Law, Politics and Society

In a new book chapter, Colin McRoberts, associate teaching professor of business at the University of Kansas, traces the story of Superman’s battle with the Ku Klux Klan in a 1946 radio serial and suggests it may provide strategies for thwarting the damage done by conspiracy theories.

Research from the University of Kansas has found that the raid on the Marion County Record newspaper in rural Kansas created “shared press distress” among fellow small town journalists. Shortly after the raid, journalists reported feeling distress and asked questions about if such raids would continue to be allowed and what it would mean for their journalistic practices.

A University of Kansas study found that following Kansas City's policy implementation of fare-free bus service, new riders were attracted to the service and overall usage increased, among other changes. Traditionally marginalized communities were especially affected by the change, showing that such a policy has equity benefits, the study author said.

In a new study, Sofia Vera, assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, examines how the issue of immigration affects voters, finding that a strong partisan polarization occurs close to an election, but once it is over, both sides begin to converge in the middle.

Researchers at the University of Kansas have published a study based on the Kansas Energy Transition Atlas. The site documents wind energy regulations across all 105 of the state's counties, and findings from the study document which regions of the state tend to have enabling or blocking restrictions, how agriculture influences policy, whether voting habits play a part and more.

A University of Kansas researcher conducted a study on how staffing reports for planning commissions could be improved. The results showed that group reflective practice, or simply making time for elected officials and staffers to discuss why they do what they do, can lead to better practice.

A new book shares the untold story of AIDS in the Midwest heartland, where unlikely coalitions cultivated their own distinct strategies for survival that became a surprising and lasting blueprint for LGBTQ politics today.

The 2025 award cycle from the Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archives and Special Collections featured a record number of awards distributed for research and travel grants as well as the launch of a new grant program designed to support faculty at KU.

Robin Kundis Craig, the Robert A. Schroeder Distinguished Professor of Law, will present her lecture on private property rights and environmental protection on Oct. 20.

The Kansas Statistical Abstract is published annually by the Institute for Policy & Social Research at KU. It includes information on a wide range of topics about Kansas, with information in downloadable tables, maps and graphs.