Political Science News

Reeher discusses the media's treatment of Trump in The Hill

"I am not suggesting the media is behaving in the way the president describes or that the media is making anything up or knowingly reporting anything that is false," says Professor Grant Reeher. "But I do think it is also clear, after almost four years of his presidency, that editorial choices — about story selection, story framing and also, in particular, choices of headline — are very clearly very critical of the president." Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article, "The Memo: Media accused of using kid-gloves on Biden."

Keck talks to WAER about the Supreme Court justice vacancy

"For most of the Supreme Court’s history, the process of presidential appointment and Senate confirmation has ensured that the Court’s views broadly track those of the American public," says Professor Tom Keck. "That electoral connection has been sundered in recent decades, as Democrats won the popular vote in six of the past seven presidential elections, while Republicans maintained a lock on the Court." Read more in the WAER article, "Local Praise for Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Caution for Rushing to Fill Supreme Court Vacancy."

Thompson quoted in AP article on Trump's response to COVID-19

"He sees everything, including the implications of this terrible virus, in terms of his own political and personal success — ‘How does it affect me and my electability and my popularity,’" says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. She was quoted in the Associated Press article, "Analysis: US to hit 200K dead; Trump sees no need for regret."

Jackson wins Tenth Decade grant to study Black Americans, group threat

Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science, has been awarded $20,000 for their research project Race, Risks, and Responses: Mapping Black Americans’ Response to Group Threat. The grant is part of a special call to Maxwell faculty offering Tenth Decade Project funding to support research and initiatives that confront systemic racial inequality. Jackson’s project builds on and expands their inquiry into how young Black Americans of different social identities (across gender, class, sexual orientation, embodiment, etc.) experience threats, especially policing, differently based on variations in their social location and orientation to power.

Gadarian speaks to ABC News about partisanship and people's behaviors

"We've been talking to the same [3,000] Americans since early March, every six weeks or so," says Shana Gadarian. "We had a sense that people would vary on policy beliefs based on their partisanship. What was unexpected was the big, huge difference in health behaviors — like the change in how much they're washing their hands and whether or not they stopped going to social events and whether they were staying home more," she says. Read more in the ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) article, "Coronavirus is the 2020 US election issue. But it's not changing the way Americans see Donald Trump."

Keck comments on priority of the Supreme Court in 2020 election in SBG

"The Republican base has been more focused on that issue [Supreme Court] than the Democratic base has from Reagan forward, roughly," says Thomas Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. "There’s some evidence that that’s shifting." Keck was interviewed for the Sinclair Broadcast Group article, "As Trump spotlights judicial nominations, Biden offers little insight on his plans."

Jackson discusses forced sterilizations, criminalization via Truthout

News reports on Monday revealed that gynecologists in an immigrant jail in Georgia have performed high rates of hysterectomies, often without the full awareness of the immigrant women themselves. "The United States’s commitment to eugenics, medical abuse and forced sterilizations depicts the complex nature of perceived criminality in this country," writes Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science. "By marking certain people’s bodies as inherently evil, anti-patriotic and outside of the community of citizenship, the state casts a veil over the grave human rights infringements and institutional abuses it enacts against nonwhite, non-wealthy, non-male, non-normative people." Their article, "Forced Sterilization Is Nothing New to Criminalized People in the US," was published on Truthout.org.

Abdelaaty examines attitudes towards refugees in Europe in new study

"Explaining Attitudes Toward Refugees and Immigrants in Europe," co-authored by Assistant Professor of Political Science Lamis Abdelaaty, was published in Political Studies. The study shows that individuals hold different views of refugees and immigrants and are, at times, more receptive to one group than the other. By and large, they found that attitudes toward refugees are more often related to macro-level factors while immigrants are more frequently associated with micro-level economic concerns.

Gadarian speaks to CBS Sunday Morning about the politics of COVID-19

"We thought that the more worried people were about COVID, the more likely they were to be following all of the, kind of public health best practices," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science. "And that's not what we found. What we found was that the biggest divider in people's behaviors was not their age, not their demographics, not their education; it was their partisanship." The full segment, "Why did COVID-19 become partisan?," was aired on CBS Sunday Morning.

