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

The rubble of a building destroyed in airstrikes.

The rubble of a building destroyed in airstrikes.

Congress once fought to limit a president’s war powers − more than 50 years later, its successors are less willing to assert their authority

Sarah Burns, Rochester Institute of Technology; Institute for Humane Studies

Smoke billows over a city center.

Smoke billows over a city center.

‘Destruction is not the same as political success’: US bombing of Iran shows little evidence of endgame strategy

Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania

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.

When civil rights protesters are killed, some deaths – generally those of white people – resonate more

Aniko Bodroghkozy, University of Virginia

A man walks past two posters depicting Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both slain by federal agents.

A man walks past two posters depicting Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both slain by federal agents.

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.

Read the latest Politics + Society articles

Repeated government lying, warned Hannah Arendt, makes it impossible for citizens to think and to judge

Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Boise State University

A dark-haired woman in a blue jacket speaking at a lectern with a video image of a handgun behind her.

A dark-haired woman in a blue jacket speaking at a lectern with a video image of a handgun behind her.

Why ICE’s body camera policies make the videos unlikely to improve accountability and transparency

Stephanie Lessing, UMass Boston

A police officer wears a body camera.

A police officer wears a body camera.

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.

Enforcing Prohibition with a massive new federal force of poorly trained agents didn’t go so well in the 1920s

Richard F. Hamm, University at Albany, State University of New York

Several law enforcement officers stand in front of trucks loaded with alchohol.

Several law enforcement officers stand in front of trucks loaded with alchohol.

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National politics

A line of men in military uniforms, wearing gas masks and holding guns.

A line of men in military uniforms, wearing gas masks and holding guns.

Why the ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ have echoed with public support – unlike the campus of Kent State in 1970

Gregory P. Magarian, Washington University in St. Louis

Why US third parties perform best in the Northeast

Bert Johnson, Middlebury College

A billboard advertises a third-party candidate for Minnesota governor named Hugh McTavish.

A billboard advertises a third-party candidate for Minnesota governor named Hugh McTavish.

How to prevent elections from being stolen − lessons from around the world for the US

Shelley Inglis, Rutgers University

hands are seen holding a roll of i voted stickers in the left and a single one in the right

hands are seen holding a roll of i voted stickers in the left and a single one in the right

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.

As DOJ begins to release Epstein files, his many victims deserve more attention than the powerful men in his ‘client list’

Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Boise State University

a man stands before a bunch of mics and speaks as a crowd of women, some holding pictures, stand behind him, some in tears

a man stands before a bunch of mics and speaks as a crowd of women, some holding pictures, stand behind him, some in tears

Democracy and rule of law

Trump administration losing credibility with judges and grand juries – a former federal judge explains why this is ‘remarkable and unprecedented’

John E. Jones III, Dickinson College

A wooden door with gold print that says 'GRAND JURY ROOM.'

A wooden door with gold print that says 'GRAND JURY ROOM.'

ICE not only looks and acts like a paramilitary force – it is one, and that makes it harder to curb

Erica De Bruin, Hamilton College

A woman is grabbed by federal agents who are in a cluster around her.

A woman is grabbed by federal agents who are in a cluster around her.

How Homeland Security’s subpoenas and databases of protesters threaten the ‘uninhibited, robust, and wide-open’ free speech protected by Supreme Court precedent

Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Boise State University

Protesters on a street with signs saying 'ICE OUT' and 'PROTECT Immigrants.'

Protesters on a street with signs saying 'ICE OUT' and 'PROTECT Immigrants.'

50 years ago, the Supreme Court broke campaign finance regulation

John J. Martin, Quinnipiac University

A large white building with a dome superimposed over a red landscape of $100 bills.

A large white building with a dome superimposed over a red landscape of $100 bills.

US Congress

The U.S. Capitol is seen in the reflection of a puddle.

The U.S. Capitol is seen in the reflection of a puddle.

Polarizing political events are leading Americans to increasingly call for a national divorce

Ryan D. Griffiths, Syracuse 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.

House speaker’s refusal to seat Arizona representative is supported by history and law

Jennifer Selin, Arizona State University

The sun begins to rise behind a federal building.

The sun begins to rise behind a federal building.

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

Housing First helps people find permanent homes in Detroit − but HUD plans to divert funds to short-term solutions

Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, Michigan State University

A man sleeps at a bus station in Detroit.

A man sleeps at a bus station in Detroit.

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.

Racial profiling by ICE agents mirrors the targeting of Japanese Americans during World War II

Anna Storti, Duke University

An asian-American family is escorted through a crowd.

An asian-American family is escorted through a crowd.

State politics

Why rural Maine may back Democrat Graham Platner’s populism in the Senate campaign − but not his party

Nicholas Jacobs, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies

Two men and a dog on a leash in a driveway in front of a home.

Two men and a dog on a leash in a driveway in front of a home.

Coastal economies rely on NOAA, from Maine to Florida, Texas and Alaska – even if they don’t realize it

Christine Keiner, Rochester Institute of Technology

Fishing boats at the Fishermens Terminal, the Homeport to the North Pacific Fishing Fleet, in Seattle in 2022.

Fishing boats at the Fishermens Terminal, the Homeport to the North Pacific Fishing Fleet, in Seattle in 2022.

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

Zohran Mamdani’s transformative child care plan builds on a history of NYC social innovations

Simon Black, Brock University

Several people hold signs supporting universal child care.

Several people hold signs supporting universal child care.

Middle East

Trump’s ability to counter Netanyahu’s spoiler tactics in public may have been key to advancing a ceasefire in Gaza

Boaz Atzili, American University School of International Service

A man in a suit and red tie walks next to a man in a suit and blue tie.

A man in a suit and red tie walks next to a man in a suit and blue tie.

Syria’s mass graves: Accounting for the dead and disappeared is crucial for the nation to heal

Stefan Schmitt, Florida International University

Two people in hazmat suits carry a body bag.

Two people in hazmat suits carry a body bag.

Map wars in the Middle East: How cartographers charted and helped shape a regional conflict

Christine Leuenberger, Cornell University

An old map shows different sections in various colors.

An old map shows different sections in various colors.

Palestinians have long resisted resettlement – Trump’s plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza won’t change that

Maha Nassar, University of Arizona

Two men in suits stand at podiums talking to each other.

Two men in suits stand at podiums talking to each other.

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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