Political Science News

Reeher discusses NY congressional redistricting in Daily Star

In New York, drawing new congressional lines is likely to spark turf battles across political circles, as the state will lose one of its 27 congressional districts. Redistricting in New York, says Professor Grant Reeher, has produced "a paradox of good government goals running up against political realities." If the goal is to flip a seat from control by one party to another, he says, a possible target could be U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford. Because Tenney recaptured her old seat in the last election by a razor-thin margin, "you could make a difference pretty easily there" by modifying the district lines, Reeher says. Read more in the Daily Star article, "New Yorkers get chance to weigh in before new political maps take shape."

Campbell quoted in Guardian article on the death of Haiti's president

Already facing political, economic and security crises, the violent death of its president is only complicating matters in Haiti, which has been plunged into confusion about who is now in charge of the country. "The nature and manner of the assassination of the president have brought further urgency on the need for genuine reconstruction and support for democratic transition in Haiti," says Horace Campbell, professor of political science. He was quoted in The Guardian article, "What do we know about investigation into the assassination of Haiti’s president?"

Maxwell School announces 2021 faculty promotions

The Syracuse University Board of Trustees has approved promotions for six faculty members at the Maxwell School. They are: Alan Allport, who was promoted to professor of history; Shana Kushner Gadarian, who was promoted to professor of political science; Dimitar Gueorguiev, who was promoted to associate professor of political science; Matt Huber, who was promoted to professor of geography and the environment; Guido Pezzarossi, who was promoted to associate professor of anthropology; and Junko Takeda, who was promoted to professor of history.

Reeher quoted in LocalSYR article on gun buyback programs

The City of Syracuse is partnering with New York Attorney General Letitia James on a gun buyback program this summer. Professor Grant Reeher says the amount of guns in the United States keeps growing. When it comes to homicides, he says money should be invested in programs in the places where gun crimes and gang violence happen the most. "Particularly in poorer areas of cities," Reeher adds. "Those are the people that suffer the consequences of this most heavily. Again, that’s a big investment. You’re talking about social programs, you’re talking about job programs, you’re talking about criminal justice initiatives—those all cost a lot of money." Reeher was quoted in the LocalSYR article, "A closer look at the effectiveness of gun buyback programs."

Campbell speaks to LA Times about assassination of Haiti's president

Last week, Haitian president Jovenel Moise was assassinated inside his home. As officials continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing, Haiti’s constitutional crisis deepens, with multiple politicians battling for control of the impoverished country. What is needed, says Horace G. Campbell, professor of political science and African American studies, is for members of Haitian civil society to take the lead in crafting a solution to the current crisis with the support of neighboring Caribbean countries. "The Haitian people need room to create their own democratic spaces," Campbell says. Read more in the Los Angeles Times article, "Who killed Haiti’s president? Plot thickens as Moise’s guards come under scrutiny."

Rasmussen's Fears of a Setting Sun reviewed in Wall Street Journal

"Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America’s Founders" (Princeton University Press, 2021), written by Dennis Rasmussen, professor of political science, was reviewed in the Wall Street Journal. "The book is gracefully written and fair in its judgments," writes reviewer Barton Swaim. "It’s also timely. There must be few news-following Americans who haven’t wondered over the last year if the United States can stay united for much longer. The founders, too, worried intermittently about dissolution." Rasmussen also discussed his book on the Reason video segment "The Founding Fathers Thought America Was Doomed."

Barkun quoted in NorthJersey.com piece on TWA 800 conspiracy theories

On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800 exploded in midair off the coast of Long Island. Conspiracy theories quickly took shape. Twenty-five years later, the questions and conspiracies live on, despite National Transportation Safety Board officials concluding that an electrical failure ignited fuel vapors in a nearly empty tank in the belly of the jet. Professor Emeritus Michael Barkun says internet forums and social media platforms have served as mass media outlets without gatekeepers. They allow unconventional ideas to quickly become mainstream. "Now anyone with an idea, no matter how bizarre, has a way of potentially getting it in front of fairly large audiences," he says. Read more in the NorthJersey.com article, "'First conspiracy of the internet age' lives on 25 years after TWA Flight 800 exploded."

