Politics – Views & Research

A man glowers with one hand raised as he stands behind a podium at a press briefing.

From Wulfstan of York to Pete Hegseth, fake Bible verses have often been politicized

Mo Pareles, University of British Columbia

An old man's face between two beams of blue light.

How Donald Trump taps into America’s enduring appetite for destruction

Ronald W. Pruessen, University of Toronto

a hospital sign directing people to EMERGENCY CHILDREN / URGENCE ENFANTS

World Immunization Week: Why postal codes shouldn’t determine RSV protection in Canada

Sophie Webb, Simon Fraser University and Cora Constantinescu, University of Calgary

Here’s what to expect from the first Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

Kyla Tienhaara, Queen's University, Ontario and Christina Frendo, Queen's University, Ontario

smoke stacks at an industrial plant silhouetted by an orange sky at sunset

Carney’s majority government should spark renewed calls for electoral reform

Julie Simmons, University of Guelph

A slender man with short grey hair waves and smiles as he walks down a staircase with three women walking behind him.

Public grocery stores won’t fix Canada’s food affordability crisis

Michael von Massow, University of Guelph

A person seen from the elbows down carries reuable shopping bags

Legal categories for animals still divide — and limit — animal rights

Daphnée B. Ménard, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

An armed soldier stands outside a building.

Inside Southeast Asia’s scam compounds: A trafficked worker tells of fraud, coercion and torture

Randall Hansen, University of Toronto

Ukraine is countering the impact of the war in Iran by attacking Russian energy facilities

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University

a young man stands in a misty field with a drone in his hand and his head tossed back

Cities helping cities rebuild: How local partnerships are shaping Ukraine’s recovery

Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria

An expanse of blue sky shows through a giant hole in a destroyed apartment building.

Hungary turns the page into uncertainty after Péter Magyar ends Viktor Orbán’s enduring rule

Alexandre Massaux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

A black and white photo of a man holding a young boy.

The Lewis dynasty makes a third bid to shape democratic socialism in Canada

Roberta Lexier, Mount Royal University

What Ontarians need to know about reforms that will run school boards like businesses

Sachin Maharaj, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa; Beyhan Farhadi, University of Toronto, and Vidya Shah, University of Toronto

A person seen at the far end of a school hallway lined with hanging children's coats and snowpants and an orange pylon.

Canada urgently needs a civilian defence strategy — before the next crisis forces one

William Michael Carter, Toronto Metropolitan University

A man in a parka shakes hands with and talks to a group of people in red parkas.

Another MP jumps to Carney, raising concerns about Canada’s democracy

Travis Leicher, Queen's University, Ontario

A slender man with short grey hair shakes hands with a taller woman with dark blonde hair. Both are smiling.

Mark Carney gets his majority, building new momentum

Allison Harell, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM); Daniel Rubenson, University of Toronto; Laura Stephenson, Western University, and Lewis Krashinsky, University of Toronto

A smiling woman in a headscarf raises her hands in front of a canadian flag

A man sits on a bench. Behind him a mural reads 'America killed 165.'

Failed peace deal: The Iran war has inflicted a cascade of losses that may never be recovered

Kawser Ahmed, University of Manitoba

How ‘books for development’ campaigns reveal an unjust global order

Jody Mason, Carleton University

Guns over people: Rising military spending is eroding quality of life around the world

Ruolz Ariste, Carleton University

A fireman on a ladder in the foreground with destroyed buildings and a bulldozer behind him.

Diaspora communities carry the burden of watching war from afar

Lara El Mekaui, Toronto Metropolitan University

A young girl wrapped in a flag and holding another during a protest.

Two armed police officers stand on a roof, both looking through binoculars.

The RCMP’s surveillance of Indigenous groups exposes a centuries-long pattern in Canada

Daniel Sims, University of Northern British Columbia

Driven by social media, masculinism has moved from the fringes to the mainstream

Léa Clermont-Dion, Concordia University

How Ontario’s post-secondary student funding changes echo Ronald Reagan reforms

Susan Dianne Brophy, University of Waterloo

People stand with protest signs, one that says 'my degree shouldn't come with a mortgage' outside a large stone building.

How our research led to a privacy complaint that pushed the World Anti‑Doping Agency to change its rules

Marcus Mazzucco, University of Toronto and Jensen Brehaut, York University, Canada

Canada and Mexico must work together to help Cuba survive its dire humanitarian crisis

Amelia M. Kiddle, University of Calgary

A thin man with short grey hair shakes hands with a dark-haired woman in a blue dress. both are smiling.

Danielle Smith’s immigration referendum fuels an ‘us versus them’ divide in Alberta

Esra Ari, Mount Royal University and Bronwyn Bragg, University of Lethbridge

canadian mexican and US flags drapped over a wall

Critical minerals and energy will be integral to the CUSMA review

John P. Hayes, University of Calgary

Male protesters in front of several green white and red flags raise their fists.

After the Iran war: 5 possible outcomes and 4 ways Canada can flex its middle-power muscle

Kawser Ahmed, University of Manitoba

The economics of war extend far beyond energy prices and stock markets

Junaid B. Jahangir, MacEwan University

Two women stand as a thick plume of black smoke rises behind them.

Israel isn’t just responding to threats – it’s reshaping the Middle East

Spyros A. Sofos, Simon Fraser University

A commercial jetliner flies through black smoke over a city at night.

Can countries replace SWIFT? Evidence from Russia suggests not easily

Mesbah Sharaf, University of Alberta and Abdelhalem Shahen, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University

A man looks at an exchange office sign showing the currency exchange rates of the Russian ruble, U.S. dollar, and euro

As oil shortages deepen, wartime rationing offers a guide for today’s governments

Henri Chevalier, University of Waterloo

Trading rights for efficiency: Why Bill C-12’s restrictive asylum measures will likely backfire

Nicholas A. R. Fraser, University of Toronto

An airport arrivals sign in French and English.

Ontario is closing its supervised consumption sites, calling them a failure. So what counts as ‘success?’

Daniel Eisenkraft Klein, Harvard University

A man in a blue suit speaking with his arm raised, with people seated behind him

A bulldozer in front of an ornate, heavily damaged apartment building.

U.S. actions in Iran are politically motivated, not the result of intelligence failures

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University and Jack Adam MacLennan, Park University

Vietnam ruined Lyndon B. Johnson’s political career. Will Donald Trump face the same fate over Iran?

Ronald W. Pruessen, University of Toronto

A man in the street holding an upside down photo of Donald Trump; another man beside him holds an Iranian flag.

What does China’s host bid mean for the High Seas Treaty?

Philippe Le Billon, University of British Columbia and Zelda Ladefoged, University of British Columbia

smal blue fish swim near coral in the sea

The West has long characterized Iran’s oil as a prize to be claimed

Ian Wereley, Carleton University

A black and white photo of a man using a telescope to survey an area while another stands beside him

Strike on Afghan hospital shows the laws of war may document atrocities — but don’t prevent them

Shabnam Salehi, Carleton University; L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Schoolchildren pose for a photo, one with sunflowers in her hair.

Ukraine’s stolen children expose the lies at the heart of Russia’s four-year military assault

Vincent Artman, University of Ostrava and Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria

A dark-haired man speaks at a podium against a backdrop of large American and Canadian flags.

Fact check: Pierre Poilievre’s misinformation on Joe Rogan’s podcast disrespects Canadians

Jaigris Hodson, Royal Roads University; Brianna I. Wiens, University of Waterloo; Nick Ruest, York University, Canada, and Shana MacDonald, University of Waterloo

War in Iran: Why destroying cultural heritage is such a foolish strategic move in any conflict

Costanza Musu, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

The crisis of youth aging out of care is why Canada needs a children and youth commissioner

Jacquie Gahagan, Mount Saint Vincent University; Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Dr. Melanie M. Doucet, McGill University, and Mary Rita Holland, Mount Saint Vincent University

Heart cut outs in a garden, including one that says every child matters.

Alcoholic capitalism: How rum fuelled Canada’s early economy

Allan Greer, McGill University

Students hold up protest signs, one reading 'F Your Fascism.'

The war on DEI reflects the quiet normalization of white nationalism — in the U.S. and beyond

Henry Giroux, McMaster University

A sign with the words travel visas written in english and french with a globe symbol

Canada’s immigration system is going digital, and accountability must keep pace

Marika Jeziorek, Balsillie School of International Affairs

What is the Strait of Hormuz, and why does its closure matter so much to the global economy?

