Maxwell School News

William Banks, director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, was quoted in The New York Times article, "Trump Orders a Wall Built, but Congress Holds the Checkbook." In theory, Mr. Trump could order the military to spend extra money to protect national security, then move around the funding within the bureaucracy to pay for a wall built by the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Banks said.

Margaret S. Thompson, associate professor of history and political science, believes the nearly 3 million women and men who came out to Women's Marches nationwide will impact the future. “If even 10% of those actually become actively involved, in talking with their representative and lobbying for policies that they think are important, we’re going to see some remarkable change.”

“There seems to be, based on some of the public comments (Trump) has made, a focus on reducing the period over which someone is responsible for loans so that people that can’t afford to don’t have to continue repaying loans for an extended period, although the burden may be higher during the repayment period,” said Michah Rothbart, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs.

University Professor Sean O’Keefe says that the new administration faces challenges such as standardizing information technology, the consequences of budget decisions and talent acquisition.

"I think a good working definition of civility is a baseline of respect that we owe one another in public life, and that has long been the definition of civility," says Keith Bybee, professor of political science.

"By voting against the repeal bill last week, Katko can maintain a fig leaf of independence, while doing nothing to actually stop his Republican colleagues from enacting policies that will be disastrous for his constituents," writes Thomas M. Keck, the Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law & Politics.

"Anti-SAFE Act signs still dot the upstate countryside...That speaks to the 'cultural differences' that often lead to very different voting patterns in upstate and downstate communities," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, about Upstate New York opposition to Governor Cuomo's gun-control law.

Corri Zoli, research director for the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, thinks there will be a significant return to the default mode of deterrence under Trump.

Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science, says it won't be easy for Trump to withhold money from sanctuary cities as there are numerous conditions, privacy laws and civil rights protections he will need to navigate.

"To some degree... both [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Donald Trump] sought to mobilize their potential followers and defeat their adversaries as one waged a struggle for civil rights for African Americans and the other for winning a national presidential election," says Louis Kriesberg, professor emeritus of sociology.

Grant Reeher is featured in the Washington Examiner article, where he analyzes the effect of Trump's political maneuvering " According to Reeher, "He [Trump] needs to both challenge the status quo and be able to work within it in order to succeed.

"The survival of our democracy requires public confidence in the country's institutions—a confidence that has been shaken by this election. Cynicism promotes resignation and non-participation and a dangerous and thoughtless acceptance of facile, misleading and false promises," writes James Roger Sharp, professor emeritus of history.

Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher says that presidential candidate Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's drive and focus could make her a "legitimate contender" in 2020.

Donald Dutkowsky, professor of economics, said that Syracuse University has been mostly self-sustaining for many years with funding primarily from tuition and donations, and that President Trump's education policies will not necessarily be a big player in SU’s operations.

"There's no reason to think that once elected, he [President Trump] would turn on a dime and act like all previous president-elects, when he did not act like previous candidates," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.