Four Maxwell students named as 2021 Boren Fellows

Four students in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs have been named as recipients of the 2021 Boren Fellowship. The fellowship, sponsored by the National Security Education Program, funds immersive foreign language study abroad experiences for graduate students who plan to work in the federal national security arena. Through their experiences, the fellows develop critical foreign language and international skills that are important for their chosen careers. The recipients are Courtney Blankenship, Roger Onofre, Ivy Raines and Kelli Sunabe.

Farciy weighs in on Democrat's proposed tax strategy in WSJ

Top Democrats are in the process of designing a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure deal, and a second, broader antipoverty package and they need to resolve differences over the amount of spending, how much must be paid for, and which of Mr. Biden’s proposed tax increases should advance. "A lot of Democratic voters are moderate to conservative. A lot of Democratic voters have low trust in government,” says Christopher Faricy, associate professor of political science. "You have to tie it to something that is popular, that you can sell to people that will be an improvement in their day-to-day lives." Read more in the Wall Street Journal article, "Democrats Focus on Turning Tax Talk Into Action."

Gadarian quoted in Vox piece on political polarization, COVID vaccine

The COVID-19 epidemic in the U.S., at face value, has become a division between those who are vaccinated and those who are unvaccinated. But, increasingly, it’s also a division between Democrats and Republicans—as vaccination has ended up on one of the biggest dividing lines in the U.S., political polarization. "Partisanship is now the strongest and most consistent divider in health behaviors," says Professor Shana Gadarian. "It didn’t have to be this way," Gadarian says. "There’s really nothing about the nature of being a right-wing party that would require undercutting the threat of COVID from the very beginning." Gadarian was quoted in the Vox article, "How political polarization broke America’s vaccine campaign."

Gueorguiev quoted in SCMP piece on Chinese human rights abuses, UN

Highlighting the one-year anniversary of Hong Kong’s controversial national security law (NSL) and also focusing on mainland China’s far-western autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, the [U.S.] Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), asked UN Secretary General António Guterres for "immediate measures to closely monitor and assess China’s behaviour." "Letters and appeals to [Guterres], as opposed to ambassadorial diplomacy, are more about public position-taking and signaling than they are about actual results," says Dimitar Gueorguiev, associate professor of political science. Read more in the South China Morning Post article, "US agency urges UN to move on investigation of alleged human rights abuses in China."

Thompson discusses US-Vatican relationship in The Hill

Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited with Pope Francis in what was seen as an attempt to reset relations between Washington and the Holy See following former President Trump’s administration. "In this meeting, it seems that there was far more cordiality and acknowledgment of what the U.S. and Vatican have in common," says Margaret Susan Thompson. "I think this is emblematic of Pope Francis’s entire papacy that he has always emphasized a more comprehensive view of Catholic social teaching, he is not a single-issue pope," Thompson says. "There’s plenty about the Biden administration that the pope can work with. There’s plenty of areas they can agree on." Read more in The Hill article, "Post-Trump, Biden seeks to restore US relations with Holy See."

Dwidar study on group lobbying, public policy published in PSJ

"Diverse Lobbying Coalitions and Influence in Notice-and-Comment Rulemaking," authored by Assistant Professor of Political Science Maraam Dwidar, was published in Policy Studies Journal. Dwidar tested the influence of diverse coalitions of interest groups on bureaucratic policy outputs by analyzing a new dataset of organizations’ co-signed public comments across nearly 350 federal agency rules proposed between 2005 and 2015. She found that agencies favor recommendations from organizationally diverse coalitions, and not coalitions that are bipartisan or dominated by business interests.

Pralle examines changes in flood insurance rate maps in RHCPP

"To appeal and amend: Changes to recently updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps," co-authored by Associate Professor of Political Science Sarah Pralle, was published in Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy. The findings suggest changes to flood zones on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) occur more often where people have greater socioeconomic means, raising questions of equity for future FIRM appeals and revisions.

