Maxwell School News

Keith Bybee, professor of political science, says 6-3 rulings such as the immunity decision make the court appear more partisan in its decision-making. “But also, this majority is quite emboldened,” he says, rendering decisions that are “quite sweeping and overturn decades-old precedents” such as in the case of abortion.

“They [delegates] themselves are part of the party apparatus,“ says Shana Gadarian, professor of political science. “As with everything in politics in the United States, everything comes from the states. Occasionally you see a delegate make an individual decision and decide to vote for somebody else but that's pretty rare.”

“It sounds like they are going full force into campaign mode and are trying to play up the prosecutor versus the felon, the future versus the past, so you're starting to see some themes emerge,” says Christopher Faricy, professor of political science. 

“Harris will likely reinvigorate the energy and enthusiasm behind the campaign—one can feel that already,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. “The early fundraising is a good sign for her.”

“The Trump organization is a family business, but once he took office the first time, and then you could really see that he brought that into the political realm and into the White House,” says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment.

Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science, says that Biden’s endorsement of Kamala Harris means she will more than likely be the Democratic nominee in the November election. “Already we are hearing a lot of calls for unity, statements of enthusiasm, and a lot of speculation frankly about who might be the vice president. But I do not see a lot of noise around the candidate at the top,” she says.

“You don’t have to say that Trump all of a sudden is a perfect candidate, and doesn’t pose a potential threat to the electoral system, in saying he also shouldn’t be a victim of a crime,” says Shana Kushner Gadarian, professor of political science.

“These policies include mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and greatly reduced entry visas for working immigrants,” says Ryan Monarch, assistant professor of economics. “These policies would also lead to higher prices for everything from housing to groceries, as reduced labor supply in construction, agriculture and other sectors would lead to higher costs throughout the economy.“

Such hero worship benefits both the mythologized leader and followers, says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment. “By building up that cult and joining that and being part of that, they get a sense of community.”

“One could imagine it being a moment for the country—and the candidates—to reflect on the level of current divisiveness and to try to de-escalate. Or, it could also raise the level of hostility among Trump’s most ardent supporters, which in turn raises the level of reaction, and we end up even more divided,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science.

“A Research Roadmap Toward Improved Measures Of Disability,” co-authored by Associate Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, was published in Health Affairs.

“How Bureaucrats Represent Economic Interests: Partisan Control over Trade Adjustment Assistance,” authored by Assistant Professor of Political Science Minju KIM, was published in International Studies Quarterly.

“Trump seemed to bring almost every issue back to immigration and the harms he asserted were coming from that—that was obviously one of his main strategies. President Biden seemed to address different policy questions more in their own terms. He talked fast and in a staccato, hoarse whisper,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science.

In our most recent GenForward poll, “what they actually said [was most important to them] was income inequality and economic growth. It seems that what we saw four years ago has really shifted for young voters and they're more concerned now with how they're going to have economic longevity,” says Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science.

“We think the current civil service system is badly in need of reform. But the blueprints offered by both left and right are problematic. One side is firmly rooted in a status quo that (inadvertently or otherwise) impedes accountability, and the other could end up politicizing the very civil servants who should be politically neutral,” writes University Professor Sean O'Keefe and his co-authors.

Cybersecurity is an example of an area where risk never will be eliminated, explains Chris Mihm, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs. “The issue is if it’s being effectively managed by the agency, by the government,” he says. 

“Haley continuing to garner support after suspending her campaign may indicate that a significant number of normally loyal Republicans are not supportive of Trump,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.

“It seems almost definitely the case that Trump couldn’t be tried, convicted and sentenced [before the election],” says Thomas Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. 

“10 Ways to Better Understand How Shifting State Policy Contexts Affect Americans’ Health,” authored by University Professor Jennifer Karas Montez, was published in the Milbank Quarterly.

"The public hand-wringing versus the actual demonstrative support for Netanyahu's government, politically, diplomatically, militarily is going to be difficult for Biden," says Osamah Khalil, professor of history. "It would be very difficult for him to explain that to the base and energize the base to come out in November," he says.