Scott Williamson – The Conversation

Fans of Donald Trump show support for his candidacy in 2028 – a scenario expressly ruled out by the US constitution. Alamy/Alex Brandon

May 1, 2025

Why do people continue to support politicians who attack their democracies? Expert Q&A

Scott Williamson, University of Oxford

An expert helps explain why people don’t always immediately push back when politicians attack their democracies.

‘Give the people what they need’: the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 2024. Yue Yuewei/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

October 23, 2024

How different people around the world understand democracy – and why it matters

Scott Williamson, University of Oxford; Eddy S. F. Yeung, Emory University, and Jonathan A Chu, National University of Singapore

Democracy means different things to different governments. But what do the people think?

Migrants pray at a March 2 demonstration at San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana, Mexico, to demand clearer U.S. migration policies. Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

March 16, 2021

When Americans recall their roots, they open up to immigration

Claire L. Adida, University of California, San Diego; Adeline Lo, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Lauren Prather, University of California, San Diego; Melina Platas, New York University, and Scott Williamson, New York University

Research suggests that reminding Americans – Democrats and Republicans – of their family history creates empathy for immigrants and more favorable views toward immigration.

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