Inside Political Science #034 – Do Local Elections Matter?

It’s off-year election season, but how much significance do these elections have? With the New York City mayoral election in the national spotlight, Kirby and Todd touch on the effects of the election’s outcomes. To what extent does the mayor truly hold power? Although voter mobilization encourages people to get up and vote, it’s the persuasion that truly makes a difference. Later, they touch on the ongoing government shutdown, the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Kirby and Todd question whether the differing benefits for Democratic Party leaders and Republican Party leaders are worth the government standstill. Kirby says if the shutdown truly had profound immediate effects, then our government leaders wouldn’t risk playing the political game – but at what cost? For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience