Maxwell School News and Commentary

"And while the militia movement has largely rejected its once–prevalent anti-Semitism, virulent Islamophobia has replaced it. Militias often list Islam (or “radical Islam”) as one of the three biggest threats America faces...which could lead to tyranny," writes Sam Jackson '16 M.A. (PSc), a Ph.D. candidate in social science.

John P. White '64 M.A. (Econ)/'69 Ph.D. (Econ), deputy secretary of defense in the Clinton administration who also had served during the Carter presidency as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget and as assistant secretary of defense for manpower, reserve affairs and logistics, died Sept. 3 at an assisted living center in Great Falls, Virginia.

Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, conducted an interview with Syracuse's three democratic candidates for mayor in the party's primary. Reeher attempted multiple times to get each candidate to articulate how they differed on policy positions from each other, with little success.

Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science, established three core beliefs that allow conspiracy theories to thrive: nothing happens by accident, nothing is as it seems, and dots can always be connected. This framework was used by the author to explain persisting conspiracy theories about Princess Diana.

"Here’s the big lesson from Hurricane Harvey: The U.S. government’s flood zone designation, and the maps based on it, may not predict future flood risks accurately, particularly as climate change alters sea levels and weather patterns," writes Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science.