The Social Science Journal

American Government/Politics: Decade in Review

November 2026 will mark a decade since Donald Trump’s first election to the U.S. presidency. In that time, scholars have addressed a multitude of changes to the political landscape. These include, but are not limited to, two presidential impeachments, the contraction of the federal bureaucracy, challenges to state electoral structures, the evolving impact of political parties, an ever-changing media environment, and a historic assault on the U.S. Capitol. This special issue seeks to both better understand the last decade in American politics and to predict how the political environment will evolve moving forward. Submissions may address, but are not restricted to, the following themes:

• Democratic Erosion.
• Partisan hostility.
• The evolution of nondominant political actors such as racial/ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ community, etc. This includes attitudes towards these groups as well as group behavior.
• Historic firsts and their impact on American government moving forward.
• Institutional continuity and change.
• Redistricting.
• Changes at the state and local levels.

We welcome contributions from diverse methodological and disciplinary perspectives.