Reeher comments on political hyperbole in USA Today

Professor Grant Reeher says hyperbole is common in politics and voters are used to Trump’s exaggerations. "I think a lot of this is just taking advantage of 'targets of opportunity,'" says Reeher. "Democrats, especially those generating the most enthusiasm within the party, are asserting some pretty left proposals, relatively speaking." Reeher says the socialist and radical labels are having little impact. "After four years, voters are used to the hyperbole." Read more in the USA Today article "The Trump campaign wants to paint Biden as left-wing, despite his moderate record."

Scholars join faculty for 2020-21; new chairs announced

Five tenure-track faculty members have joined the Maxwell School for the 2020-21 academic year. In addition, three current faculty members have been named chairs of their academic departments.

Thompson discusses progress, role of women in politics on WAER

"We still haven't elected a woman on the national ticket in either party," says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. "I think we still have a long way to go before we can talk about equality. But what we're talking about is progress." She was featured in the WAER segment "Women Making Progress in Securing Elected Office, But Equality Remains Elusive." Thompson was also quoted in the American Prospect article "Women Will Decide Which Man Is Right for the Job."

Gueorguiev lends guidance on how to teach China content in ChinaFile

Dimitar Gueorguiev, assistant professor of political science, explains the importance of keeping China topics in the classroom, and offers advice on how to manage risks posed by the newly enacted National Security Law in Hong Kong while creating content related to China. His co-authored piece, "How To Teach China This Fall," was published by ChinaFile.

Andersen quoted in Commercial Appeal article on women in politics

Kristi Andersen, professor emeritus of political science, was quoted in the Commercial Appeal article "Ten women who changed the course of U.S. politics." "She was tough,” Andersen says of Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress and whose most enduring victory was the passage of her Women's Armed Forces Integration Act giving women permanent roles in the U.S. military. "She held her own, for sure — as most of these people did. Back in the day, you had to be pretty tough — and may still have to be — to get what you wanted."

Thompson discusses local congressional races with CNY Central

"What it does mean mostly is that there will be a higher turnout then there was in 2018," says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. "There is always higher turnout in a presidential election year, but what that will mean in any given district is less clear." She was interviewed by CNY Central for the segment "Local congressional candidates are all rematches from 2018."

Reeher speaks to the Independent about 2020 US political conventions

"The conventions this year might actually be more important than in relatively recent years past since the campaigns are very constrained in what they can do in person," says Professor Grant Reeher. "Those in-person events would normally drive a lot of the media coverage in the last few months of the campaign. But that is only if people watch the conventions." Reeher was interviewed for The Independent article "Could conventions matter more than ever this year?"

Gadarian featured in Deseret News article on unmasked politicians

Even Republicans who are personally disposed toward best public health practices might weigh the political cost of wearing a mask. "That is a potential tightrope that Republican leaders are on right now," says Shana Gadarian. "The biggest risk is that the president will pick you out for ridicule, or if you had someone running against you, the president would endorse that person." Gadarian was featured in the Deseret News article "What’s in it for a politician not to wear a mask?"

Reeher weighs in on Biden's gaffes in The Hill

Professor Grant Reeher says that while Trump had said much worse than Biden in terms of "levels of offensiveness or levels of insensitivity or thoughtlessness," the peril for the Democrat lay in a somewhat different area. "It is less clear that Biden is saying those things on purpose. In other words, there is this sense that he is not fully in command of what he is intending to say. ... That’s where the potential problem begins to open up for him." Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: Trump team pounces on Biden gaffes."

McDowell research cited in Bloomberg article on financial cold war

A recent research study co-authored by Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science, was cited in the Bloomberg article "Can China Win the Financial Cold War?" McDowell argues that that the more the U.S. wields its unmatched financial power, the less it may have left.