Alumna oversees students in NYS Assembly where she once interned

Going to work every day at the New York State Assembly, Vanessa Salman ’17 BA (PSc) is reminded of her time in the Maxwell School. As part of her responsibilities as a staff training associate for the Assembly Minority Conference, Salman oversees students within the conference participating in the Albany semester program. In 2017, Salman was one of those interns. The Assembly Intern Program in Albany gives students the opportunity to work full-time in the New York State legislature. DurSalman found her experience as an intern powerful, and this ultimately drew her back to work full-time post-graduation.

Thompson quoted in The Hill article on banning communion for Biden

U.S. bishops are set to open a debate over whether President Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history, and other politicians should be denied communion based on their stance on abortion. It promises to be a testy discussion on a sensitive issue that is dividing people from the top of the Vatican, with some bishops eager to make an example of Biden and others warning this would weaponize the Holy Communion. "There really is a tension between bishops and that tension has always existed in the USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops), it’s always been there. It’s just a question of what is predominant," says Margaret Susan Thompson. She was quoted in The Hill article, "Bishops to debate banning communion for president."

Reeher quoted in The Hill article on Biden, success of democracies

President Joe Biden is casting his first international trip as an opportunity to prove to the world that democracies work—but Americans are just as polarized as their elected representatives. "Biden does have a challenge," says Professor Grant Reeher. "He is arguing, 'I am here as the American president to be the leading voice.' But then he is subject to people saying, 'Wait a minute, look at what you folks have been going through. Why is it you? Why isn’t it [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel? Or one of the other leaders?' And it’s a legitimate criticism," he says. Read more in The Hill article, "The Memo: Biden says democracies work; the US is not helping his case."

Gadarian comments on upcoming NYS mayoral races in City & State

Incumbent mayors are facing challenges in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse—Upstate New York’s four largest cities. These races are largely following a pattern found in recent Democratic primaries in New York, especially in New York City: More moderate incumbents are being challenged by opponents who say they have failed to address injustices like police brutality and income inequality. "I think what you’re seeing in upstate is pretty similar to what the discussion is at the national level in the Democratic Party, which is the progressive wing being more prominent than what you’ve seen in the past, and progressive Democrats running quite clearly on being progressive," says Professor Shana Gadarian. Read more in the City & State article, "Upstate incumbent mayors face challenges from the left."

Abdelaaty talks to NBN about her book Discrimination and Delegation

Lamis Abelaaty, assistant professor of political science, spoke with the New Books Network about her recently published book "Discrimination and Delegation: Explaining State Responses to Refugees" (Oxford University Press, 2021). Abdelaaty develops a two-part theoretical framework in which policymakers in refugee-receiving countries weigh international and domestic concerts. At the international level, policymakers consider relations with the refugee-sending country. At the domestic level policymakers consider political competition among ethnic groups. When these international and domestic incentives conflict, shifting responsibility to the UN allows policymakers to placate both refugee-sending countries and domestic constituencies.

Faricy quoted in MarketWatch article on Child Tax Credit payouts

The U.S. government is preparing to send up to $300 a month per child in expanded Child Tax Credit payouts to millions of families this summer. The payouts are due to start July 15 and stem from March’s $1.9 trillion stimulus law. "The Child Tax Credit isn’t new," says Christopher Faricy. "What might be new is the motivation driving this in the Biden administration, which is a real understanding about how outdated the social safety net is—and recognizing the dual-earner status as becoming much more common since the post-World War II era, when a lot of the safety net was built." Read more in the MarketWatch article, "Monthly payments of up to $300 per child are starting for most families — and could keep coming for years."

Reeher comments on probes into Gov. Cuomo allegations in Newsday

Inquiries regarding the Cuomo administration's handling of nursing homes and deaths from COVID-19, the governor's possible use of state personnel and resources to help produce his most recent book and the multiple allegations of sexual harassment leveled at the governor are advancing. "You’ve got three different institutions looking at accusations and he’s going to have to have clean bills of health on all of them to survive," says Professor Grant Reeher. "And the state-level institutions are all in his (Democratic) party, so he can’t claim partisan politics. That makes it tougher for him." Reeher was quoted in the Newsday article, "Cuomo probes move toward critical points with his tenure, legacy at stake."

