U.S. Elections Insights

U.S. Elections Insights
A national election—especially a presidential election—raises important policy questions and priorities, debated by the candidates, discussed by voters and enacted by the new administration. More taxes or fewer? Embrace immigration or resist it? Pro-business or pro-environment? Free-market versus government regulation? The list goes on and on.

In every corner of the Maxwell School are experts on these topics. Presented below are clips featuring Maxwell faculty speaking to various aspects of U.S. presidential elections.
Banks quoted in USA Today article on use of the Insurrection Act
The Insurrection Act allows the president to dispatch the military or federalize the National Guard in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law. If Trump were plotting to invoke the act in some effort to prevent the transition of power to Biden, he'd have to declare it, as part of the provision in the act requiring essentially a public cease and desist order for the insurrectionists, says Professor Emeritus William C. Banks. "He couldn't do this surreptitiously. He would have to make a public proclamation and that would expose his objectives and partisan rationale," he says. Read more in the USA Today article, "What is the Insurrection Act and how could Trump use it? Here's what to know."
1/13/2021

Thorson quoted in National Geographic article on conspiracy theories
Once people believe something, it can be almost impossible to dissuade them. Emily Thorson, assistant professor of political science, refers to this psychological phenomenon as belief echoes—an "obsessive, emotional response to information that can linger even after we know it’s false." Thorson was quoted in the National Geographic article, "Why people latch on to conspiracy theories, according to science."
1/11/2021

Gadarian discusses Rep. Stefanik's loyalty to Trump with NCPR
On Monday, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who represents New York's 21st congressional district, announced her plans to object during the electoral count on Wednesday. Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science, spoke with North Country Public Radio (NCPR) about the significance of Stefanik's objection to the electoral count and her loyalty to Trump. "I think she's [Stefanik] really kind of set her course as being part of this kind of Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz part of the Republican party at this point, and it will be harder to say, 'I work in a bipartisan way,'" says Gadarian. "That doesn't necessarily mean you'll be voted out, but it will mean that you have chosen sides at this point."
1/8/2021

Radcliffe piece on Sen. Cruz, electoral process published in The Hill
In his article, "The one question Sen. Cruz must answer," Dana Radcliffe, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs, says Cruz and the refractory senators who object to counting the votes in certain states need to answer this question in detail: "How does your forcing votes in which you know Congress will defeat your objections and dismiss your proposal in any way serve your express goals of 'supporting election integrity' and 'restoring faith in our democracy,' which you grant are necessary to protect the legitimacy of future administrations?"
1/8/2021

Maxwell faculty speak to the media about violence at the US Capitol
Several Maxwell faculty members spoke with various media outlets about yesterday's violence at the U.S. Capitol. Professor Emeritus William C. Banks said the fiasco was a "lawless threat" to the country's democratic institutions. "I hope and believe that this pointless and damaging spectacle will further diminish Trump and Trumpism going forward," he told China Daily. Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science, told WAER, "People are disappointed when their candidates lose. There's no question about that, and believe me, I've been on the losing side of many elections. But this has gone beyond that. This has gone beyond to what can only be called fanaticism."
1/7/2021

White comments on Georgia runoff election in The 74, La Tercera
The results of Tuesday's runoff election in Georgia will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate. Even if the Democrats gain control, they’ll still be looking for support from moderate Republicans. "Senators who are willing to vote with the other side will certainly find themselves getting a lot of attention and likely very favorable treatment of any issues that disproportionately affect their states," Assistant Professor of Political Science Steven White told The 74. He also spoke to La Tercera about the runoff election in Georgia.
1/6/2021

Banks quoted in Military Times article on martial law, new election
Earlier this week, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn promoted the idea that the U.S. military should oversee a new nationwide presidential election, ordered under martial law by President Donald Trump. The idea is "preposterous," says William C. Banks. "Apart from the fact that state and now federal investigators have found no evidence of election fraud that would change the election outcome, martial law has no place in the United States absent a complete breakdown of civil governing mechanisms," he says. Banks was quoted in the Military Times article, "Calls for martial law and US military oversight of new presidential election draws criticism."
12/4/2020

