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Charles McClean

@cmcclean.bsky.social
2.1K followers 2.2K following 89 posts

📚 Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale 👦🏻👨🏻👴🏻 Politics of Age 🇯🇵 Japanese Politics

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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Delighted to serve again on the selection committee for the @usjf.bsky.social Young Mayors of Japan Award alongside Governor Kumagai and Lin Kobayashi! Applications are now open for the 2026 award. 2026年度「若手首長賞」の応募受付が始まりました!若手首長の皆さま、ぜひご応募ください。
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Second piece of good news: my paper with Aksel Sundström and Daniel Stockemer is now forthcoming @bjpols.bsky.social We find that including younger representatives in decision-making bodies can boost perceptions of fairness and trust, even among older adults static1.squarespace.com/static/5c69a...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Happy to share two pieces of good news: first, my job market paper is online @thejop.bsky.social I find younger mayors increase spending on child welfare for young families, especially through long-term investments, but do not cut elderly welfare spending www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
I spoke with @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social for this story on why U.S. politicians tend to be older than those in other democracies thedispatch.com/newsletter/m...
thedispatch.com
Why Are American Politicians So Old?
Plus: Democratic socialists sweep New York’s House primaries, the White House escalates sanctions on Cuba, and an extreme weather conference is canceled due to extreme weather.
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
A @usnews.com story yesterday, "U.S. Lawmakers Are Oldest of Any Democracy. Here's Why," cited my paper with Aksel Sundström and Daniel Stockemer (both quoted) on youth representation and democratic legitimacy. Paper: www.charlesmcclean.com/s/Youth-Repr... www.usnews.com/news/best-co...
usnews.com
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Excited to share my new article with Don Lee @electoralstudies.bsky.social Using a conjoint experiment during an electoral reform debate in Korea, we show that women and young people favor strengthening representation—but not at any cost to accountability. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Happy to share my paper w/ Aksel Sundström & Daniel Stockemer has won the SPPQ Best Paper Award from @apsa.bsky.social's SPP section We find including younger representatives in decision-making bodies can boost perceptions of fairness & institutional trust www.charlesmcclean.com/s/Youth-Repr...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Thank you to Jim Raymo, the Global Japan Lab, and @princetonpolitics.bsky.social for hosting me yesterday at @princeton.edu to present new research with @strauszm.bsky.social on population aging and democratic representation. Really appreciated the great conversation and thoughtful comments.
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Paul Christensen @takadanobaba.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
New article time with @clsturtz.bsky.social @cmcclean.bsky.social @tomphuongle.bsky.social and other cool but not on bluesky people.
tandfonline.com
Demographic decline as an idiom of distress: Rethinking gender (In)equality in Japan
The world faces overlapping crises of global scale and consequence. Given limited attention and capacity, which crises garner attention and framing as important? Which are neglected in ways reflect...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
I was quoted in @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social on Takaichi’s unusually strong support among younger voters — and what that meant for the LDP going into Japan’s snap election thedispatch.com/newsletter/m...
thedispatch.com
Takaichi’s Historic Supermajority
At least 31 killed in Islamabad bombing, updates on the U.S.-Iran talks, and please don’t juggle fire while on a unicycle in public.
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
This morning, I joined @kristigovella.bsky.social and Nick Szechenyi at @japan.csis.org to discuss the outcome of Japan's snap election. The video is now posted if you'd like to watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF1F...
youtube.com
Inside Japan’s High-Stakes Snap Election
YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Takaichi's snap election gamble has clearly paid off. Snap elections tend to benefit incumbents — especially when opposition parties are caught off guard and the campaign period is particularly short. I've written about this dynamic before: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
The scale of the LDP’s victory is hard to overstate: • 316/465 seats (68%) — biggest win in party history • Swept 31 of 47 prefectures • With Ishin: 352 seats (76%), swept 33 prefectures Results: www.asahi.com/senkyo/shuin...
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Program on US-Japan Relations, Harvard University @harvardusjapan.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Reminder: Join this online discussion tomorrow morning @japan.csis.org with @kristigovella.bsky.social (2016-17), @cmcclean.bsky.social (2020-21), & Nicholas Szechenyi to make sense of Sunday's election outcome and ways forward for Japan. More info: bit.ly/45HEAPT.
bit.ly
Inside Japan’s High-Stakes Snap Election | CSIS Events
The CSIS Japan Chair analyzes the results of Japan’s February 8 snap election and its impact on Japanese politics and foreign policy.
