Political Science News

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."

Faricy piece on Biden's American Rescue Plan published in The Hill

"Our recent analysis of public opinion about people’s attitudes toward government assistance shows that Democrats can gain the support of conservative voters for assistance to the poor through smart policy design. And there is no better example than the American Rescue Plan (ARP)," Associate Professor of Political Science Chris Faricy and Christopher Ellis (Bucknell University) write. "In particular, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) are targeted toward the working poor, and disproportionately help families of color," they say. "The Biden proposal for expanding these two programs is projected to cut the child poverty rate in half." Read more in The Hill article, "Why Republicans couldn't kill Biden's relief bill."

Gadarian quoted in Jewish Insider article on Rep. Tenney, NY-22 race

The race for New York district 22 wasn’t decided until February 5, when a judge ruled that Claudia Tenney (R-NY) should be certified as the winner. Tenney and Anthony Brindisi (D-NY) were separated by just 12 votes in the original count, but a range of issues linked to voter registration and inconsistencies and failures in vote counting across the district led to a final margin of 109 votes. Shana Gadarian says neither voter ID laws nor voter roll maintenance would have solved the problems the district faced, which were related primarily to counting and failures to successfully register voters who believed they had done so. Read more in the Jewish Insider article, "109 votes brought Rep. Claudia Tenney back to Congress."

Maxwell alumni, student honored with 2021 ASPA awards

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) announced it will honor more than 40 individuals and organizations when it convenes its annual awards program next month during their 2021 Annual Conference. Several Maxwell alumni and one current online EMPA student are among the award honorees.

Rasmussen discusses the founding fathers’ concern for America’s future

In his new book, “Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America’s Founders” (Princeton University Press), Syracuse political science professor Dennis Rasmussen examines why many of America’s founding fathers—George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, to name a few—were concerned about America’s future. Today, it seems as if many of their greatest fears have been realized.

A Powerful Voice for Justice - Mazaher Kaila '19 BA (PSc)

"Civic engagement is a core value for me. I have always aspired to help the communities I’m from," says Law student Mazaher Kaila '19 BA (PSc). Kaila is not waiting until she graduates law school to assume the role of advocate and changemaker. She serves as president of the Black Law Students Association and is leading efforts to help the University administration address issues of diversity and inclusion on multiple fronts, including in admissions practices and in the establishment of a resource center at the College of Law.

Gadarian speaks to the Telegraph about Hunter Biden's memoir

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has a memoir coming out April 6, 2021, that will center on his well publicized struggles with substance abuse. "He’s a person who’s been in the public eye for a long time. He was at the center of President Trump’s first impeachment, and his public image has been framed to some extent by the political opposition, so his aim may be to establish a public record in his own words," says Shana Gadarian. "It would not be surprising if he wanted to run for some sort of office at some point and is putting this out in anticipation of that," she adds. Read more in the Telegraph article, "Sober reflection: will a memoir rescue the reputation of President Biden's black sheep son?"

Barkun comments on QAnon's March 4 failure in Insider article

QAnon followers believed that Donald Trump would be reinstated as president on March 4 but that date turned out to be fruitless for believers of the conspiracy theory. "QAnon is dealing with a very difficult cognitive-dissonance situation," says Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science. "Whether it's some date in March or whether ultimately it will be a second Trump term after an election in 2024," he says, "there will be some further set of explanations and a further set of dates." Barkun was quoted in the Insider article, "Trump's fake inauguration on March 4 was QAnon's latest vision that flopped. A new date is now being peddled to perpetuate the mind games."

Vote of Confidence - Gretchen Coleman '22 BA (PSc)

Gretchen Coleman '22 BA (PSc), a finalist for the prestigious Truman Scholarship, is encouraging the youth vote and addressing voter apathy through civic education.

Reeher quoted in The Hill article on Biden's COVID-19 vaccine plan

President Biden announced on Tuesday that there will be enough vaccinations for every American adult by the end of May, much sooner that his previous projection of July. "He has been careful to make clear that he is not saying the whole thing will be behind us by the end of May," says Professor Grant Reeher. "While it is possible to be too optimistic, it is also possible to be too pessimistic," he adds. "I mean, the president does need to give the American public reasons for hope—we have seen that since FDR. I think [Biden] is beginning to do that, and I think now is the time for it." Read more in The Hill article, "The Memo: Biden's COVID-19 bet comes with deep risks."