Jackson discusses Kamala Harris as VP pick in Teen Vogue, Truthout

"Despite the historic nature of her career and vice presidential nomination, we can’t lose our capacity to remain critical of her record and uncertain about how her potential vice presidency might affect marginalized communities," writes Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science, in Teen Vogue. In this piece, and in "'Kinship' Isn’t Enough — Harris Must Be Accountable to Black People," published in Truthout, Jackson explains why candidates' descriptive identities aren't necessarily indicators of their political ideologies.

Cohen comments on the political value of time in Washington Post

"If time is a political resource of value," says Elizabeth Cohen, professor political science, "then anything you can do to force people to spend their time on what you want them to do, not the work they would want to do, is effective." Cohen was quoted in the Washington Post article "Busy work."

Carriere discusses denuclearization in USA Today article

Fred Carriere, research professor of political science, says that one of the major impediments to getting countries to denuclearize, whether the U.S., North Korea, or Iran, is that "everybody always wants everything up front, with the promise that good things will follow later on, but few will ever be able to accept this strategy." He was quoted in the USA Today article "As Hiroshima bombing turns 75, a look at 6 changes to nuclear arms under Trump."

Jackson cited in Slate article on capitalizing white

"We don’t need any more mechanisms to make whiteness more visible," said Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science, in a nuanced Twitter thread that was cited in the Slate article "Capitalizing White Won’t Fix the Media’s Racism Problem." Jackson argues that leaving white in the lowercase strips its power.

White quoted in NYT Magazine article on Black WWII veterans, racism

"So much of the G.I. Bill involved deference to state and local authorities," says Steven White, assistant professor of political science and author of World War II and American Racial Politics: Public Opinion, the Presidency and Civil Rights Advocacy. "Black southerners, even if they got benefits, they couldn’t go to the same colleges and universities. They couldn’t get the same jobs." White was quoted in the New York Times Magazine article "Returning From War, Returning to Racism."

Gadarian discusses the politics behind face masks on YANSS podcast

Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science, was a guest on the You Are Not So Smart podcast. She explains how face masks, during the COVID-19 pandemic, became politicized and what we can learn from this going forward to help prevent a similar reaction when it comes time to convince to public they should get vaccinated. Her interview begins at approximately 37:20.

Gadarian cited in FiveThirtyEight article on COVID-19, partisan divide

Shana Gadarian told FiveThirtyEight she was surprised to see such enormous divides emerge as the pandemic wore on. According to other research she’s conducted, moments of extreme anxiety and uncertainty can actually make people more open to new sources of information — including public health experts and leaders from the opposing party. So at the beginning of the pandemic, she and her team expected that Americans would coalesce around public health experts’ recommendations, or that other demographic factors — like age — would turn into key dividing lines.

Pralle discusses the climate crisis on WAER

"Unlike some problems like terrorism or chronic poverty or addiction, things like that, that are very difficult to figure out, the causal chains are hard, but (with climate crisis), we know what we need to do, which is stop emitting carbon emissions," Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science, tells WAER. "So, we need to stop burning fossil fuels and we know when we need to do it." She was interviewed for the segment "CNY College Educators: Climate Crisis Has Slipped from Agenda, Has Parallels with COVID Crisis."

Barkun cited in VICE articles on conspiracy theories

According to Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science, three core principles characterize most conspiracy theories. Firstly, the belief that nothing happens by accident or coincidence. Secondly, that nothing is as it seems: The "appearance of innocence" is to be suspected. Finally, the belief that everything is connected through a hidden pattern. Barkun was cited in the VICE articles "What It's Like to Escape the Mindset of a Conspiracy Theorist" and "The Conspiracy Singularity Has Arrived."

Gadarian quoted in NYT article on face mask use in the US

"The big takeaway of all of the data is partisanship is the big determinant of all of the behavior," says Associate Professor of Political Science Shana Gadarian, who published a study in March on partisanship and health behaviors surrounding COVID-19. "It’s not age. It’s not where you live," she says. Read more in the New York Times article "A Detailed Map of Who Is Wearing Masks in the U.S."