Warren Mabee, Queen's University, Ontario

Trump wants an ‘Independence Arch’ — How famous arches warn about dangers to republics

Kelly Summers, MacEwan University

A man in a 1960s style car waves from a back window near a triumphal arch and a uniformed police officer in a black and white photo.

Middle East conflict is pushing oil prices higher — and most Canadians will feel the costs

Subhadip Ghosh, MacEwan University

Close up of a person's hand holding a gas nozzle as they fill up car gas tank. In the background, an Esso gas station sign displays a fuel price of 164.9

How the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran helps Russia in its war against Ukraine

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University

Firefighters with a hose on a flaming pile of rubble.

Canada should be wary of embracing ‘total national defence’ to ward off an American invasion

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University

A thin man with short grey hair points and walks behind a hulking man with orange-ish white hair and splotchy orange-hued skin. Mountains are in the background.

As Alberta separatists court the U.S., prosperity is fuelling a sovereigntist turn

Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria

A hulking older man with fluffy white-blond hair grimaces as he speaks.

Donald Trump’s apocalyptic and profane threats against Iran expose the unhinged language of war

Henry Giroux, McMaster University

When war looks like prophecy: How U.S. ‘end time’ narratives frame the war with Iran

André Gagné, Concordia University

An old orange hued man wearing a white cap with USA, written in gold salute as soldiers carry a coffin past him

Evangelical holy war: Why some Christians think Trump will end the world

Matthew Burkholder, University of Toronto

Israeli strikes on Tehran oil depot highlight gaps in international law

Alexandra R. Harrington, McGill University

A thick plume of black smoke rises in the background, in the foreground is a destroyed car

As war raises oil prices, households pay while energy companies profit

Philippe Le Billon, University of British Columbia

A man walks along a rocky shoreline with oil tankers and cargo ships seen in the distance

A rotund man with blond-ish white fluffy hair blowing in the breeze disembarks from an aircraft down a set of stairs that reads miami-dade fire rescue

Why Donald Trump will try to declare victory in Iran well before November

John Duncan, University of Toronto

A man with his hands on his hips looks at rubble from an explosion.

Iran’s attacks drone on, with the U.S. at risk of losing the war

Michael J. Armstrong, Brock University

Men in camouflage and wearing helmets walk en masse from a military transport plane on a tarmac.

Hey Trump: Here’s how Canada punched above its military weight in Afghanistan — from someone with a front-row seat

Eugene Lang, Queen's University, Ontario

3 ways Canada can navigate an increasingly erratic and belligerent United States

Charles Conteh, Brock University

How Canada-Cuba relations must navigate the dangers of the U.S. embargo

Luiz Leomil, Carleton University

People at a protest hold signs in spanish with a caricature of donald trump

Why Donald Trump is telling such obvious lies on the ICE Minneapolis killing

Jennifer Saul, University of Waterloo and Tim Kenyon, Brock University

‘Quiet, piggy’ and other slurs: Powerful men fuel online abuse against women in politics and media

Tracey Raney, Toronto Metropolitan University

A man with orange-ish skin tone and fluffy yellow-orange hair in a dark suit with a yellow tie gestures and grimaces as he speaks.

Blaming ‘wine moms’ for ICE protest violence is another baseless, misogynist myth

Darryn DiFrancesco, University of Northern British Columbia

A woman holds a sign that reads 'it was murder, stop ICE.'

How Trump’s separate meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy have advanced Russian interests

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University

A hulking rotund man with orange-ish blond hair and a face with thick bronzer stands grimacing next to a shorter man with dark hair and a beard wearing dark clothing who is smiling.

Trump and Putin didn’t hold new peace talks after all — but that was likely Putin’s plan all along

Oleksa Drachewych, Western University

A large man with fluffy blond hair in a blue suit and red tie shakes the hand of a smaller, balding man who is smirking.

Donald Trump’s penchant for bullshit explains MAGA anger about the Epstein files

Tim Kenyon, Brock University

The Epstein revelations have exposed how ‘Boy’s Club’ elites avoid accountability

Dahlia Namian, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

What the Jeffrey Epstein files reveal about how elites trade toxic gifts and favours

Hugh Gusterson, University of British Columbia

A rotund man with orange-hued white hair with a pained expression on his face standing next to a younger grey-haired man who shakes hands with a woman with her back to the camera.

