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Prepare for crises, speakers tell Humphrey Fellows
The global pandemic kept Humphrey Fellows from gathering at Syracuse University for an annual workshop on crisis management. But a virtual program taught lessons relevant to the ongoing public health crisis as well as strategies to prepare for future crises. The workshop, the ninth Maxwell has hosted, took place in nine two-hour remote sessions over three weeks rather than one week. Twenty-one Humphrey Fellows representing 19 countries and 11 host campuses participated in the program. Fellows reflect a wide range of academic interests, including education, media, health care, economics, politics and public policy.
4/19/2021

Heflin research on housing insecurity cited in Common Dreams article
Professor Colleen Heflin's co-authored Lerner Center research brief, "Housing Insecurity During the Coronavirus Response," was cited in the Common Dreams article, "New York to Offer Undocumented Migrants Up to $15,600 in Pandemic Relief." Heflin and co-author Lauryn Quick found that from late April through mid-July, nearly one in five households in New York state and 22% in the New York City metropolitan area reported not being able to afford last month's housing payment.
4/19/2021

Thompson discusses 19th century distrust of nuns in Global Sisters Rpt
In the 19th century, immigrant nuns were viewed with profound hostility by members of the Protestant establishment. To suspicious Protestants, women religious were obvious stand-ins for Catholicism, says Margaret S. Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. "They are highly visible, there are more of them than priests, they wear habits, they look different, which is highly suspicious, and they don't marry. They give women options outside of marriage. So, in that sense, they are dangerous," she says. Thompson was interviewed for the Global Sisters Report article, "At America's Door: How nuns, once suspect, won the heart of non-Catholic America."
4/19/2021

Michelmore provides insight on child tax credit in Gender Policy Rpt
"A Bigger Child Tax Credit Gives Families Flexibility," written by Katherine Michelmore, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs, was published by the Gender Policy Report. "A policy that provides an unconditional monthly cash benefit gives parents more flexibility to choose an arrangement that works best for their families," says Michelmore. "Regardless of which path families choose, a long line of research suggests that providing families, particularly low-income families, with extra income will benefit families and children in the long term through better education, higher earnings in the future, lower crime rates, and better health," she says.
4/19/2021

Maxwell students named Class of 2022 Senior Class Marshals
A longstanding tradition honoring two exemplar seniors, the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience announces today the selection of Ava Breitbeck, a political science major, and Morgan Storino, a citizenship and civic engagement major, as the Class of 2022 Senior Class Marshals. In this role, Breitbeck and Storino serve as the all-University representatives for their graduating class and will lead Syracuse University’s 168th Commencement ceremony.
4/16/2021

Radcliffe quoted in Marketplace piece on companies, voter restrictions
Earlier this week, hundreds of companies and executives, including Amazon, Netflix and Starbucks, published a signed statement opposing "any discriminatory legislation" that would make it harder for people to vote. Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, JPMorgan Chase and Walmart are some of the companies that did not sign the statement. Dana Radcliffe, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs, says that although taking a stand can be tricky, "if companies are dragging their feet or not getting involved when fundamental questions of democracy are at stake, that could be a long-term threat." Read more in the Marketplace article, "What drives corporations to sign — or not sign — a letter opposing voting restrictions?"
4/15/2021

Jacobson discusses the removal of US troops from Afghanistan on MSNBC
President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that all U.S. troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by September 11, 2021. Some experts don't agree with the policy. "I just think that he [Biden] has been given, by his team, a false binary choice: either we stay indefinitely with a massive commitment, or we leave," says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean for Washington Programs. "And there's a lot of areas in between, a lot of work we can do that is beyond that binary choice," he says. Watch the full interview on MSNBC. Jacobson also wrote an article for Defense One, "It Was Never All or Nothing in Afghanistan," and was interviewed on Australia's ABC Radio National for the segment, "US to withdraw troops from Afghanistan on September 11."

