Saturday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Saturday, April 18, 2026
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1 comment
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About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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BlueSky.
The Black Death may have been propagated by massive volcanic eruption(s) in the tropics. It’s very possible that the volcanic ash lead to a vitamin D deficiency which left Europeans much more susceptible to disease.