An elderly man with fluffy white hair and orange-hued skin appears to nod off.

Health and competence are shaping Trump’s presidency. What about his predecessors?

Ronald W. Pruessen, University of Toronto

The ousting of Peru’s president points to a deeper crisis

Étienne Sinotte, McGill University

People walk along a city street strewn with garbage.

Cuba is facing an economic and social catastrophe, and not entirely because of Donald Trump

Robert Huish, Dalhousie University

Flag politics in Canada and New Zealand resulted in drastically different outcomes

Paul Hamilton, Brock University and Tristan Sheppard, Western University

What Canada can learn from Mexico’s approach to U.S. trade

Wolfgang Alschner, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A man and a woman shake hands in front of a backdrop that says MEXICO-CANADA

‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ hasn’t faded in Iran — it’s being actively eliminated

Mina Fakhravar, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A woman protester sets a poster on fire with a cigarette.

Bangladesh’s election represents politics as usual, and some hope for change

Humayun Kabir, Thompson Rivers University

people raise their hands at a rally, a bangladeshi flag can be seen flying behind them

From Kathmandu to Casablanca, a generation under surveillance is rising up

Amani Braa, Université de Montréal

A regime change in Venezuela could have grim consequences for Canada’s oil sector

Philippe Le Billon, University of British Columbia

Palm trees in the foreground as an oil tanker sits docked at a por

The Colombian border is one of the biggest obstacles to building a new Venezuela

Sally Sharif, University of British Columbia

An armed soldier stands near a border crossing.

‘I have to talk about it so that the world can know what happened to women and girls in Sudan’ – rape and terror sparks mass migration

Sabine Lee, University of Birmingham; Heather Tasker, Dalhousie University, and Susan Bartels, Queen's University, Ontario

Why Russia’s provocations in Europe actually signal a weakened strategic position

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University

An airport screen shows a long list of diverted flights.

The Māori ward vote in New Zealand contains important lessons for Canada

Karen Bird, McMaster University

Crowds of people at a protest waving red, white and black flags.

Lasting peace and recovery in Gaza depends on local participation, not just ceasefires

Mahmood Fayazi, Royal Roads University

People walk along a road through a city that has been largely destroyed and left in rubble

In the Middle East, women journalists and activists have been driving crucial change

Farinaz Basmechi, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A woman with a red scarf smiles at the camera.

children's outreached hands carrying pots for food

Imagine a world without genocide

David Welch, University of Waterloo

The world on the brink: Why governments must invest in peace, not just arms

Jenna Sapiano, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

People walk though a dusty street of rubble.

What NATO could learn from Ukraine as it navigates Russian threats to European security

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University and Samuel Zilincik, Royal Danish Defence College

Firefighters on a destroyed roof of a house.

Politics – Views & Research – The Conversation

Top stories

Proven facts, not partisan fiction. Get our free daily newsletter.

From Wulfstan of York to Pete Hegseth, fake Bible verses have often been politicized

How Donald Trump taps into America’s enduring appetite for destruction

World Immunization Week: Why postal codes shouldn’t determine RSV protection in Canada

Here’s what to expect from the first Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

Carney’s majority government should spark renewed calls for electoral reform

Public grocery stores won’t fix Canada’s food affordability crisis

Legal categories for animals still divide — and limit — animal rights

Inside Southeast Asia’s scam compounds: A trafficked worker tells of fraud, coercion and torture

Ukraine is countering the impact of the war in Iran by attacking Russian energy facilities

Cities helping cities rebuild: How local partnerships are shaping Ukraine’s recovery

Hungary turns the page into uncertainty after Péter Magyar ends Viktor Orbán’s enduring rule

The Lewis dynasty makes a third bid to shape democratic socialism in Canada

What Ontarians need to know about reforms that will run school boards like businesses

Canada urgently needs a civilian defence strategy — before the next crisis forces one

Another MP jumps to Carney, raising concerns about Canada’s democracy

Mark Carney gets his majority, building new momentum

In case you missed it

Failed peace deal: The Iran war has inflicted a cascade of losses that may never be recovered