Zeira quoted in Vox story on solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Exclusive national identities on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict run deep, making a one-state solution difficult. Yael Zeira, associate professor of political science, says identities can be altered: that "physically separating ethnic groups in conflict is not necessarily required to achieve peace." She was quoted in the Vox article, "In defense of the two-state solution."

Thompson talks to CNY Central about the Jan. 6 commission

An independent, bipartisan commission plans to investigate the Jan. 6 riot, providing new insight into how and why it happened and the security vulnerabilities it exposed of the Capitol complex. "The group of people responsible for this is pretty extensive," says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. She was quoted in the CNY Central article, "Bipartisan commission to investigate January 6 attack on U.S. Capitol."

Faricy explains popularity of US's complex tax code in Fortune

Tax experts and economists have long thought the U.S. tax code is inefficient, inequitable and full of opportunities for evasion. Christopher Faricy argues that, despite the complaints, Americans want it that way. "The tax code is so complicated because it is filled with myriad deductions and exclusions that Americans can take for engaging in certain activities, such as buying a home, saving for retirement and paying down student loan debt," writes Faricy and co-author Christopher Ellis. "Rather than spending money directly by subsidizing or providing these things, the government instead places incentives in the tax code for individuals to engage in these activities in private markets." Read more in the article, "America’s messy tax code is actually quite popular," published in Fortune.

Elizabeth Cohen quoted in TIME article on future of VOICE

For four years, the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office (VOICE) was used by the White House to perpetuate Trump’s false narrative of an immigrant crime wave. The VOICE office was an integral part of the effort to "trawl for anecdotes to then trumpet and publicize because there wasn’t good data to demonstrate that there’s a massive problem with non-citizen criminality," says Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science and expert on immigration. She was quoted in the TIME article, "Trump Created an Office That Highlighted Immigrant Crime. Biden's DHS Plans to Keep It."

Maxwell faculty, staff and students honored with 2021 One University awards

Syracuse University announced its 2021 One University Awards, honoring members of the University community for their scholarship, teaching, academic achievement, leadership and service. The ceremony was held virtually this year due to COVID-19 precautions.

Gadarian talks to WAER about Biden's proposals in speech to Congress

Shana Gadarian, associate professor and chair of political science, says the agenda President Biden laid out in his speech to a joint session of Congress is a vision that government can help people and be used for good. "This is a moment where the public in the election and public opinion polls is open to using big social policies and big government bills to try and help spur economic growth and rescue a lot of the industries that were hurt very badly by the pandemic," says Gadarian. Read more in the WAER article, "Biden Proposals 'Nothing Short of Revolutionary' For Families Hurt By Pandemic."

Elizabeth Cohen quoted in Economist piece on race, class, wasted time

An analysis of Bureau of Labour Statistics surveys shows how time is wasted by race and class. Calculations suggest wealthy white Americans get what they want quickly. But among black Americans, those earning at least $150,000 actually spend more time cooling their heels than those earning $20,000 or less. Whether it’s about being asked to produce more paperwork for a mortgage or waiting while someone white is bumped to the front of the queue, says Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science and author of "The Political Value of Time," "waiting is part of the experience of racism in the U.S.” Cohen was quoted in The Economist article, "Black Americans spend more of the day being kept waiting."

Reeher discusses political realignment in The Hill

Important figures in the Republican party that are usually pro-business are instead criticizing the corporate world; for example, the corporate reaction to the voting law recently passed in Georgia. Is there a possibility of a significant political realignment? Professor Grant Reeher says, "Political scientists and pundits have been looking for a fundamental realignment now for 50 years. I don’t know what the Mark Twain phrase would be—rumors of a realignment can be greatly exaggerated?" Despite the common narrative that Democrats had been abandoned by the working class, "the data doesn’t actually support that," Reeher says. Read more in The Hill article, "Exclusive — Cruz, Rubio ramp up criticisms of big business."

