Maxwell School News and Commentary
Filtered by: Federal
Taylor Discusses President Trump, Causes of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine With Forbes, USA Today
“Trump’s contention that Ukraine’s hope of joining NATO ‘caused the war to start’ is a claim that is often made, but one that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. “Given that there was no serious prospect of Ukraine joining NATO between 2008 and 2022, it’s hard to see how Ukraine’s hope of joining NATO at some point in the future caused the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.”
See related: Conflict, Federal, Global Governance, International Affairs, International Agreements, Russia, Ukraine, United States
Williams Talks to Washington Post About Improper Sharing of Sensitive Government Documents
The breach indicates a general need to strengthen safety training measures for government workers who must live and work in a digital age, says Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. “The danger of this kind of mistake is a challenge across all administrations,” he says.
See related: Federal, U.S. National Security, United States
Khalil Speaks With CBS News About US Strikes on Yemen, Nuclear Talks Between the US and Iran
“Now the Trump administration is claiming this is an attempt to pressure Iran but it's unclear to me, quite frankly, by bombing a port, killing paramedics and port workers, is somehow going to pressure Iran in negotiations,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history. “If the United States wants to neotiate with Iran, it should negotiate with Iran. There's no reason to be bombing Yemen to do that.”
Gueorguiev and McFate Quoted in Radio Free Europe Article on China’s Control of Rare Earth Minerals
“What oil was to the 20th century, rare earth minerals are to the 21st,” says Sean McFate, adjunct professor in Maxwell's Washington programs. “Microchips, green technology, and quantum computing all require rare earths, and China has the bulk of them. It's a national security imperative that goes beyond the stock market.”
See related: China, Federal, International Affairs, Trade, United States
McDowell Discusses the Mar-a-Lago Accord and the US Dollar in Deutsche Welle Interview
Part of the Mar-a-Lago Accord is essentially the goal to reduce U.S. debt service costs by forcing other countries to exchange existing U.S. bonds for 100-year, low- or no-interest bonds. “This is such an unprecedented idea. This is, in my opinion, the most kind of fantastical part of this,” says Daniel McDowell, Maxwell Advisory Board Professor of International Affairs.
See related: Economic Policy, Federal, International Affairs, Trade, U.S. Foreign Policy, United States
Banks Weighs In on Trump’s Get-Tough Approach to Student Protests in USA Today Article
Williams Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs, says chilling student protests risks quieting the country's conscience. Protests might be sometimes-inconvenient or messy, but young people have long provided a valuable values check about what the United States stands for, he says.
See related: Civil Rights, Federal, International Affairs, Law, Social Justice, U.S. Education, United States
Lovely Speaks to China Daily About the Impact of President Trump’s Tariffs
“In some sectors, tariffs create no new jobs in the U.S., as trade is diverted to third countries rather than inducing new domestic production,” says Mary Lovely, professor emerita of economics.
See related: Canada, China, Federal, International Affairs, Latin America & the Caribbean, Tariffs, Trade, United States
Monarch Speaks With Newsweek and NY Post About Trump’s Tariffs, Rising Prices
See related: Federal, International Affairs, Tariffs, Trade, United States
McDowell Article on Trump Administration’s ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’ Published by Atlantic Council
“The public is not enthusiastic about a depreciating currency, even if that means more exports. This implies that a core component of a Mar-a-Lago Accord—a sustained weakening of the dollar—could pose political risks for Trump,” writes Professor of Political Science Daniel McDowell and his co-author, David Steinberg.
See related: Economic Policy, Federal, International Affairs, Trade, United States
Cohen Quoted in the Guardian and USA Today Articles About Trump’s Tariffs
“The U.S. has long used tariffs to collect revenue, aid manufacturing and exert power,” says Andrew Cohen, professor of history. “But I can’t think of a trade war initiated so randomly in a time of peace and prosperity.”
See related: Federal, International Affairs, Tariffs, United States