Political Science News

Maxwell alums featured in WSYR-TV series Victory Over Violence

Abdul Saboor '18 BA (PSc)/’19 EMPA/CAS Conflict Resolution, was recently featured in a story by WSYR-TV as part of a series called “Victory Over Violence.” Abdul is Community Navigator at Center for New Americans. The story also includes Olive Sephuma ’12 EMPA, who is the center’s director. This refugee resettlement agency in Syracuse is part of Interfaith Works of CNY.

Zoli discusses economic warfare with Iran in WAER article

"In a war, you can hurt certain areas of a country, but you usually don't grenade the entire economy. Whereas with economic warfare, you truly can," says Corri Zoli, director of research in the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism. She was interviewed for the WAER article "SU National Security Expert: "Economic Warfare" With Iran, Others Might Achieve Results."

Reeher quoted in Press-Republican article on NY, Trump's tax returns

"This represents a new escalation in the level of political polarization that we're seeing," with states taking an active role in differing with the Trump administration, said Professor Grant Reeher. He was interviewed for the Press-Republican article "New York clears way for access to Trump's state tax records."

Boroujerdi quoted in National Interest article on Iran's IRGC

"Before the war the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] militiamen were nothing more than bodyguards to the clerics," says Professor Mehrzad Boroujerdi. "Their performance in the war gave them a seat at the proverbial power table." Boroujerdi was interviewed for the National Interest article "Iran's Most Powerful Weapon Against America: Meet the IRGC."

Reeher comments on Jordan's proposed gun legislation in Jerusalem Post

Grant Reeher was interviewed for the Jerusalem Post article "Jordan Pushes Bill to Limit Firearm Ownership." "It does seem that the media coverage of the mass shootings in the US does inform some of the thinking and the responses of leaders elsewhere when they have a mass shooting incident in their own country," Reeher said. They do not want to become "like the US" in this regard.

Taylor discusses Putinism on CNAS podcast

Brian Taylor, author of The Code of Putinism (Oxford University Press, 2018), was a guest on the Center for a New American Security podcast Brussels Sprouts. Taylor says that Putinism is less an ideology than a code for staying in Vladimir Putin’s good graces, administering authority over the largest country on earth, and maintaining a grip on power in a nation whose economy continues to stagnate.

Reeher weighs in on Gillibrand's legislative victories in PolitiFact

Grant Reeher was interviewed for the PolitiFact article "Gillibrand claims legislative victories in Trump era." According to Reeher, it can be difficult to measure how much a lawmaker worked behind the scenes to advance legislation, because the paper trail isn’t always clear.

Boroujerdi op-ed on US-Iran tensions published in US News

In his article titled "The U.S. and Iran Are Stirring a Recipe for Conflict," published in U.S. News & World Report, Professor Mehrzad Boroujerdi illustrates Iran’s point of view concerning the escalating tension with the U.S. "If the White House game plan was based on the premise that imposing more robust sanctions would cause a popular uprising by the Iranian people to bring down the regime, it badly miscalculated," writes Boroujerdi.

Boroujerdi weighs in on US-Iran tensions in Washington Times

"The Iranians do have an appetite for negotiating, but I think what is holding things up right now—and that’s the part that the Trump administration perhaps is not really comprehending—is they have to save face," says Mehrzad Boroujerdi. He was interviewed for the Washington Times article "Mike Pompeo softens U.S. rhetoric on Iran: 'Trump does not want war'."

Boroujerdi discusses Japanese PM's visit to Iran in ThinkProgress

Mehrzad Boroujerdi was interviewed for the ThinkProgress article "Japanese PM’s visit to Iran might cool tensions between Tehran and Washington." According to Boroujerdi, the meeting between the Japanese prime minister and Iran essentially constitutes indirect talks between Iran and the United States. "That is the main reason for the trip regardless of what each side says," Borourjerdi said.

Reeher weighs in on possible 4th term for Governor Cuomo in Daily Star

Grant Reeher was interviewed for the Daily Star article "Poll shows opposition to 4th term for Cuomo." Governor Cuomo could be facing "the fatigue factor," with more voters now looking to "change the dialogue and change the players" at the statehouse, says Reeher. "Voters develop sets of norms and expectations about the length of term in office and those can be very powerful."