How ‘books for development’ campaigns reveal an unjust global order

Guns over people: Rising military spending is eroding quality of life around the world

Diaspora communities carry the burden of watching war from afar

The RCMP’s surveillance of Indigenous groups exposes a centuries-long pattern in Canada

Driven by social media, masculinism has moved from the fringes to the mainstream

How Ontario’s post-secondary student funding changes echo Ronald Reagan reforms

How our research led to a privacy complaint that pushed the World Anti‑Doping Agency to change its rules

Canada and Mexico must work together to help Cuba survive its dire humanitarian crisis

Danielle Smith’s immigration referendum fuels an ‘us versus them’ divide in Alberta

Critical minerals and energy will be integral to the CUSMA review

After the Iran war: 5 possible outcomes and 4 ways Canada can flex its middle-power muscle

The economics of war extend far beyond energy prices and stock markets

Israel isn’t just responding to threats – it’s reshaping the Middle East

Can countries replace SWIFT? Evidence from Russia suggests not easily

As oil shortages deepen, wartime rationing offers a guide for today’s governments

Trading rights for efficiency: Why Bill C-12’s restrictive asylum measures will likely backfire

Ontario is closing its supervised consumption sites, calling them a failure. So what counts as ‘success?’

U.S. actions in Iran are politically motivated, not the result of intelligence failures

Vietnam ruined Lyndon B. Johnson’s political career. Will Donald Trump face the same fate over Iran?

What does China’s host bid mean for the High Seas Treaty?

The West has long characterized Iran’s oil as a prize to be claimed

Strike on Afghan hospital shows the laws of war may document atrocities — but don’t prevent them

Ukraine’s stolen children expose the lies at the heart of Russia’s four-year military assault

Fact check: Pierre Poilievre’s misinformation on Joe Rogan’s podcast disrespects Canadians

War in Iran: Why destroying cultural heritage is such a foolish strategic move in any conflict

The crisis of youth aging out of care is why Canada needs a children and youth commissioner

Alcoholic capitalism: How rum fuelled Canada’s early economy

The war on DEI reflects the quiet normalization of white nationalism — in the U.S. and beyond

Canada’s immigration system is going digital, and accountability must keep pace

What is the Strait of Hormuz, and why does its closure matter so much to the global economy?

Trump wants an ‘Independence Arch’ — How famous arches warn about dangers to republics

Middle East conflict is pushing oil prices higher — and most Canadians will feel the costs

How the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran helps Russia in its war against Ukraine

Canada should be wary of embracing ‘total national defence’ to ward off an American invasion

As Alberta separatists court the U.S., prosperity is fuelling a sovereigntist turn

Trump

Donald Trump’s apocalyptic and profane threats against Iran expose the unhinged language of war

When war looks like prophecy: How U.S. ‘end time’ narratives frame the war with Iran

Evangelical holy war: Why some Christians think Trump will end the world

Israeli strikes on Tehran oil depot highlight gaps in international law

As war raises oil prices, households pay while energy companies profit

Why Donald Trump will try to declare victory in Iran well before November

Iran’s attacks drone on, with the U.S. at risk of losing the war

Hey Trump: Here’s how Canada punched above its military weight in Afghanistan — from someone with a front-row seat

3 ways Canada can navigate an increasingly erratic and belligerent United States

How Canada-Cuba relations must navigate the dangers of the U.S. embargo

Why Donald Trump is telling such obvious lies on the ICE Minneapolis killing

‘Quiet, piggy’ and other slurs: Powerful men fuel online abuse against women in politics and media

Blaming ‘wine moms’ for ICE protest violence is another baseless, misogynist myth

How Trump’s separate meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy have advanced Russian interests

Trump and Putin didn’t hold new peace talks after all — but that was likely Putin’s plan all along

Donald Trump’s penchant for bullshit explains MAGA anger about the Epstein files

The Epstein revelations have exposed how ‘Boy’s Club’ elites avoid accountability

What the Jeffrey Epstein files reveal about how elites trade toxic gifts and favours

Health and competence are shaping Trump’s presidency. What about his predecessors?

Global news

The ousting of Peru’s president points to a deeper crisis

Cuba is facing an economic and social catastrophe, and not entirely because of Donald Trump

Flag politics in Canada and New Zealand resulted in drastically different outcomes