In this study, Dr. Vedlitz and his co-authors, Dr. Stoutenborough and Dr. Robinson, use data from ISTPP’s 2012 National Energy Policy Survey to ascertain whether the words used to name a process used to extract natural gas from underground rock formations influences a person’s attitudes and policy preferences toward this particular technique. The researchers use […]
ISTPP News
Xinsheng Liu Presents Research at China Foreign Affairs University
ISTPP Research Scientist and Assistant Director, Xinsheng Liu, was invited to give a talk on his research “A Quantitative Account of News Media and Presidential Perceptions of China: 1979-Present” to the faculty and graduate students at the China Foreign Affairs University on June 11, 2016. Liu used quantitative data based on content analysis to show […]
Portney Appointed New Director of Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy
Dr. Kent E. Portney, professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, has been appointed director of the Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy at the Bush School. A leading expert on environmental policy, urban sustainability, and policy analysis, Portney will oversee the Institute’s efforts to examine public policy […]
Vedlitz Award in Science and Technology Policy Studies Established
A new student award for excellence in science and technology policy studies has been established by Dr. Arnold Vedlitz, executive associate dean of the Bush School and director of the Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy (ISTPP). Funded with a $5,000 endowment from Dr. Vedlitz, the first of what will be an annual award, […]
ISTPP Research on the Role of Public Discourse in Climate Change Debate Published in Society & Natural Resources
Brian Shreck, ISTPP Fellow, and Arnold Vedlitz, ISTPP Director, have analyzed the role of public discourse in the public’s debate on climate change. They find that higher levels of self-reported knowledge, that is how knowledgeable people believe themselves to be about climate change, lead to stronger beliefs on whether human-caused climate change exists. Those who […]
ISTPP Research on Motivated Reasoning and Water Scarcity Presented at SPSA Conference
David Switzer, ISTPP Predoctoral Research Associate, presented, “Local Issue Severity and Ideological Worldviews: Motivated Reasoning in the Case of Water Scarcity” at the annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, January 7–9, 2016. In this paper, Switzer and his co-author, ISTPP Director Arnold Vedlitz, investigate a theory of […]
Bush School Faculty and ISTPP Researchers Present at Nexus Conference
Professor Kent Portney chaired a symposium on “Public Opinion and Food-Water-Energy Nexus Policy,” at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus Conference of the National Council for Science and the Environment January 21, 2016, in Washington, DC. This conference brings together people from academia, government agencies, corporations, and nonprofits to develop new understandings and explore solutions to complex scientific […]
Bush School Researchers Report Findings on Connections between Water, Energy, & Food Policy Concerns
Issues related to water, energy, and food (WEF) form a highly connected nexus; and combatting pressing issues related to any one of the resources requires a better understanding of these nexus relationships by policymakers and the public. The first step in addressing this problem—understanding public opinion and policy preferences—is the focus of a new study, […]
Dr. Arnie Vedlitz Honored for Research Impact
Dr. Arnie Vedlitz, executive associate dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, was one of three faculty members honored for the impact their research has had in the field of energy, which has been identified as one of the University’s “grand challenges.” They were recognized during a timeout […]
ISTPP Research about Climate Scientists Published in Journal of Public Policy
Institute Director Vedlitz along with Senior Fellow, James Stoutenborough, and Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo have published their article, “How to Win Friends and Influence People: Climate Scientists’ Perspectives on their Relationship with and Influence on Government Officials,” in the Journal of Public Policy. Noting the increasingly important role of expert scientists in complex policy issues, the researchers examine […]