
Project ideas
Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.
Norms of Cooperation: Politics and Science
Much of American society holds scientific practice and debate as the gold standard for objective and successful cooperation. By contrast, American political life is considered an abject failure: divisive, polarized, and gridlocked. What explains this discrepancy and is it accurate? Are the motivations of scientists or their subject matter what accounts for their comparative success? Are structural features of scientific practice or its norms responsible for this percieved discrepancy? What can the political sphere learn from scientific practice?