Josh McCrain
@joshmccrain.bsky.social
Political scientist at the University of Utah. Public policy, political institutions, media and politics
Some good stuff from Sean here:
November 20, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Some good stuff from Sean here:
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
culturally, anywhere that allows you to bring babies into a brewery is substantially greater than utah.
however, this is the park 5 minutes walking from my house:
however, this is the park 5 minutes walking from my house:
October 27, 2025 at 8:35 PM
culturally, anywhere that allows you to bring babies into a brewery is substantially greater than utah.
however, this is the park 5 minutes walking from my house:
however, this is the park 5 minutes walking from my house:
i feel like you dont' see this talked about enough
October 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
i feel like you dont' see this talked about enough
if this is what your DAG is looking like i'm not sure you should be using panel data lol
October 2, 2025 at 3:42 PM
if this is what your DAG is looking like i'm not sure you should be using panel data lol
chatGPT rewrites:
October 1, 2025 at 5:39 PM
chatGPT rewrites:
sociologists have discovered the people prefer romantic relationships with people who agree with them (this paper is doing numbers on reddit)
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
September 26, 2025 at 7:44 PM
sociologists have discovered the people prefer romantic relationships with people who agree with them (this paper is doing numbers on reddit)
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The biggest effect is in advertising. When stations are acquired by Sinclair or Nexstar, they generate more advertising revenue and run substantially more ads. This is evidence of the market power of consolidation of media ownership
September 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
The biggest effect is in advertising. When stations are acquired by Sinclair or Nexstar, they generate more advertising revenue and run substantially more ads. This is evidence of the market power of consolidation of media ownership
Content-wise, however, Nexstar is generally the opposite of Sinclair in terms of local news coverage. Relative to non-acquired stations in the same market, Nexstar stations cover more local news.
Sinclair spends substantially less time on local politics coverage.
Sinclair spends substantially less time on local politics coverage.
September 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Content-wise, however, Nexstar is generally the opposite of Sinclair in terms of local news coverage. Relative to non-acquired stations in the same market, Nexstar stations cover more local news.
Sinclair spends substantially less time on local politics coverage.
Sinclair spends substantially less time on local politics coverage.
Not much is known about Nexstar as a media conglomerate. In our paper, we show it's grown substantially in the past decade and benefitted significantly from Trump's first term regulatory changes via the FCC.
September 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Not much is known about Nexstar as a media conglomerate. In our paper, we show it's grown substantially in the past decade and benefitted significantly from Trump's first term regulatory changes via the FCC.
The consolidation of the ownership of local TV among 3 ownership groups is probably bad for consumers
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
September 17, 2025 at 11:25 PM
The consolidation of the ownership of local TV among 3 ownership groups is probably bad for consumers
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The University of Utah political science department is hiring a junior comparativist this cycle, ideally with a focus on Asia and a desire and willingness to teach grad/undergrad stats classes. I'm not on the search, but am very happy to talk to anyone interested in the job.
SLC is extremely dope
SLC is extremely dope
September 17, 2025 at 6:23 PM
The University of Utah political science department is hiring a junior comparativist this cycle, ideally with a focus on Asia and a desire and willingness to teach grad/undergrad stats classes. I'm not on the search, but am very happy to talk to anyone interested in the job.
SLC is extremely dope
SLC is extremely dope
The @wpsa.bsky.social 2026 annual meeting submission deadline is soon. Reminder: it's in San Diego! In April!
I'm the section chair for legislative politics, please submit your papers. Also, this is a great conference for graduate students!
www.wpsanet.org/meeting/
I'm the section chair for legislative politics, please submit your papers. Also, this is a great conference for graduate students!
www.wpsanet.org/meeting/
September 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
The @wpsa.bsky.social 2026 annual meeting submission deadline is soon. Reminder: it's in San Diego! In April!
I'm the section chair for legislative politics, please submit your papers. Also, this is a great conference for graduate students!
www.wpsanet.org/meeting/
I'm the section chair for legislative politics, please submit your papers. Also, this is a great conference for graduate students!
www.wpsanet.org/meeting/
lmao i saw this on twitter and i thought it was a bit but, no, it's real
September 2, 2025 at 5:31 PM
lmao i saw this on twitter and i thought it was a bit but, no, it's real
Now online at @pnasnexus.org:
Does civilian oversight impact police legitimacy?
with @kaylynjschiff.bsky.social, @dschiff.bsky.social, Bryant Moy, Scott Mourtgos and Ian Adams
Open access link: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ad...
Does civilian oversight impact police legitimacy?
with @kaylynjschiff.bsky.social, @dschiff.bsky.social, Bryant Moy, Scott Mourtgos and Ian Adams
Open access link: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ad...
August 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Now online at @pnasnexus.org:
Does civilian oversight impact police legitimacy?
with @kaylynjschiff.bsky.social, @dschiff.bsky.social, Bryant Moy, Scott Mourtgos and Ian Adams
Open access link: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ad...
Does civilian oversight impact police legitimacy?
with @kaylynjschiff.bsky.social, @dschiff.bsky.social, Bryant Moy, Scott Mourtgos and Ian Adams
Open access link: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ad...
previously mentioned baby:
July 22, 2025 at 4:26 PM
previously mentioned baby:
last one, conditionally accepted at JOP:
Gendered Barriers to Entry: Responses to Requests for State
Legislative Internships
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bte5e...
w/ Hans Hassell and Matt Miles
Gendered Barriers to Entry: Responses to Requests for State
Legislative Internships
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bte5e...
w/ Hans Hassell and Matt Miles
July 22, 2025 at 3:52 PM
last one, conditionally accepted at JOP:
Gendered Barriers to Entry: Responses to Requests for State
Legislative Internships
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bte5e...
w/ Hans Hassell and Matt Miles
Gendered Barriers to Entry: Responses to Requests for State
Legislative Internships
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bte5e...
w/ Hans Hassell and Matt Miles
also in LSQ:
Human Capital Exiting Capitol Hill? Differences in Congressional Staff Turnover by Race and Gender
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social and Alex Bolton
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9km94...
Human Capital Exiting Capitol Hill? Differences in Congressional Staff Turnover by Race and Gender
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social and Alex Bolton
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9km94...
July 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
also in LSQ:
Human Capital Exiting Capitol Hill? Differences in Congressional Staff Turnover by Race and Gender
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social and Alex Bolton
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9km94...
Human Capital Exiting Capitol Hill? Differences in Congressional Staff Turnover by Race and Gender
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social and Alex Bolton
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9km94...
Got a few new papers coming out with some excellent coauthors.
Descriptive representation on K street: Race and gender among federal lobbyists
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social @davidryanmiller.com and @bcegerod.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Descriptive representation on K street: Race and gender among federal lobbyists
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social @davidryanmiller.com and @bcegerod.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
July 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Got a few new papers coming out with some excellent coauthors.
Descriptive representation on K street: Race and gender among federal lobbyists
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social @davidryanmiller.com and @bcegerod.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Descriptive representation on K street: Race and gender among federal lobbyists
w/ @hjghassell.bsky.social @davidryanmiller.com and @bcegerod.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
For those outside of this field: "force science" is a bullshit pseudo science frequently used in court to justify police shootings
Ian and team here systematically dismantle force science
Ian and team here systematically dismantle force science
July 7, 2025 at 2:38 PM
For those outside of this field: "force science" is a bullshit pseudo science frequently used in court to justify police shootings
Ian and team here systematically dismantle force science
Ian and team here systematically dismantle force science
July 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Causing chaos instead of keeping up with world events
July 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Causing chaos instead of keeping up with world events