Scot Wilson

Scot is the Vice President of Academics at Close Up and began at the foundation in 2006. His main interests are political polarization, economic issues, and the relationship between culture and politics. He was born in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and lived in Italy and Spain before attending college at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. He received a B.A. in history and an M.A. in curriculum and instruction. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies at Indiana University where he is studying democratic and civic education and political philosophy. In addition to his work at Close Up, Scot is on the leadership group of the Teaching for Democracy Alliance, a coalition of civic education organizations working to promote teaching about elections and voting.

Posts by Scot Wilson:

Government & Elections

Young Americans’ Views of the Presidential Election

October 21, 2024

In this final post of a three-part series, we continue exploring the results of the “Reimagining Political Leadership: The Outlook of Young Americans” survey focused on the political attitudes of Americans aged 18-34. The survey was designed by the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics at American University in partnership with Future Caucus and the […]

Government & Elections

What Young Americans Seek in Political Leaders

October 02, 2024

On September 17, the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics at American University released results of a poll that focused on the views of Americans ages 18-34. The survey was designed by the Sine Institute in partnership with Future Caucus and Close Up Foundation and was based on interviews conducted by Generation Lab, a data […]

Government & Elections

Young Americans’ Views on U.S. Democracy

September 23, 2024

Economic Issues

Revisiting the Child Tax Credit

February 14, 2024

What is the Child Tax Credit Proposal? There is an ongoing bipartisan effort in Congress to pass legislation that would provide financial support for families with young children. The bill would allow parents and guardians to receive a larger tax credit of up to $2,000 with the entire credit being refundable. This would provide some […]

Government & Elections

The Congressional Border Deal

February 08, 2024

On Sunday, February 4, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled a compromise bill intended to address border security concerns and to provide further funding for Ukraine’s military defense against Russia.1 In this post, we will examine the immigration-related contents of the compromise legislation and explore different perspectives about the border security bill. What Is in […]

Foreign Policy

Middle East Conflict and the Regional and Global Impact

January 09, 2024

In the weeks since the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, Israel has conducted a military campaign with the stated goal of eradicating Hamas as both a military and governing organization.1 The death toll in Gaza currently stands at around 22,000 Palestinians and 170 Israeli soldiers, in addition to the more than 1,200 people Hamas […]

Foreign Policy

U.S. Politics and Policy During the Israel-Hamas Conflict: Part 1

November 21, 2023

This is the first in a series of posts that will explore complex domestic policy, foreign policy, and global issues connected to the Israel-Hamas conflict. In the United States, there has been significant discussion and debate about what to do, both in terms of foreign policy and on the domestic front. In this series, we […]

Executive Branch

Teaching and Discussing the Israel-Hamas Conflict

October 25, 2023

In last week’s post, we provided some background about what is happening in Israel and Gaza. In this week’s post, we offer some additional resources that could help students and teachers understand what is happening. Axios gathered a list of people, places, and terms that could help people engage with news stories about the conflict. U.S. […]

Government & Elections

Young Americans’ Views on the 2024 Presidential Election

October 13, 2023

Over the last two weeks, we have explored results from American University’s Reimagining the American Dream Survey, conducted in partnership with Close Up, the Generation Lab, and the Millennial Action Project. This third and final post will examine Gen Z’s’ 2024 election views and ideas. As a reminder, the survey from American University’s Sine Institute […]