Estevez-Abe explains Japan's success with coronavirus in Newsweek

According to Margarita Estevez-Abe, one of the keys to Japan's success is being able to control the spread of infections in facilities for the elderly. "From an international comparison, it can be seen that Japan's nursing-related administration and nursing homes started corona countermeasures at a very early stage," she says. "Whether or not this group can be protected well is the basis of corona countermeasures." Her article, "Factors behind unknown success in Japan's corona countermeasures — Nursing facilities," was published in Newsweek (Japan).

Barkun quoted in Foreign Policy article on QAnon movement

"If there is any lesson to be taken from this bizarre episode, it is that, in the age of Trump, no claim seems too preposterous to find an audience and that, in the age of the internet and social media, these beliefs and those willing to accept them are only too easy to bring together," says Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science. He was cited in the Foreign Policy article "QAnon’s Madness Is Turning Canadians Into Potential Assassins."

Morgan examines whether or not the EU is imperialist in JEPP article

"Is the European Union imperialist?," written by Associate Professor of Political Science Glyn Morgan, was published in the Journal of European Public Policy. Morgan explores the paradox of a political formation that is both vulnerable to the charge of being an imperialist, while no less vulnerable to being itself the victim of imperialism (or ‘vassalisation’).

Cleary study on rights of indigenous women in Mexico published in LAPS

"Subordinated Autonomy and the Political Inclusion of Women in Indigenous Mexico," written by Matthew Cleary, was published in Latin American Politics and Society. The study argues that the act of formalizing autonomy for indigenous communities, in the context of Mexico’s homogenizing neoliberal state, had the unanticipated effect of exposing exclusionary practices to state scrutiny, which eventually forced those communities to recognize women’s political rights.

Reeher weighs in on Americans' political dissatisfaction in The Hill

"If the public is fundamentally dissatisfied with where the country is going, that is also going to open up opportunities for different political messages — and different political messengers — to tap that dissatisfaction in different ways," says Professor Grant Reeher. He was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: Unhappy voters could deliver political shocks beyond Trump."

Gadarian quoted in LA Times article on GOP politicians and coronavirus

Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science, says people tend to get cues from their elected officials. "The political leaders of the Republican party for a long time have not had a consistent message about what keeps people safe," Gadarian says. Her quote was featured in the Los Angeles Times article "Trump makes it harder for red state politicians to battle the coronavirus."

Gueorguiev, McDowell study on capital controls in China published

"Inside looking out: how international policy trends shape the politics of capital controls in China," co-authored by Dimitar Gueorguiev and Daniel McDowell, was published in The Pacific Review. Gueorguiev, McDowell, and co-author David Steinberg present evidence showing that the international policy context features heavily in domestic political debates about capital controls in China. They also show that information about other countries’ policy choices influences mass public attitudes about capital controls in China.

Gadarian quoted in Scientific American on impact of COVID-19 on voting

"If Democrats are taking more precautions because of the coronavirus, we may see them not turn out as much as they would have without the pandemic," says Shana Kushner Gadarian, associate professor of political science. "That is pretty disturbing." Gadarian was interviewed for the Scientific American article "Trump vs. Biden: How COVID-19 Will Affect Voting for President."

Reeher comments on Trump's campaign rally venue in The Hill

"At this point, it is just completely baffling to me,” says Grant Reeher of President Trump's decision to hold his campaign rally in Tulsa, the site of one of the worst racial massacres in modern U.S. history back in 1921. "He is going all-in on ‘Law and Order’ and rejecting the very premise of the protests and sticking it in your eye." Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: Trump's Tulsa decision sparks new race controversy."

Jackson speaks to Vox about the meaning of abolish the police

"By 'abolish the police,' I mean building a world where we do not rely on anti-Black, white supremacist institutions of order to regulate society," says Jenn Jackson, assistant professor of political science. "This means that alternative forms of order might be embraced, like community care networks and justice structures rooted in restoration rather than punishment." Jackson was interviewed for the Vox article "The 'abolish the police' movement, explained by 7 scholars and activists."

