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Robert Speel

Associate Professor of Political Science, Erie campus, Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Speel earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University and his B.A. from The University of Pennsylvania. His teaching and research interests include most aspects of American politics, including elections and voting behavior, state and urban politics, Congress and the Presidency, and public policy, as well as ethnic and racial politics and Canadian politics.

Penn State University Press published his book, Changing Patterns of Voting in the Northern United States, about the creation of the regional divide of Red States and Blue States in the United States.

He currently continues to research the development of regional movements and regional voting behavior in the United States and often speaks with media sources and to community groups about political campaigns and issues.

Dr. Speel is the recipient of 2008/09 Council of Fellows Excellence in Outreach Award and the 2006 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Pennsylvania continues tradition as ‘keystone state’ in presidential elections

Jul 21, 2024 16:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Pennsylvanias role as a swing state in presidential elections is a modern continuation of a characteristic noted as early as 1802. At a rally celebrating the election victory of President Thomas Jefferson, Pennsylvania was...

Measuring a president's first 100 days goes back to the New Deal

Apr 29, 2021 15:34 pm UTC| Politics

During Joe Bidens first 100 days in office as president, he has signed 11 bills into law. One was the prominent American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, intended to provide broad economic relief and increase distribution of...

US under Trump Series

Trump and the history of the 'First 100 Days'

Apr 20, 2017 02:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The federal government is currently being funded by a continuing resolution that expires on April 28, 2017 which also happens to be the 99th day of Donald Trumps presidency. If Congress fails to approve a new spending...

US Election Series

Three common arguments for preserving the Electoral College – and why they're wrong

Nov 15, 2016 10:52 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

In November 2000, newly elected New York Senator Hillary Clinton promised that when she took office in 2001, she would introduce a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College, the 18th-century,...

Economy

Indonesia Fiscal Deficit Outlook: Fitch Signals Flexibility Amid Middle East War Risks

Indonesia may have limited room to exceed its legal fiscal deficit ceiling of 3% of GDP without facing an immediate credit rating downgrade, according to Fitch Ratings. The agency suggests that any breach would need to be...

Japan Inflation Rises in March Amid Energy Price Surge and Middle East Tensions

Japans consumer price index (CPI) inflation increased more than expected in March, driven largely by rising energy costs linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The latest government data shows that headline...

Asian Markets Mixed as Oil Prices Rise Amid Middle East Tensions and Ceasefire Uncertainty

Asian stock markets showed a mixed performance on Friday as rising oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment. A fragile ceasefire and stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations...

U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Ceasefire Extension and Intel Earnings Lift Sentiment

U.S. stock index futures moved slightly higher বৃহস্পতিবার evening following a weaker session on Wall Street, as investors responded to geopolitical developments and strong corporate earnings. SP 500 Futures climbed 0.2%...

Oil Prices Surge Amid Escalating U.S.-Iran Conflict and Strait of Hormuz Tensions

Oil prices climbed during Asian trading on Friday, driven by growing concerns over a prolonged U.S.-Iran conflict and ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Market sentiment remains tense after U.S. President Donald...

Politics

Judge Orders Release of Family After Longest ICE Detention Under Trump Administration

A woman and her five children were released from U.S. immigration detention after more than 10 months, marking the longest known family detention during President Donald Trumps administration. The release came Thursday...

US and EU Strengthen Critical Minerals Partnership to Reduce China Dependence

The United States and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation on critical minerals, marking a strategic move to secure global supply chains and reduce...

U.S. Army Soldier Charged in $400K Insider Betting Scheme on Maduro Capture

A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier has been charged by the Justice Department for allegedly using classified information to profit from bets on the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. According to federal...

Trump Administration Launches Civil Rights Probe into NYC Education Department Over Pro-Palestinian Educators

The Trump administration has initiated a civil rights investigation into the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), focusing on alleged discrimination linked to a pro-Palestinian educators group. The U.S....

Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Extended as U.S. Pushes for Peace Talks

The Lebanon-Israel ceasefire has been extended for three more weeks following high-level negotiations hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting brought together Israels ambassador to Washington,...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Intel Stock Surges as AI Chip Demand Drives Strong Q2 Forecast

Intel Corp delivered a bullish outlook for the second quarter of 2026, signaling a strong turnaround fueled by rising demand for AI data center chips. The company projected earnings per share (EPS) of $0.20, significantly...

Microsoft Commits $18 Billion to Expand AI and Cloud Infrastructure in Australia

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has unveiled a major investment plan worth A$25 billion (approximately $18 billion) in Australia, signaling a significant push to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing...

Elon Musk Signals Intel 14A Chips for Tesla’s Terafab AI Semiconductor Venture

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk revealed new details about the companys ambitious semiconductor plans, confirming that the Terafab joint venture intends to leverage Intels advanced 14A chip manufacturing process....

Tesla Earnings Beat Expectations as EV Growth Holds Amid Robotics and AI Shift

Tesla reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2026 earnings, driven largely by resilience in its core electric vehicle business, even as the company continues shifting focus toward artificial intelligence, robotics,...

SK Hynix Reports Record Q1 Profit Surge Driven by AI Memory Chip Demand

SK Hynix Inc. (KS:000660) delivered a standout performance in the first quarter, reporting a dramatic surge in operating profit that exceeded market expectations. The South Korean semiconductor giant benefited...