Maxwell School News and Commentary

A single piece of information rarely changes anyone’s opinion, "whether it’s true-or false," says Emily Thorson, assistant professor of political science, "That’s a good thing." The idea that a handful of unreliable outlets were going to substantially alter views or behaviors "is pretty far-fetched, given what we know about the stability of people’s political attitudes," she adds.

"I think it is fair to say that the tax increase—assuming it is as big as Senator Sanders projects—is about as large as the [13-point] tax increases enacted to finance World War II," as measured as a share of GDP, says Leonard Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher likens the 2020 Democratic primary to the 2016 GOP primary when several rivals of then-candidate Donald Trump kept their campaigns alive for as long as possible in hopes of stopping the eventual nominee's rise.

"The general phenomenon is one where primary voters are wanting to make decisions among the candidates that are the viable ones. They want to be choosing among those who have a chance," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.

"One of the main lenses to look at political contributions is as investments. That often leads to big investors hedging their bets, which they often do," says Professor Grant Reeher. He was interviewed for the Modern Healthcare article, about healthcare executives and the political consequences of their campaign donations

Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, says that Senator Warren and Senator Sanders "are struggling for the same general bloc of Democratic voters, and Biden is offering an alternative to both of them—so it’s not like someone might abandon Sanders because of this conflict and then go to Biden." 

"The most important threat, in my view, of another Trump presidency is the unpredictability and uncertainty," says Áron Tóbiás, assistant professor of economics. "You can never know what happens next: what appears on Twitter, or what kind of trade policy is made."

"It solidifes their majority, and puts in place this idea that New York is just blue, full stop," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. "And it seems like it's going to be really tough for Republicans to make a real run at the governor's seat, given what we've seen in recent elections." 

"For those who believe in the rule of law and the importance of constitutional norms, his impeachment is nonetheless important because it upholds and reinforces the importance of those norms," says Professor Emeritus William Banks.

"On paper, you would say it has to hurt him [Trump] and there are public opinion data that back that up," says Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher. "But there are different ways this might be spun that we can’t predict right now. It could be that this mobilizes a set of voters in a way that helps Trump."