Faricy cited in NYT article on state and local tax deduction debate

Christopher Faricy's book "Welfare for the Wealthy: Parties, Social Spending, and Inequality in the United States" (Cambridge University Press, 2015) was cited in the New York Times article, "Why a $10,000 Tax Deduction Could Hold Up Trillions in Stimulus Funds." The state and local tax deduction (SALT) allows people to deduct payments like state income and local property taxes from their federal tax bills. The deduction, previously unlimited, was capped at $10,000 in 2017. Proposals to raise or undo the cap have since been discussed as part of the stimulus packages passed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such benefits are known as “tax expenditures,” or tax breaks that flow mostly to the highest-earning households, which Faricy discusses in his book.

Maxwell students chosen to be 2021-22 Remembrance Scholars

Eight Maxwell School students were among those named 2021-22 Remembrance Scholars. The scholarships, now in their 32nd year, 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. Those students, who were returning from a semester of study in London and Florence, were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents and corporations.

Elizabeth Cohen discusses immigration policy in 2021 in AlterNet piece

"From a failure to rescind the former president's Title 42, causing almost all recent asylum-seekers to be expelled from the U.S., to President Biden's equivocation on the 2021 refugee cap, it's almost impossible to find good news about immigration policy in 2021," writes Professor Elizabeth Cohen. "But the very phrase 'border security' is misleading, training our minds on ominous-sounding but imaginary threats from outside the U.S. and distracting us from the very real threat posed by an enormous militarized force charged with policing immigration," she says. Read more in Cohen's article "Immigrants aren't the real threat in the United States — ICE and the Border Patrol are," published by AlterNet.

Shana Kushner Gadarian is a 2021 Carnegie Fellow

Shana Kushner Gadarian, associate professor and chair of political science, has been named a 2021 Carnegie Fellow. As recipients of the so-called “brainy award,” each Carnegie Fellow receives a grant of up to $200,000, making it possible to devote significant time to research, writing and publishing in the humanities and social sciences. The award is for a period of up to two years, and its anticipated result is a book or major study. Gadarian’s Carnegie-funded project, “Pandemic Politics: How COVID-19 Revealed the Depths of Partisan Polarization,” will investigate the long-term impacts of the pandemic on health behaviors and evaluations of government performance.

Jackson quoted in Vox article on police reform

Following the Derek Chauvin verdict, President Joe Biden called for changing policing by "acknowledging and confronting, head-on, systemic racism and the racial disparities that exist in policing and in our criminal justice system more broadly." One such idea is to abolish the police. Proponents think communities can work together to regulate themselves without "anti-Black, white supremacist institutions," like the American criminal justice system and policing—which got its start with slave patrols—according to Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science. Read more in the Vox article, "9 ideas to solve the broken institution of policing."

Keck talks to PolitiFact about court packing

Democratic lawmakers have introduced a measure to increase the number of Supreme Court justices from nine to 13. They say this is necessary to counter "court packing" by Republicans in the past few years, but Republicans say the Democrats’ bill is itself a clear example of court packing. Professor Thomas Keck says a court expansion can be justified. "If it’s the case that Sen. McConnell and other Republican leaders engaged in illegitimate court packing of their own from 2016 to 2020, then from the Democrats’ perspective, an additional round of court reform is necessary to correct for those earlier rounds," he says. Read more in the PolitiFact article, "The continuing battle over 'court packing' and the Supreme Court."

Jackson quoted in the Guardian article on the use of tasers by police

Tasers are often cited as a crucial tool in combating police violence in America, but experts and advocates have raised major concerns about the mass deployment of Tasers in recent years, including police mistaking them for guns. "The reforms haven’t changed the way that especially Black and brown folks experience policing,” says Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science. "We are still seeing the same violence…Whatever tools that police officers have at their disposal will be used to physically harm those people, whether it’s a billy club, hose, a dog, a Taser or a gun." Read more in the Guardian article, "Daunte Wright case: why Tasers have failed to stop police killings."

