Maxwell School News and Commentary

"Partisanship is determining how citizens respond to COVID-19, and this divided response puts every American at risk," Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science, and her co-authors write. "If America’s political elite cannot come together, the costs of COVID-19 will be disproportionately felt in those places where Republicans did not act." 

Grant Reeher, professor of political science, says that while the primary focus needs to be on the human cost of the crisis, "it is in fact a very good natural experiment to answer the question of how deep our polarization goes — and the answer is, very damn deep."

Gary Pudles '84 B.A. (PSt) is the president and CEO of AnswerNet, a call center outsourcer operating throughout North America. AnswerNet was awarded a large contract to make outbound calls for the State of New York to book appointments for COVID-19 testing. 

Most of the time...America’s military forces have remained in the background, waiting for direction from civilian leaders to respond to crises and then only in limited ways," says William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs. "That’s by design. We train soldiers to fight and win wars and deter threats overseas."

"We're looking at a labor market catastrophe right now here in the United States," says Professor of Economics Mary Lovely. "What we seem to need right now is employment support to keep these people attached to their employers and able to get back to work relatively quickly when the economy comes back." 

James E. Baker, director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law talked to the New York Times regarding the federal governments, authority over the security of our medical supply chain, amid urging by State and local authorities.

"Tariff rollbacks signal a desire to reduce mounting U.S.-China trade tensions, offering a much-needed model of global cooperation at a time of shared crisis," writes Mary Lovely, professor of economics.

"The Insurrection Act may be invoked only following an invasion, insurrection or widespread domestic violence," says William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs. "Only if states attempt to leave the Union would state defiance enable Insurrection Act authority. Otherwise the states control their citizens' health, welfare and safety."

"The divide in anxiety along partisan lines is very troubling," and that it is "likely to continue until the president and conservative media allow the health experts to lead the messaging," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science.

"There’s a real question as to the economic capacity in both countries [right now]," says Mary Lovely, professor of economics, adding that "it’s hopeful that the officials are saying that they still intend to meet these obligations."