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

Plumes of black smoke rising from fires at oil tanks.

Plumes of black smoke rising from fires at oil tanks.

Overconfidence is how wars are lost − lessons from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Ukraine for the war in Iran were ignored

Monica Duffy Toft, Tufts University

A man sitting and reading a newspaper named Tehran Times.

A man sitting and reading a newspaper named Tehran Times.

War on Iran during nuclear negotiations undermines the US’s ability to talk peace around the world − and the effects won’t end when Trump leaves office

Debak Das, University of Denver

Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation

Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada, Reno

A green megaphone with military gun and bullet rendering.

A green megaphone with military gun and bullet rendering.

Psychological toll of betrayal trauma may help explain why women kept silent for decades after alleged abuse by civil rights icon Cesar Chavez

Anne P. DePrince, University of Denver

A dark-haired man talking to a huge crowd of people.

A dark-haired man talking to a huge crowd of people.

I went to CPAC and found Trump supporters unhappy about Iran, Epstein files and the economy, even while the fans at the MAGA conference celebrate his immigration policies

Alex Hinton, Rutgers University - Newark

People wearing the letters that spell 'TRUMP' standing in front of a huge image of President Donald Trump.

People wearing the letters that spell 'TRUMP' standing in front of a huge image of President Donald Trump.

Read the latest Politics + Society articles

Pittsburgh spends millions on juvenile detention – research points to cheaper, more effective alternatives

Jeffrey Shook, University of Pittsburgh

A young person in a black shirt with their hands behind their back wearing handcuffs.

A young person in a black shirt with their hands behind their back wearing handcuffs.

Iraq war’s aftermath was a disaster for the US – the Iran war is headed in the same direction

Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania

Several soldiers ride on top of a tank.

Several soldiers ride on top of a tank.

Yes, the government can track your location – but usually not by spying on you directly

Emilee Rader, University of Wisconsin-Madison

photo of pedestrians walking on an oversize crosswalk with the people overlaid by smartphone icons

photo of pedestrians walking on an oversize crosswalk with the people overlaid by smartphone icons

How hatred of Jews became a common ground for Islamic terrorists and left-wing extremists, fueling domestic terrorism

Arie Perliger, UMass Lowell

A woman holds a child while law enforcement stand near her and an emergency vehicle is behind them.

A woman holds a child while law enforcement stand near her and an emergency vehicle is behind them.

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National politics

A man holds a campaign sign in front of a display of various campaign posters and the U.S. flag.

A man holds a campaign sign in front of a display of various campaign posters and the U.S. flag.

The ever-evolving Latino vote is rapidly shifting away from Trump and Republicans

Matt A. Barreto, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and Gary M. Segura, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Legal refugees now face long detention after DHS reinterprets law on applying for a green card after a year

Ashley Sanchez, University of Notre Dame

Several people walk at a marina.

Several people walk at a marina.

Supreme Court’s tariff decision still leaves a ‘mess’ for companies trying to grab refunds

Peter R. Crabb, Northwest Nazarene University; Institute for Humane Studies and Alison Graham Larson, Northwest Nazarene University

Colorful shipping containers are stacked up in a cargo terminal by the Main River in Frankfurt, Germany, just as the sun is coming up.

Colorful shipping containers are stacked up in a cargo terminal by the Main River in Frankfurt, Germany, just as the sun is coming up.

Workplace relief is coming for employees with symptoms of menstruation, perimenopause and menopause in Philly

Ann Juliano, Villanova University

Woman sits at table with eyes closed and fingers on temples

Woman sits at table with eyes closed and fingers on temples

Citizenship voting requirement in SAVE America Act has no basis in the Constitution – and ignores precedent that only states decide who gets to vote

John J. Martin, Quinnipiac University

Voters stand in line at a polling place, partially blocked from view by an "I voted" sign.

Voters stand in line at a polling place, partially blocked from view by an "I voted" sign.

Democracy and rule of law

The nation is missing millions of voters due to lack of rights for former felons

Kevin B. Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

A man wearing a striped Jockey shirt sits and signs a paper at the end of a reflective conference table.

A man wearing a striped Jockey shirt sits and signs a paper at the end of a reflective conference table.

What Americans can learn from other civil activism movements against authoritarian regimes

John Shattuck, Tufts University and Oliver Kaplan, University of Denver

Flags of different countries waving in the wind.

Flags of different countries waving in the wind.

Public defender shortage is leading to hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed

Georges Naufal, Texas A&M University and Emily Naiser, Texas A&M University

A man leans over an points while talking to a tattooed man who is staring straight ahead in a courtroom.

A man leans over an points while talking to a tattooed man who is staring straight ahead in a courtroom.

Why Stephen Colbert is right about the ‘equal time’ rule, despite warnings from the FCC

Seth Ashley, Boise State University

A man sits at a desk and lifts his finger.

A man sits at a desk and lifts his finger.

US Congress

A photo of the US Capitol dome and an Iranian flag superimposed on it.