White quoted in AFP article on rethinking race in American history

"I think for a growing number of white Americans you are seeing more attention paid to the longer-term reasons that racial inequality persists in America," says Steven White. "I guess the question is whether these changes in public opinion will last," he says. "Is this the beginning of a really substantial shift?" White was interviewed for the Agence France Presse article "America's original sin: Floyd death prompts historical soul-searching."

Reeher discusses Trump reelection with The Hill

When asked how hard it would be for any incumbent to overcome low voter satisfaction figures, Professor Grant Reeher says, "If we’re going by the history, the answer is 'very difficult.'" Voter satisfaction with the direction of the nation, Reeher adds "has always been a very good indicator" of whether the incumbent party was likely to keep the White House. Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: Trump's troubles deepen as voters see country on wrong path."

Lambright quoted in AP piece on Trump's claim of saving space program

The Obama administration "pushed it harder, much harder," says Professor Harry Lambright of NASA's effort to commercialize space. He was quoted in the Associated Press article "AP FACT CHECK: Trump claim of saving space program off base."

Lambright discusses SpaceX, NASA in Associated Press article

"You can’t explain SpaceX without really understanding how NASA really kind of nurtured it in the early days," says Harry Lambright, professor of public administration and international affairs and political science. "In a way, SpaceX is kind of a child of NASA." Read more in the the Associated Press article "First commercial space taxi a pit stop on Musk's Mars quest," in which University Professor Sean O'Keefe was also quoted.

McDowell speaks to Al Jazeera about IMF bailouts due to COVID-19

"And now you're saddled with additional debt from the IMF. Then some sort of longer term plan or program is likely going to have to step in to help countries through that," says Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science. He was interviewed by Al Jazeera for the segment "More than 90 countries request IMF bailout."

Undergraduate Awards

Check out the Political Science Undergraduate award winners for Spring 2020!

Can Biden win over Sanders supporters? Reeher discusses in USA Today

Professor Grant Reeher says Biden could have a hard time getting enthusiastic support from former Sanders supporters due to his lengthy record – three decades of Senate votes and two terms in the White House as President Barack Obama's vice president. It's "not gonna rub a lot of these Bernie Sanders supporters particularly in the right way," with how Biden has portrayed his own record, he says. Read more in the USA Today article "How Joe Biden is working to win over progressive voters."

Reeher quoted in The Hill article on increasing polarization, COVID-19

The polarization of American life had been going on for years before Trump was even a political figure, says Professor Grant Reeher. But, "what is different now, and what gives this a sharper edge is the fact that emotions are running so high, first of all; second, that the stakes are really, really high; and third the fact that the president has made very strong statements about these things." Reeher was interviewed for The Hill article "The Memo: Virus crisis deepens dangerous divides."

Gadarian research on partisanship, COVID-19 cited in LA Times, Slate

Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science, along with Tom Pepinsky of Cornell University and Sara Goodman of UC Irvine, recently released an analysis of polling data about which Americans say they wear masks in public. They found a gap of more than 20 points along partisan lines: 75% of Democrats, but 53% of Republicans said they did. Their findings were cited in the Los Angeles Times article "Can’t mask partisanship: Coronavirus response explains why Trump can still win," and the Slate article "Let’s Weaponize Social Media Against COVID-19."

Maxwell faculty and students honored with 2020 One University awards

Syracuse University announced its 2020 One University Awards, honoring members of the University community for their scholarship, teaching, academic achievement, leadership and service. The annual ceremony was scheduled to take place on April 17 in Hendricks Chapel, but was canceled due to COVID-19 guidelines.

Maxwell students selected as 2020-21 Remembrance Scholars

Ten Maxwell students were among the 35 students selected to be the 2020-21 Remembrance Scholars by Syracuse University’s Remembrance Scholar Selection Committee. The scholarships, now in their 31st 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.

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