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Reminder: there's still time to apply for the Japan Conference for Social Scientists @yalemacmillan.bsky.social Deadline: Feb. 13 Submission link below ⬇️
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CSIS Japan Chair @japan.csis.org · 02/02/2026
Join us Feb 9 for a virtual discussion with experts @kristigovella.bsky.social, @cmcclean.bsky.social, & Nick Szechenyi on the outcome of Japan's general election and how it will impact the future direction of Japanese domestic politics and foreign policy. 🗓️ Register here: bit.ly/45HEAPT
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CSIS Japan Chair @japan.csis.org · 30/01/2026
📢 Save the Date: Feb 9 at 8:00 - 9:00 am EST The CSIS Japan Chair invites you to join a virtual discussion on Japan's February 8 general election results featuring @kristigovella.bsky.social, @cmcclean.bsky.social, & Nicholas Szechenyi. Click here for more information: bit.ly/45HEAPT
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CSIS Japan Chair @japan.csis.org · 29/01/2026
The @csis.org Japan Chair program is pleased to welcome @cmcclean.bsky.social as a Non-resident Adjunct Fellow. Dr. McClean is an assistant professor at @yale.edu with expertise in Japanese domestic politics, the politics of age, and youth political representation: bit.ly/3ZJxOWh
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
A great piece by my colleague Grace Kao (Sociology) on K-pop, soft power, and Japan-Korea diplomacy—sparked by the now-famous drum duet between Prime Minister Takaichi and President Lee. Glad to be quoted. www.koreaherald.com/article/1065...
koreaherald.com
[Grace Kao] Polyrhythmic diplomacy of K-pop in Korea-Japan ties
A week ago, South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drummed to “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” and BTS’ 2020 smash si
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Anna Yorozuya and I are delighted to share that we're hosting the Japan Conference for Social Scientists on May 29-30 @yalemacmillan.bsky.social CEAS. 🗓️ Apply by Feb. 13: macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/eve...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
At 34, Zohran Mamdani is New York's youngest mayor in over a century. Over 2 million people voted—the most since 1969—fueled in part by strong youth turnout. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
nytimes.com
New York City Has Not Elected a Mayor This Young in More Than a Century
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
As Japan's first female prime minister, Takaichi has appointed Katayama as the first female finance minister. Yet only two cabinet members are women—unchanged from Ishiba's outgoing cabinet. Not quite the "Nordic levels" of women's representation that Takaichi campaigned on...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
I spoke with @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social for this story on Takaichi, which also features great insights from Christina Davis @harvardusjapan.bsky.social, @mireyasolis.bsky.social, @kristigovella.bsky.social, and @sheilasmithcfr.bsky.social thedispatch.com/newsletter/m...
thedispatch.com
Japan’s Iron Lady
Sanae Takaichi is set to inherit a Japan reshaped by inflation, weak growth, and political turnover.
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Program on US-Japan Relations, Harvard University @harvardusjapan.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Director Christina Davis, Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social (2020-21), Kristi Govella @kristigovella.bsky.social (2017-18), and Sheila Smith @sheilasmithcfr.bsky.social (Distinguished Visitor, 2013-14) are quoted in The Dispatch article, "Japan's Iron Lady." tinyurl.com/yf3vmjpt
tinyurl.com
Japan’s Iron Lady
Sanae Takaichi is set to inherit a Japan reshaped by inflation, weak growth, and political turnover.
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Yesterday, we were delighted to welcome James Raymo (Princeton) to @yale.edu to kick off two series: - Population Studies Workshop @ispsyale.bsky.social - Japan as Future @yalemacmillan.bsky.social His talk focused on divorce, remarriage, and fertility in #Japan isps.yale.edu/events/2025/...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
With Ishiba resigning, Japan is set to have its 4th new PM in 5 years. Notably, his minority coalition hasn't been unusually short by comparative standards—at 343 days so far, it's longer than the 327-day average in Europe (per our study). link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com
Minority Governments Revisited
Despite decades of scholarship on coalition bargaining in parliamentary democracies, minority governments remain a puzzle. From the 1970s on, cross-national empirical scholarship has shown minority go...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Excited to be co-organizing the new @ispsyale.bsky.social Population Studies Workshop with @dremmazang.bsky.social. We've got a fantastic lineup for the year—take a look!
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
Japan elected a record 42 women to the Upper House—a step forward for gender representation. But our article shows how visible progress in some areas can coexist with deeper patterns of inequality. @takadanobaba.bsky.social, @clsturtz.bsky.social, Charles Crabtree academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...
academic.oup.com
Selective development goals: examining Japan’s SDG implementation gaps
Abstract. In this article, we consider how efforts by the Japanese government and private sector to make the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
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Social Science Japan Journal @ssjj-jrnl.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Newly published, this paper by Paul Christensen, Cindi SturtzSreetharan, Charles Crabtree and Charles McClean looks at the implementation of the SDGs in Japan: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...
academic.oup.com
Selective development goals: examining Japan’s SDG implementation gaps
Abstract. In this article, we consider how efforts by the Japanese government and private sector to make the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
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Paul Christensen @takadanobaba.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
I wrote an article on the absurdity of Japan's use of the SDGs with @clsturtz.bsky.social, @cmcclean.bsky.social, and Charles Crabtree. We think it's pretty good... Selective development goals: examining Japan’s SDG implementation gaps url: academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...
academic.oup.com
Validate User
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Excited to join Yale Young Global Scholars again this year (@yale.edu)! I’ll be giving three talks on youth representation to 450 high school students from over 60 countries. Looking forward to hearing whether they’d ever consider running for office.