Gueorguiev discusses legacy of China's Xi Jinping in NY Times

China's leader Xi Jinping, is seeking to balance confidence and caution as China strides ahead while other countries continue to grapple with the pandemic. "Xi Jinping strikes me as ruthless but cautious in erecting a durable personal legacy," says Dimitar Gueorguiev, assistant professor of political science. In the eyes of China’s leaders, he says, "the response to the coronavirus was really a textbook example to the party of how you could bring things together in a short amount of time and force through a program." Gueorgueiv was quoted in the New York Times article, "'The East Is Rising': Xi Maps Out China’s Post-Covid Ascent."

Barkun quoted in Insider piece on QAnon's Trump conspiracy theory

QAnon followers, unable to cope with Joe Biden's elevation to president in January, have now coopted a new belief to argue that the next legitimate inauguration date will be on March 4, 2021. The belief is rooted in theories promoted by the obscure sovereign citizen movement, a highly-fragmented grouping of Americans who believe taxes, U.S. currency, and even the U.S. government to be illegitimate. "You really feel like you're in an Alice in Wonderland world when you start going through the ideas of the sovereign citizens," says Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science. Read more in the Insider article, "Why QAnon are pinning their last desperate hopes on Trump emerging as president on March 4."

Keck quoted in CSM article on the impeachment process

After two tumultuous impeachments of former President Donald Trump in little over a year, it’s clear that today the impeachment process works far differently than the Founding Fathers intended. "What I would emphasize is that there are structural problems with our democracy, some of which are really hard to fix, but some of which have emerged recently which there are fixes for," says Thomas Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. Read more in the Christian Science Monitor article, "Four impeachments, zero removals: Sign of cracks in Constitution?"

Barkun participates in ICSVE discussion panel on QAnon

Professor Emeritus of Political Science Michael Barkun recently participated in a panel discussion titled "Understanding QAnon," that was hosted by the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE). The panelists discussed the dangers of conspiracy theories, the processes of joining and leaving cults (and whether QAnon is itself a cult), and the threat that the United States faces from QAnon now that Joe Biden is President.

Gadarian speaks to WTSP about post-COVID mask-wearing

Masks are part of our everyday routine right now but will Americans continue to wear them post-pandemic? "There's a cultural norm in China or in Hong Kong and other places to wear a mask when you yourself are sick, but in the U.S. the culture of individualism or individual choice is very strong," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science. "To make people believe they are the experts in their own health decisions and they should do what helps them, rather than the community is a big hurdle to overcome," Gadarian says. Read more in the WTSP article, "Life after COVID: Will people still wear masks after the pandemic?"

Reeher speaks to Newsweek about polarization in Congress

Professor Grant Reeher says that he doesn't see "a lot of prospects" for Congress to govern in a bipartisan way "in the short term or the near long term," pointing out that the current level of political polarization has been decades in the making. "Ironically, what it will probably take to create more bipartisanship is for one party to establish clear, stable control of an institution," he says. "This happened for a good chunk of the 20th century with Democrats in Congress, and for a shorter period of time, with Republicans in the White House," Reeher explains. Read more in the Newsweek article, "Amid GOP Infighting Over Trump, Republicans Agree on Opposing Biden's Agenda."

Keck piece on the purpose of impeachment published on Syracuse.com

"The impeachment power’s primary function, in actual practice, is to lay down a marker for history," writes Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. "Donald Trump has joined Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton as the only presidents to be impeached, and he stands alone as the only president to suffer this fate more than once. Wherever U.S. history is fairly taught, this fact will be noted about his presidency," he says. Read more in Keck's article, "What’s the point of impeachment? ‘To lay down a marker for history’," published on Syracuse.com.

Gadarian quoted in City & State article on Tenney's win in NY22

In New York’s 22nd congressional district, Republican Claudia Tenney was certified as the winner on Monday, unseating moderate Democrat Anthony Brindisi—who just two years earlier defeated Tenney after her first term in Congress. "If you’re a Democrat who is trying to walk the line in a kind of socially conservative district, I think having to vote on impeachment, having to take positions on budgets—those are now (votes) that your opponent can push against," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science. Read more in the City & State article, "How Claudia Tenney won back her seat in Congress."

