Maxwell School News and Commentary

"Those who think international law can curb mercenarism are unrealistic. Even if we had solid laws (which we do not), who will go into Ukraine and arrest all those mercenaries? Not the UN or NATO. The market for force resists arrest, which is why mercenaries are the second oldest profession. Now they are back, and we must re-learn strategies to fight this unique form of warfare," writes Sean McFate, adjunct professor in Maxwell's Washington programs.

"What all of this adds up to is a really complicated rewiring of activity patterns where people who live in the hinterland have greater choice as to which big city they gravitate toward for employment/shopping/sports-team fandom, where they can more easily travel to the big city they find most appealing," says Anne Mosher, associate professor of geography and the environment.

"Despite brutal repression, protests in Iran continue. The ruling clergy can no longer rally the "masses" behind them, as they have successfully done since the 18th century." University Professor Hamid Ekbia examines the perspectives and dangers of the present revolution in Iran.

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is proud to announce its selection as an institute partner for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, the Maxwell School will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging public management leaders for a six-week Leadership Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. 

As we pass the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, numerous factors such as the Russian military’s poor performance, Putin’s botched mobilization, mounting casualties, economic challenges resulting from sanctions and export controls, and increasingly visible elite fissures are raising questions about the political stability of the Russian regime. Brian Taylor, professor of political science, weighs in.

"'Model minorities'" in the classroom? Positive evaluation bias towards Asian students and its consequences," co-authored by Ying Shi, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs, and Maria Zhu, assistant professor of economics, was published in the Journal of Public Economics.

"Nikki Haley has to negotiate the very thin line between differentiating herself from Donald Trump and still appealing to—or not alienating herself from—his supporters, who still constitute the vast majority of CPAC activists and GOP primary participants," says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science.

“When you can’t adapt to climate change at all and face interconnected issues surrounding loss and damage, the unbearable heaviness of climate coloniality is worsened,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment. “This means destruction, devastation and loss are so profound that one can’t finance one’s way out of it.”

The Maxwell School alumnus reflected on his life experiences and efforts to uplift others during a recent Renewing Democratic Community talk with Professor Chris Faricy.

While Russia’s use of the yuan doesn’t mean the end of dollar supremacy, it may usher in the beginning of a more fractured system that could ultimately blunt the U.S.’s ability to use financial sanctions as a weapon, says Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science.