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Maxwell School News and Commentary

Filtered by: International Affairs

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.

April 23, 2025

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.

April 17, 2025

Arctic Training with Canadian Troops Complements International Studies

Graduate student Connor McNeil took part in the three-week exercise as a member of the Vermont Army National Guard. 

April 16, 2025

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.

April 14, 2025

Williams Article on Europe, Multilateral Nuclear Plans Published in Foreign Policy

“For 75 years, America’s NATO allies have relied on the U.S. nuclear arsenal to provide for the defense of Europe. This was never a terribly logical policy. The linchpin of the policy was a firm European belief in the steadfast commitment of Washington to the security of Europe. Today, that no longer holds,” says Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs.

April 10, 2025

Monarch Speaks With Newsweek and NY Post About Trump’s Tariffs, Rising Prices

Products whose import is “closer to the final consumer” such as clothing, apparel, furniture, toys and shoes can expect to see higher prices “fairly quickly, like in the next month or two,” says Ryan Monarch, assistant professor of economics. “The more complicated the product is, the longer it’s going to take for these price increases to show up.”
April 9, 2025

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.

April 7, 2025

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.”

April 7, 2025

Jok Discusses South Sudan’s Fragile Peace Agreement and Its President in Geeska, Reuters Articles

“Africa’s newest state has remained trapped in a cycle of civil unrest and perpetual peace agreements that have not translated into real peace for its citizens. As it stands, all indications are that the fragile peace is in danger, as President Salva Kiir has ordered the house arrest of his rival, Vice President Riek Machar,” says Jok Madut Jok, professor of anthropology.

April 2, 2025

William Talks to AP, Military Times and USA Today About Secure Communications and ‘SignalGate’

“There are people whose lives are literally on the line, whether that's service personnel, whether that's intelligence personnel,” says Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. “These guys are supposed to be leaders of the free world, the responsible leaders of the military, the greatest country in the world, and they can't perform basic operational security.”

April 1, 2025

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