Thorson discusses belief echoes on WCNY's Capitol Pressroom

In the era of fake news, why do people hold onto beliefs that have been proven false? New research by Emily Thorson, assistant professor of political science, shines a light on these “belief echoes” and how they can be broken. She recently discussed the topic on WCNY's Capitol Pressroom.

Reeher comments on upcoming Democratic debates in The Hill

"It sets up an incentive for candidates to get some attention by throwing out something that will get the media’s attention,” Grant Reeher says about the crowded Democratic field. "Definitely, they are all going to have arrows in their quiver." Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: 2020 Democrats jockey for position as reckoning looms."

Reeher comments on crowded Democratic 2020 debate stage in TIME

"With 10 people on a stage, you can’t really do much that’s meaningful," says Professor Grant Reeher. "They may end up competing with each other on … who has the best zinger." Reeher was interviewed for the TIME article "How the 2016 Debates Are Still Haunting Democrats."

Research by Emily Thorson cited in Forbes article on misinformation

Emily Thorson's research on "belief echoes," which she defines as "effects on attitudes that persist even when you know that a piece of information is false," was featured in the Forbes article "Science Shows How the Los Angeles Lakers Should Be Responding to Magic Johnson's Comments."

Reeher weighs in on Pelosi's comments about Trump in The Hill

"I don’t think this kind of rhetoric is helping," says Grant Reeher. "If you think the Democrats’ chances are better with a more moderate centrist candidate, just say that. Instead, everything is about Trump." Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: Pelosi's 'tone-deaf' remarks raise ire of Team Trump."

Drew Kinney '19 PhD (PSc) discusses crisis in Venezuela in Wash Post

"What the history of coups in the Middle East tells us about Venezuela," written by PhD student Drew Kinney '14 MA (PSc), was published in the Washington Post. Kinney examines how coup attempts in the Middle East offer some clues — and warnings on how the crisis in Venezuela could end.

Reeher discusses Trump, 2020 election, border crisis in The Hill

Grant Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: Could deepening border crisis help Trump?" "There are things that candidates and office-holders are particularly known for and they stake their identities on," says Reeher. "He [Trump] is clearly one of them, on this issue."

Reeher weighs in on state abortion laws in TIME

Grant Reeher was interviewed for the TIME article "Trump Keeps Talking About Second-Trimester Abortions. Here's What He Gets Wrong." Reeher says some of the more restrictive abortion measures appear to be designed to be tested in courts, "especially in the newly composed Supreme Court."

Maxwell students named 2019-20 Remembrance Scholars

Syracuse University’s Remembrance Scholar Selection Committee has chosen the 35 students who will be the 2019-20 Remembrance Scholars. The scholarships were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the 35 students who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Carriere article on North Korea-Russia summit published in The Hill

"If a summit between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin takes place before the end of April, it may well be construed as Kim’s inaugural diplomatic move to launch this 'new way' to pursue the strategic objectives he failed to achieve in Hanoi," writes Fred Carriere. His article, "What a Putin-Kim summit means for North Korean peace talks," was published in The Hill.

Elise Roberts awarded grant from the Smith Richardson Foundation

Elise Roberts, a PhD candidate in political science, received a research grant from the Smith Richardson Foundation. The grant’s funds will go towards supporting Roberts’s dissertation research, “Aiding War or Developing Peace? International Aid and the Breakdown of Post-Conflict Peace,” which examines the effect of foreign aid in post-conflict states and the processes of conflict relapse.

Taylor weighs in on Russia's reaction to Ukraine election in Newsweek

Brian Taylor, professor and chair of political science, was interviewed for the Newsweek article "Ukraine's New Comedian President was 'Obvious' Choice, Says Russia." Taylor believes the situation between the two countries will not change significantly with Zelensky’s election. "I think that Russia will probably wait and see for a while to see what Zelensky does," says Taylor.

Supreme Court scholar Thomas Keck is a 2019 Carnegie Fellow

Thomas M. Keck, professor of political science and the Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics at Maxwell, has been named a 2019 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. The award is for a period of up to two years, and its anticipated result is a book or major study. Keck’s Carnegie-funded project is titled “Free Expression and Judicial Power.”

Reeher comments on Assange extradition, Democrats in Boston Herald

Grant Reeher was interviewed for the Boston Herald article "Democrats split on Wikileaks chief Julian Assange following arrest in England." "The longer the Democrats stay on this, the more it’s helping the president," says Reeher.

