?

It's me, and I can't.
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Reposted by Mark J. Brandt, Efrén O. Pérez, Erika Franklin Fowler , and 1 more

dadakim.bsky.social
kim yi dionne (she/her) @dadakim.bsky.social · Sep 5
Great job at the Pew Research Center for a Computational Social Science Assistant: pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Center...
Computational Social Science Assistant, Data Labs
Position Summary The Computational Social Science Assistant works with other staff at Data Labs to produce original research that expands on the work of the Pew Research Center using new methods, data...
pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Mark J. Brandt, Jean‐Frédéric Morin , and 8 more

iepolisci.bsky.social
IE Political Science @iepolisci.bsky.social · Sep 5
🚨🚨 We’re hiring! 🚨🚨

We have 3 lines open in CP, IR and IPE — all tenure-track.

We offer competitive salaries, a 2:1 teaching load, in a friendly (and fully in English) environment, at one of Europe’s most sought-after cities.
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Reposted by Megan L. Ranney, Erika Franklin Fowler, Seth Masket

cnn.com
CNN @cnn.com · Sep 5
BREAKING: US job growth slowed to a crawl in August, adding only 22,000 positions. It's another indication the US labor market is stagnating.

Follow live updates: https://cnn.it/4nlRiu9
America’s job market flashes yet another warning sign about the economy | CNN Business
The US economy added just 22,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, the highest since 2021.
cnn.it
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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Simon Hix, Ben H. Ansell , and 59 more

turnbulldugarte.com
Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte @turnbulldugarte.com · Sep 5
Radical right accommodation really does not work.

New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk

doi.org/10.31235/osf...
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Reposted by Erika Franklin Fowler

kevinbaron.bsky.social
Kevin Baron 🧙🏻‍♂️😈☠️⚾️ @kevinbaron.bsky.social · Sep 4
Oooooh…look what was waiting for me when I got home. I’ve been hearing/reading about this from @juliaazari.bsky.social for some time, and after reading part of the first chapter, I gotta say I think this book hits at the absolute right moment. Thanks Julia!
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