Thompson discusses 19th century distrust of nuns in Global Sisters Rpt

In the 19th century, immigrant nuns were viewed with profound hostility by members of the Protestant establishment. To suspicious Protestants, women religious were obvious stand-ins for Catholicism, says Margaret S. Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. "They are highly visible, there are more of them than priests, they wear habits, they look different, which is highly suspicious, and they don't marry. They give women options outside of marriage. So, in that sense, they are dangerous," she says. Thompson was interviewed for the Global Sisters Report article, "At America's Door: How nuns, once suspect, won the heart of non-Catholic America."

Maxwell students named Class of 2022 Senior Class Marshals

A longstanding tradition honoring two exemplar seniors, the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience announces today the selection of Ava Breitbeck, a political science major, and Morgan Storino, a citizenship and civic engagement major, as the Class of 2022 Senior Class Marshals. In this role, Breitbeck and Storino serve as the all-University representatives for their graduating class and will lead Syracuse University’s 168th Commencement ceremony.

Gadarian speaks to City & State about NY State Sen. Rachel May

As a representative, Sen. Rachel May is responsible for balancing the competing ideologies and perspectives in the 53rd district, which includes the City of Syracuse. She made her case as a candidate to push for progressive legislation typically associated with downstate Democrats, while also representing parts of rural Central New York. "There are appealing things about the progressive agenda that May and others have that speaks to the economic struggles of places in the City of Syracuse," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science. "That may be less appealing to people, say in the far suburbs, north of the city." Read more in the City & State article, "Rachel May, a different kind of upstate Democrat."

Reeher quoted in Newsday article on Gov. Cuomo's budget

Gov. Andrew Cuomo adopted a $212 billion state budget last week that raised spending $18 billion, or nearly 10%. "New York had a significant budget problem prior to COVID and Cuomo was already warning about it," says Professor Grant Reeher. "Then COVID hit. Then the federal government comes in with enough money to cover it and the left reacts by spending even more money and raising taxes to do it." Read more in the Newsday article, "State budget fallout: A weakened Cuomo, emboldened lawmakers."

Keck discusses Supreme Court reform, crises of democracy in Wash Post

President Biden issued an executive order forming the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, comprised of a bipartisan group of experts on the Court and the Court reform debate. History shows that debates over changing the Court’s size and structure have generally taken place during periods of crisis in American democracy. "Throughout U.S. history, crises of democracy have prompted discussions of Supreme Court reform because the court itself has often been perceived as a barrier to democratic preservation and renewal," writes Professor Thomas Keck. His article, "Biden is considering overhauling the Supreme Court. That’s happened during every crisis in U.S. democracy," was published in the Washington Post.

Taylor explores impact of Putin’s new constitution in Foreign Affairs

In 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin solved his "2024 problem"—the legal constraint to standing for reelection in 2024. He did so by ramming through a constitutional overhaul that nullified the previous term limit—a special provision designed especially for him. "Putin’s solution to the 2024 problem was for his own benefit, but it also was designed to reassure Russia’s political and economic elite. They were dreading a potentially treacherous succession crisis that might put their power, wealth, and freedom at risk," writes Professor Brian Taylor. "Resetting Putin’s presidential clock does little for the Russian people, however," he says. Read more in Taylor's article, "Putin’s Rules of the Game: The Pitfalls of Russia’s New Constitution," published in Foreign Affairs.

Faricy research cited in Forbes article on American Rescue Plan

"The Other Side of the Coin: Public Opinion toward Social Tax Expenditures" (Russel Sage Foundation, 2021), co-authored by Christopher Faricy, associate professor of political science, was cited in the Forbes article, "Making The Most Of A Crisis, Biden Links Recovery And Tax Reform." Faricy and co-author Christopher Ellis (Bucknell University) have judged the American Rescue Plan to be "the largest expansion to the American welfare state in a generation."