4/15/2021

Gadarian speaks to City & State about NY State Sen. Rachel May
As a representative, Sen. Rachel May is responsible for balancing the competing ideologies and perspectives in the 53rd district, which includes the City of Syracuse. She made her case as a candidate to push for progressive legislation typically associated with downstate Democrats, while also representing parts of rural Central New York. "There are appealing things about the progressive agenda that May and others have that speaks to the economic struggles of places in the City of Syracuse," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science. "That may be less appealing to people, say in the far suburbs, north of the city." Read more in the City & State article, "Rachel May, a different kind of upstate Democrat."
4/14/2021

Reeher quoted in Newsday article on Gov. Cuomo's budget
Gov. Andrew Cuomo adopted a $212 billion state budget last week that raised spending $18 billion, or nearly 10%. "New York had a significant budget problem prior to COVID and Cuomo was already warning about it," says Professor Grant Reeher. "Then COVID hit. Then the federal government comes in with enough money to cover it and the left reacts by spending even more money and raising taxes to do it." Read more in the Newsday article, "State budget fallout: A weakened Cuomo, emboldened lawmakers."
4/14/2021

Koch talks to Middle East Institute about UAE's citizenship initiative
On Jan. 30, 2021, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, announced an amendment to the law that is designed to entice and retain foreigners by permitting a select group of expatriates to become Emirati citizens without giving up their original nationality. Natalie Koch, associate professor of geography and the environment, says the move should not be seen as a surprise but "as a logical extension of the Emirati government’s effort to encourage high-net-worth individuals to invest and reside in the UAE." Koch was quoted in the Middle East Institute's article, "Breaking the citizenship taboo in the UAE."
4/14/2021

Murrett weighs in on the size of China's naval fleet in Military Times
Citing the Office of Naval Intelligence, a Congressional Research Service report from March notes that the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, was slated to have 360 battle force ships by the end of 2020, dwarfing the U.S. fleet of 297 ships. When it comes to fleet size, Robert Murrett, professor of practice of public administration and international affairs, says that China’s fleet largely remains in its backyard, while a good number of the U.S. force is underway around the world, making a number-to-number assessment incomplete. Read more in the Military Times article, "China’s navy has more ships than the US. Does that matter?"
4/13/2021

Keck discusses Supreme Court reform, crises of democracy in Wash Post
President Biden issued an executive order forming the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, comprised of a bipartisan group of experts on the Court and the Court reform debate. History shows that debates over changing the Court’s size and structure have generally taken place during periods of crisis in American democracy. "Throughout U.S. history, crises of democracy have prompted discussions of Supreme Court reform because the court itself has often been perceived as a barrier to democratic preservation and renewal," writes Professor Thomas Keck. His article, "Biden is considering overhauling the Supreme Court. That’s happened during every crisis in U.S. democracy," was published in the Washington Post.
4/13/2021

Taylor explores impact of Putin’s new constitution in Foreign Affairs
In 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin solved his "2024 problem"—the legal constraint to standing for reelection in 2024. He did so by ramming through a constitutional overhaul that nullified the previous term limit—a special provision designed especially for him. "Putin’s solution to the 2024 problem was for his own benefit, but it also was designed to reassure Russia’s political and economic elite. They were dreading a potentially treacherous succession crisis that might put their power, wealth, and freedom at risk," writes Professor Brian Taylor. "Resetting Putin’s presidential clock does little for the Russian people, however," he says. Read more in Taylor's article, "Putin’s Rules of the Game: The Pitfalls of Russia’s New Constitution," published in Foreign Affairs.
4/13/2021

Faricy research cited in Forbes article on American Rescue Plan
"The Other Side of the Coin: Public Opinion toward Social Tax Expenditures" (Russel Sage Foundation, 2021), co-authored by Christopher Faricy, associate professor of political science, was cited in the Forbes article, "Making The Most Of A Crisis, Biden Links Recovery And Tax Reform." Faricy and co-author Christopher Ellis (Bucknell University) have judged the American Rescue Plan to be "the largest expansion to the American welfare state in a generation."
4/12/2021

Burman comments on rising national debt in Christian Science Monitor
National debt is surging yet economists are less worried about it. One reason is that interest rates have fallen to near record lows, making the cost of borrowing virtually free. That could prove to be an advantage, especially if the money is spent on investments, such as infrastructure, that can grow the economy in the future. "Investing in better roads, bridges, dams, electrical infrastructure, all of that stuff, clearly, those investments pay returns over a long period of time," says Professor Leonard Burman. "Investing in better education, if you can do it, pays returns over the course of decades." Read more in the Christian Science Monitor article, "National debt is surging higher. Here’s why worry is heading lower."
4/8/2021

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