Thorson weighs in on study of uncivil online discourse in The Atlantic

Emily Thorson was interviewed for The Atlantic article "The New Science of How to Argue—Constructively." "I’d argue that much of the dysfunction we see in online interactions is just a symptom of much larger and older social problems, including but not limited to racism and misogyny," says Thorson. "Our time would be better spent addressing those issues."

Reeher speaks with TIME about John Delaney's policy suggestions

Grant Reeher was interviewed for the TIME article "This Presidential Candidate Wants to Debate Congress Four Times A Year." "Without a more general change in our political culture, it might make things worse," Reeher says. "... Each of them would end up playing to their bases, I would fear."

Reeher weighs in on in-fighting among NYS Democrats in Daily Star

Grant Reeher was interviewed for the Daily Star article "Albany Notebook: Tensions simmer in New York's ruling party." Reeher says the sharp elbows being tossed in Albany may reflect how the confrontational tactics employed by President Donald Trump in dealing with opponents has seeped into New York politics.

Thorson discusses how partisanship affects belief of facts with PBS

Emily Thorson was interviewed for the PBS NewsHour article "You may not believe the Mueller report no matter what it says." According to Thorson, negative misinformation about a politician of an opposing party is hard to shake, even after people learn that the original story was false. She describes these lingering doubts as "belief echoes" — because the misinformation keeps coming to push back against the truth.

Reeher weighs in on Elizabeth Warren's campaign strategy in TIME

Unlike other candidates, Senator Elizabeth Warren is putting out detailed policy plans now instead of waiting for the presidential primary to unfold. "When you put out things that people can get behind, you also put out things that people can criticize," says Grant Reeher. Read more in the TIME article "Elizabeth Warren Bucks the Trend by Running on Ideas."

Keck discusses the history of packing the Supreme Court on C-SPAN

Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, spoke to C-SPAN about the history of efforts to pack the Supreme Court. "The size of the court is not specified in the constitution and it's changed multiple times …. in the first 100 years it was a regular occurrence for Congress to change the size of the Supreme Court," says Keck.

Pralle quoted in CBS News article on flooding in Midwest

Flooding is "a critical national issue that must be addressed more aggressively in an age of climate change," says Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science. Pralle was interviewed for the CBS News article "Midwest flood damage will likely total more than $1 billion."

Faricy publishes paper on social spending attitudes, benefits delivery

"Race, 'Deservingness,' and Social Spending Attitudes: The Role of Policy Delivery Mechanism," co-authored by Christopher Faricy, was published in Political Behavior. Faricy and co-author Christopher Ellis found that "social benefits delivered through the tax code are less likely to trigger racialized thinking than similar or identical benefits delivered directly."

Gadarian article on how information helps voters published in UAR

"Voting Can Be Hard, Information Helps," co-authored by Shana Gadarian, was published in Urban Affairs Review. Americans are often faced with low-information conditions when voting. The authors found that in these conditions, voters use candidates’ race, ethnicity, and gender as cues for whom to support — penalizing candidates of color and benefiting women.

Reeher weighs in on Pelosi's comments about impeachment in The Hill

Grant Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: GOP seizes on Pelosi's position on impeachment." Referring to the divisions within the Democratic Party, Reeher says, "It’s a discussion between some of the Democrats who may have a better sense of strategic thinking about the election and the ones who think there are good reasons to be going forward with impeachment, [for whom] it’s the principle of the thing."

Elizabeth Cohen discusses restrictionist immigration in The Atlantic

"Above all other unintended consequences of immigration engineering has been the flourishing of undocumented immigration," writes Elizabeth Cohen, associate professor of political science. Cohen's article, "What Immigration Restrictionists Can’t Foresee," was published in The Atlantic.

Boroujerdi piece on Iran's Chief Justice published by Atlantic Council

"Ebrahim Raisi: Iran’s New Chief Justice and Possible Supreme Leader in Waiting," written by Mehrzad Boroujerdi, was published in the Atlantic Council blog. "Raisi is indisputably well versed in judicial affairs," writes Boroujerdi. "However, the non-judicial parts of his resume are also eye-catching and suggest that his elevation to head of the judiciary may be a prelude to ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Faricy weighs in on Democratic tax proposals in Bloomberg

Democratic tax proposals are simply a "stealth attack" on the preferential rate for capital gains, says Christopher Faricy, associate professor of political science. He was interviewed for the Bloomberg story "Bill Gates Spells Out Democrats’ Tax Plans as a Capital Gains Hike."

