Public Administration and International Affairs Department News, Media Commentary and Research

“For more than 90 years, the way forward for our country has come from the prestigious Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and it has been embodied by Syracuse University professors," said civil rights lawyer Vernon E. Jordan Jr., in his Commencement Address at the Syracuse University All University Commencement.

"You can't get in the way or do anything to impede an investigation that has already been launched and if you do you may suffer criminal penalties,” says William C. Banks, professor of practice of public administration and international affairs.

"We got confirmation that the White House counsel was told in no certain terms by Yates that indeed there was a serious problem with the veracity of Michael Flynn's statements, and those statements were being repeated by other White House officials, including the Vice President," said William Banks, professor of public administration and international affairs and director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism.

Steve Hagerty ’93 M.P.A., a businessman in Evanston, Illinois, was recently elected mayor of that city, running as a first-time candidate for public office. 

In the current charged political environment, a national commission might be the only path to a new approach acceptable to both parties. “Trump couldn’t stand in the way of that” if Congress moves in that direction, says William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs.

During his formal talk with the Maxwell community, Secretary General Luis Almagro Lemes of the Organization of American States spoke of his commitment to the study of public administration and international relations, noting that democracy "demands good governance and strong institutions."

According to Leonard Burman, professor of public administration and international affairs, "Trump’s 'tax reform plan' isn’t tax reform and it isn’t a plan. To borrow an analogy from the president’s favorite sport, he should take a mulligan and swing again at tax reform after he’s brought on a tax policy team and they’ve had a chance to do their homework."

"A failure to register, or making a false statement, or an omission of a material fact in connection with registration is also unlawful, if it was willfully done. If it was willfully done, he could face either civil or criminal penalties," assesses William C. Banks, professor of public administration and international affairs.

“I think at the end of the day, you’re not going to see either the Trump or the House GOP tax plan. It will look a little more like George W. Bush’s 2001 tax bill—mostly just rate cuts,” says Leonard Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

“When you want to message and communicate with new donors, you want to demonstrate very quickly that you’re using the money efficiently and effectively and it’s really focused on a goal,” says Dean David Van Slyke. “And then you come back…and you say, ‘Look, we think we’re in a real battle and we think we’re making progress.'”

"The relationship between scientists and government is arguably at a low point today. But that’s the culmination of a trend that had been building for some time," says Harry Lambright, professor of public administration and international affairs.

"An Analysis of the House GOP Tax Plan," co-authored by Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics, examines the House GOP tax reform blueprint, which would significantly reduce marginal tax rates, increase standard deduction amounts, repeal personal exemptions and most itemized deductions, and convert business taxation into a destination-based cash flow consumption tax.

"I would hope that the new administration would take the time to learn from former officials and other experts about the importance of the South Caucasus countries to the United States," says University Professor James Steinberg.

Leonard Burman, professor of public administration and international affairs, opines that President Reagan "got people excited about the idea of fixing our broken tax system. It’s hard to imagine President Trump doing that.” 

Amy Ellen Schwartz, professor of economics and public administration and international affairs, says we need to have all of the "other stuff" such as school lunch, school buses, school facilities, and after school lined up to help make kids productive, successful people.