“Will public discontent with the Trump administration carry the day, or might Republican advantages in fundraising and redistricting keep the party competitive?” Those are the questions UW–Madison professor Barry Burden is using history to answer.
Burden is a professor of political science and the director of the UW’s Elections Research Center. He is also the Lyons Family Chair in Electoral Politics and the coauthor of the popular textbook Party Politics in America.
On October 27, 2026, Burden will join the UW Now Live, alongside journalism professor Ross Dahlke ’18 to discuss factors that will affect the upcoming election, including the impact of AI.
My Chief Area of Expertise Is:
I spend my time trying to understand electoral politics in the United States — how campaigns work, how voters make decisions, and ultimately how the system of democratic representation operates.
On the UW Now Live, I’ll Talk About:
I will assess the magnitude of the “blue wave” expected to benefit Democrats in this year‘s midterm elections. Historical indicators point to a range of outcomes that run from a narrow Democratic gain to a dominating victory.
If There’s One Thing Viewers Should Take Away, It’s:
Voters and journalists often view each election as special and unique, but academic research says that historic patterns are likely to be more important.
To Get Smart Fast, See:
For information on political and election data informed by political science research, see the New York Times newsletter The Tilt and listen to the podcast Decision Desk HQ.
