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In the News: Thomas M. Keck

Maxwell Scholars Examine ‘Always Fragile’ Democracy

Amid reports of democracy’s global decline, Maxwell faculty and students are gathering new insights into perception, polarization and other pressing concerns.

December 11, 2024

Keck Explains New York State’s Proposition One in WAER Article

Proposition One “would add sex and gender to the non-discrimination provisions of New York's constitution” and would expand protections beyond a person’s biological sex, “to include orientation, gender identity and gender expression,” says Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics.

November 1, 2024

Keck Comments on Biden’s Supreme Court Reform Proposals in Al Jazeera and UPI Articles

“It pretty clear and consistent across lots of polls that public support for the court itself has been tanking,” says Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. “So, in theory, that creates some space for a capable political leader to speak to those concerns.”

August 11, 2024

Remembering a Maxwell Torchbearer: Michael O. Sawyer

The late professor was instrumental in shaping citizenship curriculum and impacted thousands of students in his more than 40 years on the faculty. 

June 18, 2024

See related: Centennial, School History

Keck Quoted in Democracy Docket Article on SCOTUS’s Argument on Trump’s Immunity

“It seems almost definitely the case that Trump couldn’t be tried, convicted and sentenced [before the election],” says Thomas Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. 

April 26, 2024

Thomas Keck Named a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow

The prestigious honor will support the Maxwell political scientist’s research on judicial responses to free speech restrictions in the United States and Europe. 

April 19, 2024

Keck Weighs In on SCOTUS’s Trump Primary Ruling in Al Jazeera Article

“It was definitely always a long shot and the ruling is not surprising,” says Thomas Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. But, he adds, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling opened up larger questions about what guardrails exist to protect US democracy.

March 7, 2024

Keck Weighs In on New Academic Freedom Principles in Inside Higher Ed Article

Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, says the Princeton Principles do improve on the Chicago principles, which don’t use the term “academic freedom.” But he says the Princeton Principles still seem to privilege free speech over academic freedom. 

September 21, 2023

Keck Discusses the Conservative Supermajority of the US Supreme Court in Al Jazeera Article

The “dominant theme” of the court’s recent term is that the bench remains staunchly conservative. Over the last two years, the conservative supermajority has overseen “multiple, rapid” shifts in the law that appear “ideologically driven,” says Thomas Keck, professor of political science.

July 13, 2023

See related: SCOTUS, United States

Who Benefits from the Protection of Religious and Anti-Religious Speech by the U.S. Supreme Court

Nathan T. Carrington , Thomas M. Keck, Claire Sigsworth

"Minority Rights, Governing Regimes, or Secular Elites: Who Benefits from the Protection of Religious and Anti-Religious Speech by the U.S. Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights?," co-authored by Maxwell alum Nathan Carrington, Professor of Political Science Thomas Keck and political science Ph.D. student Claire Sigsworth, was published in the Journal of Law and Courts.

December 21, 2022

Keck Quoted in HuffPost Article on SCOTUS and Fracturing the Conservative Coalition

Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, was quoted in the HuffPost article, "Democrats Are Using An Old Playbook To Attack The Supreme Court And Fracture The Conservative Coalition."

August 19, 2022

Maxwell Experts Discuss Future Implications and Historical Context of Dobbs v. Jackson Ruling

The discussion covered the history of governing abortions in the U.S.; how the Dobbs v. Jackson decision might affect access to abortion and other reproductive services; impacts the decision could have on economic and health outcomes and voting behaviors in upcoming elections; and what precedent this decision might set for other Supreme Court decisions going forward. 

July 20, 2022

Keck Comments on the Crisis Within the Supreme Court in Politico

Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, was quoted in the Politico article, "Alito’s draft opinion overturning Roe is still the only one circulated inside Supreme Court."

May 11, 2022

Keck Quoted in Talking Points Memo Piece on Democratic Backsliding

Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, was quoted in the Talking Points Memo article, "20 Years Of Democratic Backsliding Got Us To The Roe Reversal."

May 5, 2022

Man of the People

Using his degrees in political science and broadcast journalism, Jared Kraham '13 rises to become Binghamton’s youngest mayor.

March 15, 2022

Keck Talks to Newsweek, WAER About SCOTUS Justice Breyer's Retirement

"Biden's replacement of Breyer will have minimal immediate short-term impact on the court," Thomas Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, tells Newsweek. "There will still be a 6-3 conservative majority." Keck also spoke with WAER about Justice Breyer's retirement.
January 31, 2022

Keck study on international judicial behavior published in LSI

Erik Bleich, Thomas M. Keck, Neha Sharma & Claire Sigsworth
June 3, 2021

See related: Law

Keck talks to PolitiFact about court packing

Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, says a court expansion can be justified. "If it’s the case that Sen. McConnell and other Republican leaders engaged in illegitimate court packing of their own from 2016 to 2020, then from the Democrats’ perspective, an additional round of court reform is necessary to correct for those earlier rounds," he says.
April 26, 2021

Keck discusses Supreme Court reform, crises of democracy in Washington Post

"Throughout U.S. history, crises of democracy have prompted discussions of Supreme Court reform because the court itself has often been perceived as a barrier to democratic preservation and renewal," writes Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics. 
April 13, 2021

Keck quoted in Christian Science Monitor article on the impeachment process

"What I would emphasize is that there are structural problems with our democracy, some of which are really hard to fix, but some of which have emerged recently which there are fixes for," says Thomas Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics.
February 18, 2021

See related: Federal, SCOTUS, United States

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