A photo of the US Capitol dome and an Iranian flag superimposed on it.

Congress still has ways to throttle back Trump’s war with Iran – and to ask questions

SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, University of Virginia and Charlie Hunt, Boise State University

‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food

Tracy Roof, University of Richmond

People shop for groceries.

People shop for groceries.

Job of homeland security secretary is to adapt almost continuously to pressures from the department, the public and the world at large

Frank J. Cilluffo, Auburn University

An overhead view of a crowd of people passing through lines and lanes at an airport.

An overhead view of a crowd of people passing through lines and lanes at an airport.

How Jesse Jackson set the stage for Bernie Sanders and today’s progressives

Bert Johnson, Middlebury College

Bernie Sanders and Jesse Jackson stand face to face, Jackson placing his hand on Sanders' right arm.

Bernie Sanders and Jesse Jackson stand face to face, Jackson placing his hand on Sanders' right arm.

Many wealthy members of Congress are descendants of rich slaveholders − 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.

Race and equity

Nearly 1 in 3 missing children in the US are Black, driving Pennsylvania and other states to propose ‘Ebony Alerts’ to ensure equal protection and public safety

Itay Ravid, Villanova University

Back of girl with long ponytail as she sits looking out of a window

Back of girl with long ponytail as she sits looking out of a window

Philadelphia continues long history of Black-led protest meetings aimed at fighting racial inequity and prejudice

Linn Washington, Jr., Temple University

Over a hundred people, many raising their fists in the air, sit in rows of chairs in a large room

Over a hundred people, many raising their fists in the air, sit in rows of chairs in a large room

60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history

Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College and Rogers M. Smith, University of Pennsylvania

A melting American flag, with a woman standing near it.

A melting American flag, with a woman standing near it.

How Denver’s Northeast Park Hill community reduced youth violence by 75%

Beverly Kingston, University of Colorado Boulder

Young women walk toward a sunlit neighborhood street.

Young women walk toward a sunlit neighborhood street.

State politics

This Sunshine Week, Florida reflects an alarming national trend of blocking the public’s access to information

David Cuillier, University of Florida

Sign reading Welcome to Florida, The Sunshine State

Sign reading Welcome to Florida, The Sunshine State

Kansas revoked transgender people’s IDs overnight – researchers anticipate cascading health and social consequences

Jae A. Puckett, Michigan State University; L. Zachary DuBois, University of Oregon, and Noelle Martin, Michigan State University

Silhouette of person dressed as Statue of Liberty holding a transgender flag up against a blue sky, the Supreme Court looming in distance

Silhouette of person dressed as Statue of Liberty holding a transgender flag up against a blue sky, the Supreme Court looming in distance

Philadelphia continues long history of Black-led protest meetings aimed at fighting racial inequity and prejudice

Linn Washington, Jr., Temple University

Over a hundred people, many raising their fists in the air, sit in rows of chairs in a large room

Over a hundred people, many raising their fists in the air, sit in rows of chairs in a large room

Honoring Colorado’s Black History requires taking the time to tell stories that make us think twice

Claire Oberon Garcia, Colorado College

A Black History Month sign depicts Franklin Macon.

A Black History Month sign depicts Franklin Macon.

Middle East

Operational secrecy kept the US from making evacuation plans – and that means Americans in the Mideast could wait days

Donald Heflin, Tufts University

An electronic billboard with a list of cancelled flights to the Middle East.

An electronic billboard with a list of cancelled flights to the Middle East.

Failure of US-Iran talks was all too predictable — but turning to military strikes creates dangerous unknowns

Nina Srinivasan Rathbun, University of Toronto; USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

A woman walks past a mural.

A woman walks past a mural.

CIA agents successfully executed a plan for regime change in Iran in 1953 – but Trump hasn’t revealed any signs of a plan

Gregory F. Treverton, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Several men walk amid the rubble of a building.

Several men walk amid the rubble of a building.

Pete Hegseth is working hard to make sure the public hears only good news about Iran war

Kathy Kiely, University of Missouri-Columbia

A microphone recording a grenade on a pillar.

A microphone recording a grenade on a pillar.

Around the world

Trump’s anti-Venezuela actions lack strategy, justifiable targets and legal authorization

Jeffrey Fields, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

A burning boat in the middle of the water.

A burning boat in the middle of the water.

The ‘drug threat’ that justified the US ouster of Maduro won’t be fixed by his arrest

Eduardo Gamarra, Florida International University

Cutting line of cocaine with tazor blade.

Cutting line of cocaine with tazor blade.

As the Kremlin eyes a thaw with the White House, Russia’s pro-war hawks aren’t too happy

Adam Lenton, Wake Forest University

A man in a black suit shakes hands with a man in a winter coat.

A man in a black suit shakes hands with a man in a winter coat.

Is a united European voice possible in the age of Trump, Putin and far-right politics? Germany’s new leader intends to find out

Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, Colorado State University

A man in a blue suit talks into a microphone.

A man in a blue suit talks into a microphone.

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