"Individuals make decisions to apply for any visa, including but not limited to the diversity lottery visa. The decision is a difficult one, as is the process of receiving the visa," Elizabeth F. Cohen, associate professor of political science, says. "The application and vetting process are also complicated, suggesting that only highly capable and well-prepared individuals will succeed."

“No one’s ever lost an election on the deficit or the debt,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. “If the economy continues to rebound more strongly and voters start focusing on what they are getting out of the tax cut, that can be a powerful combination. To me, it’s not clear that we are headed for the [Democratic] tidal wave that some folks are predicting.”

The Hult Prize, known as “the Nobel Prize for student startups,” seeks out game-changing student social enterprises that compete to solve the world’s toughest challenges. Junior history major William Lee Mendes McKnight's Farm to Flame Energy, which aims build more sustainable rural economies by harnessing energy from locally grown crops, qualified to the regional finals.