Bybee discusses civility in current political times on NPR

Professor Keith Bybee, author of How Civility Works, was interviewed on NPR for the segment "Examining Civility In A Time Of Deepening Political Divisions." "The real question is not what is creating the sense of civility crisis today," says Bybee, "but instead, given our long history of rudeness, what makes us think we can get along at all?"

Keck discusses the problems facing the voting rights bill in Wash Post

"These are the roadblocks to the Democrats’ big voting rights bill," written by Thomas Keck, was published in the Washington Post. Keck explores the issues the H.R. 1 bill — intended to expand voting rights, clean up campaign finance, and tighten government ethics — will face in Congress and a Republican-dominated Supreme Court.

Boroujerdi weighs in on Iran's foreign ministry in Foreign Affairs

"Javad Zarif Returns—to a Foreign Ministry Still Out in the Cold," written by Professor Mehrzad Boroujerdi, was published in Foreign Affairs. According to Boroujerdi, the resignation of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif "points to the fact that the ministry supposedly in charge of steering Iranian foreign policy is structurally in competition with powerful coteries that encroach upon its territory."

Gueorguiev featured in China Daily article on China's development

"I think China is pragmatic and patient in its dialogue with the US and other major trading partners," says Dimitar Gueorguiev, assistant professor political science. "China has an interest in finding ways to reduce instabilities and inequalities." Gueorguiev was interviewed for the China Daily article "Patience in negotiations commendable."

Boroujerdi discusses Iran's financial help for Syria in Arab Weekly

"Iran does not have the means to seriously help with Syria’s reconstruction," says Professor Mehrzad Boroujerdi. "[In late February] Iranian officials announced they will build 200,000 homes in Syria but in the larger scheme of things this is relatively little." Boroujerdi was interviewed for the Arab Weekly article "Despite Assad’s welcome, Iran can be of little help to Damascus."

Gueorguiev discusses North Korea, US-China trade in Wash Examiner

"The Trump administration, more so than any previous administration, has been willing to link security and economic issues," says Dimitar Gueorguiev. "You could make the argument that going too quick on the trade negotiations reduced the leverage on the North Korea negotiations." Read more in the Washington Examiner article "China loses leverage with Trump as North Korea talks stall."

Faricy comments on tax cuts, refunds in Bloomberg

Chris Faricy, associate professor of political science, was interviewed for the Bloomberg article "Amount of Tax Refunds Up Slightly While Fewer Receive Checks." "You can tell people you gave them a tax cut," says Faricy. "But if they don’t believe it and their refunds are smaller, it’s a hard sell politically."

McDowell discusses Trump, China's exchange rate policy in Wash Post

Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science, co-authored a piece for the Washington Post's Monkey Cage blog on the Trump administration's decision to introduce exchange rate policy into its ongoing trade negotiations with China. A forthcoming study with Dimitar Gueorguiev, assistant professor of political science, is highlighted in the article.

Barkun quoted in Business Insider article on conspiracy films

Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science, was interviewed for the Business Insider article "Amazon and Hulu's algorithms are recommending conspiracy theory films, and the consequences could be more serious than you might think." Barkun says the biggest risk associated with conspiracy theories is "people taking action on the basis of false and dangerous beliefs."

Banks, Bybee quoted in TIME's State of the Union fact check

William Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs, and Keith Bybee, professor of political science, were interviewed for the TIME article "Here Are the Facts Behind President Trump's Biggest State of the Union Claims."

Estévez-Abe quoted in NYT article on work-life balance in Japan

Margarita Estévez-Abe, associate professor of political science, was interviewed for the New York Times article "Japan’s Working Mothers: Record Responsibilities, Little Help From Dads." "If the work day could be shortened in Japan, I think a younger generation of men would do more as fathers," says Estévez-Abe.

Boroujerdi discusses Europe's trade vehicle with Iran in ThinkProgress

Mehrzad Boroujerdi was interviewed for the ThinkProgress article "Europe sidesteps U.S., creates new vehicle to continue doing trade with Iran." Boroujerdi says it's unclear how effective it will be. "Based on the reservations expressed by major corporations, I doubt that too many big European firms would be willing to deal with Iran through this channel," he says.

Political Science Department News

Stay Informed