Moynihan Institute News, Research and Commentary

"My impression is that his power and visibility have increased a lot since the start of the war in Ukraine," says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. "He's a much more public figure than a year ago, and I think that reflects his ambition. And, up to a certain point, the impression it has of its current usefulness."

"The decision of Germany to allow allies to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, as well as Berlin dispatching its own bilateral donation, is a significant symbol of allied commitment to Ukraine, but the implications of this move should not be exaggerated," says Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs.

"A bizarre situation with this balloon, in particular, is best understood as an attempt to kind of clarify what the terms of engagement are," says Dimitar Gueorguiev, associate professor of political science. "And what you’ve seen over the past couple of days is that surveillance aircraft at a certain level of altitude are now probably more likely to happen and are more at risk of being shot dow," he says.

"Delta Democracy: Pathways to Incremental Civic Revolution in Egypt Beyond" (Oxford University Press, 2020), written by Associate Professor of Public Administration and International Affairs Catherine Herrold, was reviewed in Democratization.

With [Chinese President] Xi now signaling a shift to less rancorous bilateral ties, “I expect [Xie Feng, China's new ambassador to the U.S.] to be more kumbaya-ish,” says Dimitar Gueorguiev, associate professor of political science and expert on Chinese elite politics.

In her recently published book, “Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia” (Verso, 2023), Maxwell School faculty member Natalie Koch explores the exchange of colonial technologies between the Arabian Peninsula and the United States over the last two centuries. 

"Because what we have been experiencing in recent years has been really historic levels of in terms of increase of the cost of living," says Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology. "And so this increased minimum wage doesn't reflect what we have all been experiencing, which is the rising cost of living."

"Nurses are really bargaining for the collective good. They are putting, first and foremost, patients' safety above all else and that was the breaking point—they've been working under less-than-ideal conditions that jeopardized the safety of patients," says Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology. 

“Pumping groundwater in Arizona remains largely unregulated,” writes Natalie Koch, professor of geography. “It’s this legal failing that, in part, allows the Saudi company to draw unlimited amounts of water to grow an alfalfa crop that feeds dairy cows 8,000 miles away.”

This article, written by Professor of Political Science Margarita Estévez-Abe and published in the Japanese Journal of Political Science, examines the biographies of female local politicians in Tokyo's 23 Special Ward assemblies to understand the rise of Mama Giin.

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, tells Newsweek that Zelensky's visit is "well-timed" and intends to signal that U.S. support remains strong, despite the Republican Party soon taking control of the House.

A. Peter Castro, professor of anthropology authored a chapter, "Revisiting The Long Illness of Ex-Chief Kiti: Some Reflections," in Ndirangu Wachanga's, "Micere Githae Mugo: Making Life Sing in Pursuit of Utu" (Ibadan: Bookcraft, 2022), pp. 336-343.

Prema Kurien was named director of the center as it received funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

The Center for Migration Studies presented Winders, professor of geography and the environment and associate provost for faculty affairs, with the award at its annual gala.

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, discusses the war’s progress, the state of the Russian economy, Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, Vladimir Putin’s view of Ukrainian sovereignty and other topics. 

Catherine Herrold, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, was a guest on the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) podcast and discussed her recent study, "Curating Sovereignty in Palestine: Voluntary Grassroots Organizations and Civil Society in the West Bank and East Jerusalem."

Chinese students do not necessarily come to the U.S. because they love America or are interested in it, Ma tells South China Morning Post. "They want to get American degrees," she says, and use them to get better jobs back home.

“This is not the kind of thing that is done unilaterally by people in counties,” Ryan Griffiths, associate professor of political science, tells the New York Post. “They have to get the state of Oregon on board and the state of Idaho, and that’s a very high bar.”

Osamah Khalil, associate professor of history, tells USA Today the meeting between the leaders could have an impact on the United States' efforts to garner more support for Ukraine.

"Trade liberalization and poverty reduction," authored by Professor of Economics Devashish Mitra, was published in IZA World of Labor.