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Yusaku Horiuchi @yusakuhoriuchi.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
The Experimental Research section of the American Political Science Association (@experimentsapsa.bsky.social) invites research proposals from post-prospectus PhD students for its Experimental Research Early-Career Fellowship program. Share this post! @apsa.bsky.social, @poscresearch.bsky.social
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Stanford APARC @aparc.stanford.edu · 17/04/2025
Looking forward to hosting @cmcclean.bsky.social‬ next week. Join us and hear why younger politicians are so rare in countries like Japan and how this shortage shapes democracy and social policy 👇
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Excited to visit @fsi.stanford.edu @aparc.stanford.edu on Monday to discuss my book project on youth representation and its implications for policymaking and democracy. aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/silve...
aparc.fsi.stanford.edu
Silver Democracy: Youth Representation in an Aging Japan
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
And thank you, @alexmathieu.bsky.social, for all your help organizing this series—looking forward to working with you on next year's as well! 🙏
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Thank you to our 5 speakers for joining this year's @yalemacmillan.bsky.social CEAS Japan as Future series! 🙏 @tomphuongle.bsky.social Henry Laurence (Bowdoin) Junko Kato @utokyoofficial.bsky.social Erin Chung (Johns Hopkins) @kmcelwain.bsky.social Grateful to Japan Foundation for their support!
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
📌 Japan Lecture Series @yalemacmillan.bsky.social Join us for a talk by @kmcelwain.bsky.social on public attitudes toward constitutional revision and their implications for democratic governance. 🗓️ Thu, April 10 🕛 12–1:30pm 📍 ISPS A002 🍣 Lunch provided! 🔗 macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/eve...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
📌 Japan Lecture Series @yalemacmillan.bsky.social Excited to host Erin Aeran Chung (Johns Hopkins) for a talk on how Japan's model of immigration control is increasingly becoming the norm globally. 🗓️ Wed, April 2 🕛 12–1:30pm 📍 Luce 202 🍣 Lunch provided! 🔗 macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/eve...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
📌 Japan Lecture Series @yalemacmillan.bsky.social Delighted to host Junko Kato @utokyoofficial.bsky.social this Monday for a talk on taxation, redistribution, and the politics of Japan’s welfare state. 🗓️ Mon, March 24 🕒 12:00–1:30pm 📍 Luce 202 🍣 Lunch provided! 🔗 macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/eve...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Great discussions last week at Wesleyan on deepening US-Japan ties beyond security! I discussed my book's focus on gerontocracy and the struggle to get young people involved in politics—key challenges for both countries. Thanks to everyone who joined!
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Appreciate the shoutout, @polbehavior.bsky.social—thanks for sharing!
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Excited to visit Wesleyan tomorrow for this symposium on deepening the non-military aspects of US-Japan relations! 🇺🇸🇯🇵 I'll be discussing how cooperation on population aging and youth political engagement can strengthen the alliance. Join us in person or via Zoom: wesleyan.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
I had a great time discussing my book project at Georgetown! Grateful to everyone who came for their questions and feedback, and special thanks to Trevor Incerti for the invitation!
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
📅 For the next event in our @yalemacmillan.bsky.social #Japan lecture series, I'm excited to host Henry Laurence (Bowdoin College) on Monday, March 3 Prof. Laurence will discuss the politics of public broadcasting in Japan and Britain, comparing NHK with the BBC macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/eve...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
I'm looking forward to visiting Georgetown's Asian Studies Program in the School of Foreign Service this Thursday (2/27) to discuss my book project on youth representation and its impact on policymaking and democracy. If you're in DC, hope you can join us! www.eventbrite.com/e/silver-dem...
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Alexandra Mathieu @alexmathieu.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Come hear me talk about international status, perception, and the Olympics!
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
📅 This Wednesday (2/26), I'm delighted to chair a talk featuring our Japan Foundation @yalemacmillan.bsky.social postdoc @alexmathieu.bsky.social! She'll share her fascinating work on how personal biases and international status concerns shape public preferences. macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/eve...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Great to kick off our Japan lecture series @yalemacmillan.bsky.social with @tomphuongle.bsky.social He gave a fantastic talk on Japan's "antimilitarism ecosystem" and how it constrains efforts to strengthen the Self-Defense Forces 📖 His book explores this further: cup.columbia.edu/book/japans-...
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Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
📅 This Monday (1/27), I’m excited to launch a new Japan lecture series @yalemacmillan.bsky.social! Our first speaker, @tomphuongle.bsky.social, will discuss Japan's remilitarization debate, drawing on research on security policy, war memory, and demographic change macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/eve...
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Daniel Mattingly @mattingly.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Interested in a social science Ph.D.? Apply to be a full time Predoctoral Fellow at Yale doing research on China's domestic and foreign politics! Starts on July 1. Link: tobin.yale.edu/opportunitie...
tobin.yale.edu
CSAP Predoc: Domestic and Foreign Politics of China
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