Reeher discusses Biden's infrastructure plan in National Interest

President Biden recently unveiled a portion of his nearly $3 trillion infrastructure, jobs and climate change package. "The case that Biden made to centrists and to some conservatives in the election is that he wouldn’t lurch too far to the left once elected. But this price tag will make that case harder to sustain," says Professor Grant Reeher. "If we look at the policy record since 1993, no Democrat has really succeeded at the national level by going big." Read more in the National Interest article, "Joe Biden to Unveil Infrastructure Package Tomorrow. What Will it Include?"

Rasmussen speaks to Bloomberg about the Founders' disillusionment

In his new book, “Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America’s Founders” (Princeton University Press, 2021), Dennis Rasmussen, professor of political science, grapples with the founding generation’s deep and abiding doubts about their experiment. He was interviewed for the Bloomberg article, "Even America’s Founders Were Disillusioned With America." "...their [the Founders] deepest causes for worry—extreme partisanship, an ineffective federal government, a lack of civic virtue, sectional divisions within the country—are very much still with us. That they’ve been here from the beginning suggests that they aren’t likely to go away any time soon," says Rasmussen.

Reeher weighs in on NY's 2022 gubernatorial race in Press-Republican

With less than 20 months to go before the Nov. 8, 2022, statewide election, many potential scenarios are being discussed, and the most informed people can only speculate as to who the major party nominees for governor will be. Professor Grant Reeher says next year's Democratic primary may favor a left-leaning candidate such as Attorney General Letitia James, should she decide to go for the governor's office. The anchor of James' political strength is metropolitan New York City, which has the bulk of Democratic votes in the state. Read more in the Press-Republican article, "Cuomo crisis ignites hope for GOP as 2022 nears."

Pralle talks to Forbes about FEMA's upcoming changes, flood insurance

Flood insurance premiums for millions of at-risk homes and businesses could surge as much as four times what they currently pay over the next few years when FEMA announces its "Risk Rating 2.0." For homeowners, or prospective buyers, "rising insurance rates could lead to a reduction in home values," says Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science, and "they could be forced to sell at a loss, or even abandon their property." Pralle agrees that flood insurance has to change, but the government needs to "help vulnerable communities and homeowners who’ll struggle with the transition." Read more in the Forbes article, "FEMA’S Upcoming Changes Could Cause Flood Insurance To Soar At The Shore."

Reeher weighs in on Tucker Carlson 2024 run in National Interest

Tucker Carlson, host of Fox News’s "Tucker Carlson Tonight," has been floated as a contender for a presidential run in 2024. "Carlson has been keen to focus on the supposed failings and absurdities of Democratic elites, and that puts him in as good a position as any to inherit his supporters—those for whom Trump, as an individual candidate and office-holder, carried some extra appeal beyond the standard Republican brand," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. He was quoted in the National Interest article, "How Tucker Carlson Could Take Over the GOP and Run in 2024."

Jackson talks about Black women's experiences with COVID in GenForward

In their article, "This Women’s History Month, Recognize Black Women’s Efforts To Save Ourselves," published by the GenForward Survey, Jenn Jackson discusses Black women's experiences with COVID-19. "This Women’s History Month, as we celebrate our wins it’s critical that we acknowledge how Black women continue to struggle against the disproportionate impacts of health precarity and how that struggle has only been compounded during the pandemic," writes Jackson. "For many of these women, it isn’t just the health institutions and systemic racism that shape their experiences during the pandemic. It has also been the proliferation of unreliable information sources since the start of the global health crisis."

Rasmussen discusses Fears of a Setting Sun on Age of Jackson podcast

Dennis Rasmussen was interviewed on the Age of Jackson podcast about his new book, "Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders" (Princeton University Press). The book was also chosen as one of Publisher's Weekly books of the week for March 1. "Political scientist Rasmussen delivers an illuminating account of how the founding fathers worried about the future of America," writes the Publisher's Weekly reviewer. "This standout history provides useful context for understanding the roots of contemporary political turmoils and may comfort those who fear that American democracy is in dire peril."

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