Politics + Society – The Conversation – US Presidential election, Congress and political issues

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Academic rigor, journalistic flair

A gray haired man speaks at a podium in front of a US flag and several other people.

What does the US attorney general actually do? A law professor explains

Jennifer Selin, Arizona State University

Silouhette of angry mob waving pitchforks and other weapons

Climate of fear is driving local officials to quit – new study from California finds threats, abuse rampant

Rachel Locke, University of San Diego

A nation exhausted: The neuroscience of why Americans are tuning out politics

Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University

A person wearing a dark suit sticks his head in the sand.

A person wearing a dark suit sticks his head in the sand.

3D-printed guns, like the one allegedly used to kill a health care CEO, are a growing threat in the US and around the world

Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina – Greensboro

A group of firearms of different colors and materials.

A group of firearms of different colors and materials.

How a small Brazilian town became an unlikely battleground over Confederate memory

Jordan Brasher, Macalester College

A woman dressed in traditional hoop skirt walks with a child past graves marked with Confederate flags in the American cemetery

A woman dressed in traditional hoop skirt walks with a child past graves marked with Confederate flags in the American cemetery

Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort

Ken Hughes, University of Virginia

A man with dark receding hair, heavy eyebrows and pointing his finger at someone.

A man with dark receding hair, heavy eyebrows and pointing his finger at someone.

Read the latest Politics + Society articles

National politics

A man in a red tie smiles at the camera.

Marco Rubio is no friend of Havana − but does Trump’s pick for secretary of state mean Cuba policy is set?

Joseph J. Gonzalez, Appalachian State University

What the US Supreme Court will consider when it rules on gender-affirming care for trans children

Mark Satta, Wayne State University

People carrying large signs either supporting or opposing trans kids.

People carrying large signs either supporting or opposing trans kids.

Links between gender stereotypes and American patriotism date from the Cold War − but weren’t true then either

Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy, Miami University

A view of a kitchen with a man on one side wearing a tie, smoking a pipe and reading a newspaper, while near the stove, a woman in a dress and an apron hands a plate of food to a child.

A view of a kitchen with a man on one side wearing a tie, smoking a pipe and reading a newspaper, while near the stove, a woman in a dress and an apron hands a plate of food to a child.

I’m a scholar of white supremacy who’s visiting all 113 places where Confederate statues were removed in recent years − here’s why Richmond gets it right

David Cunningham, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Pink paint-spattered bronze statue lies on its back on a display table

Pink paint-spattered bronze statue lies on its back on a display table

In 2024, independent voters grew their share of the vote, split their tickets and expanded their influence

Thom Reilly, Arizona State University and Jacqueline Salit, Arizona State University

An illustration with various hands raised from the bottom and one hand coming in from the top to drop a piece of paper in a ballot box.

An illustration with various hands raised from the bottom and one hand coming in from the top to drop a piece of paper in a ballot box.

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US Congress

A crew from Idaho carries equipment as they walk down a smoky road while working a fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California in 2021.

Wildland firefighters face a big pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress

Robin Verble, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Trump’s agenda will face hurdles in Congress, despite the Republican ‘trifecta’ of winning the House, Senate and White House

Charlie Hunt, Boise State University

A dark sky with a large white building that has a spire on it, behind a traffic light.

A dark sky with a large white building that has a spire on it, behind a traffic light.

Many wealthy members of Congress are descendants of rich slaveholders − new study demonstrates the enduring legacy of slavery

Neil K R Sehgal, University of Pennsylvania and Ashwini Sehgal, Case Western Reserve University

A statue of Jefferson Davis on display on Capitol Hill.

A statue of Jefferson Davis on display on Capitol Hill.

3 years after fall of Kabul, US Congress has still not acted to secure future of more than 70,000 Afghan evacuees in US

Kelsey Norman, Rice University and Ana Martín Gil, Rice University

Children and women in headscarves sit on chairs.

Children and women in headscarves sit on chairs.

Why is Congress filled with old people?

Charlie Hunt, Boise State University

An imposing gray government building with a dome and an American flag flying from a pole.

An imposing gray government building with a dome and an American flag flying from a pole.

Democracy and rule of law

Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort

Ken Hughes, University of Virginia

A man with dark receding hair, heavy eyebrows and pointing his finger at someone.

A man with dark receding hair, heavy eyebrows and pointing his finger at someone.

‘Administrative law’ sounds dry but likely will be key to success or failure of Trump’s plans for government reform

Sidney Shapiro, Wake Forest University

A hand swings a gavel down in front of large stacks of paper.

A hand swings a gavel down in front of large stacks of paper.

What is a self-coup? South Korea president’s attempt ended in failure − a notable exception in a growing global trend

John Joseph Chin, Carnegie Mellon University and Joe Wright, Penn State

Fatigue-clad soldiers with masks covering their face stand outside a large building.

Fatigue-clad soldiers with masks covering their face stand outside a large building.

How right-wing media is like improv theater

Danielle Lee Tomson, University of Washington and Kate Starbird, University of Washington

a panel of three photos, each of a different man

a panel of three photos, each of a different man

Race and equity

Detroit’s reparations task force now has until 2025 to make its report, but going slow with this challenging work may not be a bad thing

Kamri Hudgins, University of Michigan; Erykah Noelle Benson, University of Michigan; Mara Ostfeld, University of Michigan, and Vincent Hutchings, University of Michigan

Four people sit behind stick microphones at a table.

