Campbell Institute News

"McSally has voted in favor of funding border fencing and wall construction," Elizabeth Cohen, associate professor of political science, says. "Cautious support may in fact ultimately be quite important to the realization of effective border security given that there are many types of border fences and walls that are ineffective or dangerous."

John Palmer, University Professor and dean emeritus of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been named a Syracuse University mace bearer. The charter mace is an ancient symbol of authority and represents the University’s mission and integrity.

"There are a lot of things that make it tough for mayors to emerge as presidential candidates and I think its because of the fact that their records are always going to be impeachable, and the constituencies that they tend to represent have a harder time being seen around the rest of the country," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. 

Sean O'Keefe, University Professor and Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership, says no one will really know when the Chinese space station will hit the earth until about an hour before it happens and, after the station enters the atmosphere, any debris that remains will fall to the ground in less than 20 minutes, likely flaming.

Thomas Keck writes about shifting tax laws pursued by the GOP that will hit New Yorkers hard, as the tax burden shifts from some taxpayers to others. "One of its most controversial provisions establishes a cap of $10,000 for deducting state and local taxes, the primary source of funding government services and public education in New York.

"If I can just show that you drew this district to punish Republicans, then that’s a violation of the free speech rights and association rights of Republicans, and it shifts the burden onto the state to prove that they weren’t," says Keith Bybee, professor of political science and vice dean of the College of Law.

"This is more about boosting reconnaissance and cyber security than fighting in orbit," says Sean O'Keefe, University Professor and Phanstiel Chair in Leadership. "You can emphasize more help for the military in space without going to the massive organizational change and expense."

"Of all the problems to have, having the whole Albany culture of corruption attached to him [Cuomo]—and it will be attached to him—is one of the worst problems to have," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.

"If...Dana Balter is hammering away at the idea that the 24th could play a role in flipping the House of Representatives, it may be harder for him [incumbent John Katko]," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. "But he comes in with a lot of advantages, particularly if we look back at past elections."

"In a static and homogenous society, one would expect homeschooling in civility to yield a consensus on the norms of appropriate public behavior," says Keith Bybee, professor of political science. "But the United States is not such a society."

"There’s a set of priorities and most of the people have been waiting in the queue for years; frequently, even decades. So, we do not have large flows of people coming into this country based on any kind of chain system," says Elizabeth F. Cohen, professor of political science.

"The interesting question it raises is whether the seat will change parties," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. "That’s possible, given the district enrollment," adding "and with the Senate closely split, this particular election could become very important."

"Capitalist liberal democracies don't have commitments to social rights like welfare, healthcare and housing,” says Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science. "For them, the government is there to protect mostly negative political and civil rights, like the right to sell your labor on the open market. They don't deal with redistribution."

Kristi Andersen, professor emeritus of political science, discusses the release of the Nunes memo, John DeFrancisco's announcement to run for Governor of New York state, and the dropping of a historic logo in Cleveland.

"This idea that an immigrant receives a visa and all of a sudden five or 10 close and distant relatives are being pulled in on a chain is completely unrepresentative of how our immigration system actually works," says Elizabeth Cohen, associate professor of political science.

"New York City and the surrounding region is a much bigger stage, so political figures emerging from there are often already statewide and even national figures because of that," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science.