October Surprises and the 2020 Election

On this episode, we take a research focused look at the famed “October Surprise.” It’s a notion that says, if you want to hurt a candidate with a bombshell you’ve discovered, you should wait until just before the election to release the accusations. But why should candidates wait? A paper by Gabriele Gratton, a professor at The University of New South Wales in Australia, gives counter intuitive insights. We discuss how this research could change the way we view “October surprises” and the 20

Om Podcasten

With all the noise created by a 24/7 news cycle, it can be hard to really grasp what's going on in politics today. We provide a fresh perspective on the biggest political stories not through opinion and anecdotes, but rigorous scholarship, massive data sets and a deep knowledge of theory. Understand the political science beyond the headlines with Harris School of Public Policy Professors William Howell, Anthony Fowler and Wioletta Dziuda. Our show is part of the University of Chicago Podcast Network.