O'Keefe writes about the presidential transition in Breaking Defense
"Each day we tolerate President Trump’s behavior we aren’t just humoring an incumbent who refuses to accept the election results. We are putting American citizens at risk," says University Professor Sean O'Keefe, who served in two Republican administrations. "The consequence of Trump’s anchor dragging will be to diminish the standing of the United States as a mature, stable and principled democracy with the resilience to responsibly govern the republic regardless of who occupies the office of the president." O'Keefe's article, "Biden Transition: We Can’t Afford Time To Humor Trump," was published in Breaking Defense.
11/18/2020

Jackson op-ed on protectionism, white femininity published in Truthout
"As the majority of white women continue to support candidates whose policies stand in opposition to the concerns and experiences of vulnerable populations in the United States, there remains a proclivity among progressives to protect them from criticism," writes Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science. Their op-ed, "Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised," was published in Truthout.
11/18/2020

Reeher weighs in on NY's relationship with Biden in Press Republican
Under Biden the state could find itself having a much more responsive federal government, and a number of Democrats, not just Cuomo, could be among the beneficiaries, says Professor Grant Reeher. "It certainly gives the state a much louder voice in Washington," he says. And that is expected to be the case even if national Republicans keep control of the U.S. Senate, via two special runoff elections slated to be held in early January, Reeher adds. Read more in the Press Republican article, "Biden could give Albany more influence."
11/18/2020

Murrett talks to GovExec about presidential transition activities
Professor Robert Murrett says he "would be more concerned" if the president-elect was someone other than Biden since he "is so familiar with the national security arena" from his tenure as vice president and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. However, Murrett says he is very concerned about the "exodus" of top officials at the Pentagon along with "the number of non-Senate confirmed acting officials we have across government" during this notably vulnerable time period. Read more in the Government Executive article, "Pressure Continues to Mount for GSA to Ascertain Biden as Presidential Election Winner."
11/17/2020

Banks comments on election results in China Daily
Professor Emeritus William Banks says it is highly unlikely that Trump can do anything to change the outcome of the election. "It remains to be seen how his supporters react," Banks says. "It is too soon to tell." Read more in the China Daily article, "Biden urges unity after presidential election win."
11/13/2020

Gadarian provides post-election commentary on TRT World, WAER
"These baseless accusations of electoral fraud do a lot of damage to the public’s belief in the electoral system and in democracy itself," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science. "And that is extremely damaging to our democracy." Gadarian was interviewed for the TRT World segment, "How Biden Beat Trump." She was also interviewed for the WAER segment, "What Can Trump Achieve or Get Away with During Lame Duck Presidency?"
11/12/2020

Flores-Lagunes comments on October jobs report in MarketWatch
A stronger than expected October jobs report showed declining national jobless rates, and unemployment declines across all major worker demographics. According to Professor Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, improving jobs numbers may have "some explanatory power for the good showing by the president on election night." But there could be other factors too, like the campaign’s outreach efforts. "Just to be sure to make clear, we are nowhere out of the woods in this pandemic-induced recession," he adds. Read more in the MarketWatch article, "October jobs report suggests why some Black and Latino voters voted for Trump."
11/10/2020

Jacobson weighs in on the firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper in FP
On Monday, President Trump announced that he fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, amid lingering tensions between them. "You’re trying to have as seamless a transition as possible. Don’t do things that make the system more chaotic," says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean for Washington programs at the Maxwell School. "Our enemies are going to take note of that, they know that now is a particularly vulnerable time." Jacobson was quoted in the Foreign Policy article, "Trump Fires His Embattled Pentagon Chief by Tweet."
11/10/2020

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