Maxwell School News and Commentary

Under Biden, New York state could find itself having a much more responsive federal government, and a number of Democrats, not just Cuomo, could be among the beneficiaries, says Grant Reeher, professor of political science.

The Cortland County flood map "might show a reasonable flood risk today, but since we don’t make those investment decisions with ramifications far into the future, the maps don’t really help us plan for a different climate," says Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science. "When we look at flood maps now, the conversations are about the insurance cost," Pralle says. Instead, "we have to get to the point where we talk about these things as risks and how to mitigate these things as well." Read more in the Cortland Standard article, "What Cortland County’s flood map does, and doesn’t, show." 

"Although cutting school bus service may seem like an 'easy' way to save money, educators and policymakers should wield the budget knife carefully," write Amy Ellen Schwartz, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Affairs, and her co-authors. 

"There is always higher turnout in a presidential election year, but what that will mean in any given district is less clear," says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. 

According to David Bennett, professor emeritus of history, immigrants "drew hostility because of their poverty; the diseases they brought with them after the perilous ocean voyage; [and] the slum housing they were forced to live in."

"This is just another example of the negative health impacts of structural racism," says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion. "Across all institutions, blacks are disadvantaged."

"The health care system is a utility," says Tom Dennison, professor of practice emeritus of public administration and international affairs. "We can’t starve it between crises and expect it to be viable when the time comes when we need the services."

“We always imagine that our programs have global reach. So many of our students come here from around the world. But this amazing response to the coronavirus emergency confirms Maxwell’s belief in global community,” said Xueyi Chen, who directs Executive Education’s China Program, after 100 Chinese alumni of the program shipped medical masks to Central New York.