Political Science News and Events

Grant Reeher, professor of political science, argues Pres. Trump's declining approval ratings on the economy are about more than just the recent economic impact of the war with Iran, saying it is "the cumulative effect of a host of policies that have not enjoyed widespread support, combined with rhetoric that has turned a lot of people off." 

Minju Kim, assistant professor of political science, has written Taming the Careerists: The Politics of Foreign Policy Implementation (Cambridge University Press, 2026). The book asks how the design of employment contracts, specifically, the features that strengthen or weaken job protections, shapes bureaucratic behavior and, in turn, American foreign policy. 

Trump’s age is a “peripheral issue” when it comes to evaluating his presidency, says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. “Concerns about the administration are not about cognitive decline but rather WHAT he IS doing, in terms of policy, funding and rhetoric,” he says.