Abdelaaty study on human rights, refugee protection published in IJHR

"The relationship between human rights and refugee protection: an empirical analysis," authored by Assistant Professor of Political Science Lamis Abdelaaty, was published in the International Journal of Human Rights. Abdelaaty examined the relationship between a government's respect for the rights of its own citizens and that government's regard for refugee rights and found that the relationship between citizens’ rights and refugee rights is modified by economic conditions and the size of the refugee population.

Jolly study on EU's transnational-nationalist dimension published

"A new divide? Assessing the transnational-nationalist dimension among political parties and the public across the EU," co-authored by Associate Professor of Political Science Seth Jolly and Ph.D. candidate Daniel Jackson, was published in European Union Politics. Jolly and Jackson argue that the transnational-nationalist divide is a useful framework for understanding political conflict over European integration and the recent rise of nationalism across Europe, above and beyond the traditional economic and social left-right dimensions.

Reeher discusses significance of Trump's impeachment trial in Newsweek

"Regarding impeachment, polarization has led the two parties to dig in immediately and deeply. Clinton's impeachment is probably a better pure example of its effects," says Professor Grant Reeher. "Trump's behavior has been far more problematic and dangerous to the nation, but I still think that polarization has affected how each party has responded, and it has made impeachment—or defending a president or former president against it—a more likely response," he says. Read more in the Newsweek article, "Impeachment Trials Were Rare in U.S. History, Now Senate Begins Third in Just Over 20 Years."

Faricy explores public perceptions of welfare via the U.S. tax code

In their new book, “The Other Side of the Coin: Public Opinion toward Social Tax Expenditures” (Russel Sage Foundation), Christopher Faricy, associate professor of political science, and Bucknell University professor Christopher Ellis examine how public opinion differs between two types of economic aid—direct government assistance vs. indirect assistance in the form of tax subsidies.

Gueorguiev quoted in SCMP on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has nominated Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. "It is important to remember that this development follows on recent Chinese sanctions against U.S. officials, who had criticized China‘s human rights record, announced during the twilight moments of the Trump administration," says Dimitar Gueorguiev. "Optimists in Beijing might have thought that a new administration would offer an opportunity for some sort of reset. That seems increasingly unlikely," Gueorguiev says. Read more in the South China Morning Post article, "U.S. lawmakers nominate Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement for the Nobel Peace Prize."

Griffiths evaluates grievances of secessionist movements in new paper

"Local conditions and the demand for independence: A dataset of secessionist grievances," co-authored by Associate Professor of Political Science Ryan Griffiths and Ph.D. candidate Angely Martinez, was published in Nations and Nationalism. There are more than 60 secessionist movements around the world, and they all advance arguments for why they deserve independence. In the article, Griffiths and Martinez construct a dataset of secessionist grievances. They develop a set of grievance indicators, specify how they are operationalized and detail how the grievances are categorized and aggregated. They then tally the results for each contemporary movement and discuss the broader patterns.

Barkun cited in Mere Orthodoxy article on insurgency in America

Professor Emeritus Michael Barkun's research on extremism and conspiracy theories was cited in the Mere Orthodoxy article, "A Homegrown Christian Insurgency." In 2017, Barkun predicted that Trump’s "mainstreaming of the fringe" would likely wash away customs, practices and norms that served as crucial protections of democratic culture in America. "Should formerly fringe forces substantially weaken the informal rules and practices that historically kept violence at bay," Barkun wrote, "the stability we now take for granted would become, for the first time in our lifetimes, problematic."

Thompson shares her thoughts on Biden, Harris with LocalSYR

"President Biden served eight years as Vice President, so he was very much involved in the Obama Presidency," says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. "He saw things from the inside. But I think one of the things that’s going to make a big difference is his respect for and I think a reliance on expertise in a variety of fields." Thompson also believes Vice President Harris will play a big role over the next four years, especially because the Senate is so narrowly divided at this time. Watch the full interview via LocalSYR.com.

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