Four people sit behind stick microphones at a table.

How a small Brazilian town became an unlikely battleground over Confederate memory

Jordan Brasher, Macalester College

A woman dressed in traditional hoop skirt walks with a child past graves marked with Confederate flags in the American cemetery

A woman dressed in traditional hoop skirt walks with a child past graves marked with Confederate flags in the American cemetery

Trust in U.S. media hit an all-time low in 2024 − a new survey shows Black midwesterners have found other trusted messengers of news

Danielle K. Brown, Michigan State University

A pretty young Black woman smiles at viewers.

A pretty young Black woman smiles at viewers.

Assault on DEI: Critics use simplistic terms to attack the programs, but they are key to uprooting workplace bias

M. Cristina Alcalde, Miami University

Lego-type building blocks spell out "DEI."

Lego-type building blocks spell out "DEI."

State politics

Climate of fear is driving local officials to quit – new study from California finds threats, abuse rampant

Rachel Locke, University of San Diego

Silouhette of angry mob waving pitchforks and other weapons

Silouhette of angry mob waving pitchforks and other weapons

Detroit’s reparations task force now has until 2025 to make its report, but going slow with this challenging work may not be a bad thing

Kamri Hudgins, University of Michigan; Erykah Noelle Benson, University of Michigan; Mara Ostfeld, University of Michigan, and Vincent Hutchings, University of Michigan

Four people sit behind stick microphones at a table.

Four people sit behind stick microphones at a table.

Colorado now has one of the nation’s most liberal abortion access laws, but ballot measures to restrict abortion have a long history in the state

Anne Whitesell, Miami University

People protest in favor of abortion access, with a domed building in the background.

People protest in favor of abortion access, with a domed building in the background.

Yes, Philadelphia is a sanctuary city − but that offers undocumented immigrants little protection from mass deportations

Jennifer J. Lee, Temple University

A group of 10 people stand in front of Philadelphia's City Hall and hold signs in support of sanctuary policies

A group of 10 people stand in front of Philadelphia's City Hall and hold signs in support of sanctuary policies

Immigration

Trump wants to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants – but the 18th-century law has been invoked only during times of war

Daniel Tichenor, University of Oregon

People are seen in a desert getting into white cars. Three people wearing army green uniforms and carrying guns stand nearby them.

People are seen in a desert getting into white cars. Three people wearing army green uniforms and carrying guns stand nearby them.

Trump’s plans for tougher border enforcement won’t necessarily stop migrants from coming to US − but their journeys could become more costly and dangerous

Katrina Burgess, Tufts University

A large metal wall is seen in front of barbed wire.

A large metal wall is seen in front of barbed wire.

How Trump might target DACA recipients and other immigrant groups

Jean Lantz Reisz, University of Southern California

People are seen walking in a desert, with a man wearing army green and a vest that says 'police' on it in yellow watches them.

People are seen walking in a desert, with a man wearing army green and a vest that says 'police' on it in yellow watches them.

Beefing up Border Patrol is a bipartisan goal, but the agency has a troubled history of violence and impunity

Ragini Shah, Suffolk University

Two border patrol agents on horseback ride in front of the border wall

Two border patrol agents on horseback ride in front of the border wall

Middle East

US role in Syria is unclear in wake of Assad’s fall from power

Jordan Tama, American University School of International Service

A grey tank is seen on a field against a grey sky. The tank has a US flag flying from it.

A grey tank is seen on a field against a grey sky. The tank has a US flag flying from it.

Assad’s fall in Syria will further weaken Hezbollah and curtails Tehran’s ‘Iranization’ of region

Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College

Men wave flags and a banner showing the face of four men.

Men wave flags and a banner showing the face of four men.

Hamas – hemmed in and isolated – finds itself with few options for the day after the Gaza war

Mkhaimar Abusada, Northwestern University

People walk through war debris.

People walk through war debris.

Syrians, in a triumph of hope, turn the page on the horrors of Assad

Wendy Pearlman, Northwestern University

A woman in a tan outfit raising her fingers in a victory sign as she sits in a car window.

A woman in a tan outfit raising her fingers in a victory sign as she sits in a car window.

Around the world

South Korea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging democracy

Myunghee Lee, Michigan State University and Sungik Yang, Arizona State University

A giant cardboard hear with Korean writing is held aloft.

A giant cardboard hear with Korean writing is held aloft.

Protests, sectarian violence and a growing spat with India: Bangladesh’s new leaders are beset with challenges to its democracy

Manoj Misra, Western Connecticut State University

Men with raised fists march down a street.

Men with raised fists march down a street.

What South Korea’s short-lived martial law says about nation’s democracy and the autocratic tendencies of President Yoon

Myunghee Lee, Michigan State University

A large crowd of people at cross a street at night. One carries a South Korean flag.

A large crowd of people at cross a street at night. One carries a South Korean flag.

Notre-Dame reopens in Paris 5 years after fire – its reconstruction preserves the past and illuminates France’s modern ambitions

Irit Kleiman, Boston University

People watch Notre Dame Cathedral burn.

People watch Notre Dame Cathedral burn.

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