Investigating the politics and content of US State artificial intelligence legislation

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:05:01 +0000

Investigating the politics and content of US State artificial intelligence legislation Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:05

By: Srinivas Parinandi, Jesse Crosson, Kai Peterson, Sinan Nadarevic

Abstract:

The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its application by businesses has created a potential need for governmental regulation. While the federal government of the United States has largely sidestepped the issue of crafting law dictating limitations and expectations regarding the use of AI technology, US state legislatures have begun to take the lead in this area. Nonetheless, we know very little about how state legislatures have approached the design, pursuit, and adoption of AI policy and whether traditional political fault lines have manifested themselves in the AI issue area. Here, we gather data on the state-level adoption of AI policy, as well as roll call voting on AI bills (classified on the basis of consumer protection versus economic development), by state legislatures and analyze the political economy of AI legislation. We find that rising unemployment and inflation are negatively associated with a state AI policymaking. With respect to individual legislator support, we find that liberal lawmakers and Democrats are more likely to support bills establishing consumer protection requirements on AI usage. The results suggest that economic concerns loom large with AI and that traditional political fault lines may be establishing themselves in this area.

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Elections and emotions: voting right-wing populist in Austria

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 19:44:58 +0000

Elections and emotions: voting right-wing populist in Austria Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 13:44

Elections and emotions: voting right-wing populist in Austria

By: Mateusz Leszczynski, Sinan Nadarevic, Jennifer Fitzgerald

Abstract:

Right wing populist voters are characterized by high levels of anger, according to previous work. In this paper, we explore the emotional dimensions of electoral behavior with an eye toward improving our understanding of the ways that voting for right wing populist parties (RWPPs) makes people feel. Panel survey data surrounding the 2017 Austrian national election reveal that before the election Freedom Party (FPÖ) voters are the angriest about politics in comparison to mainstream party voters. However, FPÖ voters experience a significant reduction in political anger from the pre-election period to the post-election period. These RWPP adherents also become less anxious, more hopeful, and more confident regarding Austrian politics in the aftermath of a relatively successful electoral showing by their party. Center-left voters, whose party experienced a disappointing electoral outcome, become politically angrier, more anxious, less hopeful, and less confident after the election. This study leverages research on the emotional terrain of radical right politics and stock theories of electoral behavior to better understand voters, their feelings, and prospects for democratic legitimacy.

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