Maxwell School News and Commentary

“What people are seeing now is what people have seen every summer for as long as I’ve been alive,” says William Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs. “Folks are taking their summer National Guard duty right now and riding convoys to wherever they’re going to be. For many of us, it’s a regular scene in the summer on the highways.”

Trump “is a former president. He is, whether we like it or not, a legitimate candidate for the nomination. So I think it is entirely appropriate to host a town hall,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science.

The political science and international relations major hopes to bring ‘meaningful news to readers across the world.’ 

Award winning broadcasters Van Jones and Bob Costas were among those who took part in a recent Los Angeles event celebrating the launch of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.

As public concerns about crime mounted in the 1980s and 1990s, AR-15 marketers started to adjust their depiction of what was on the receiving end of the barrel. “People, rather than animals, were the target,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. “That allows it to be sold more as a self-defense weapon, particularly inside the home.”

"Harry seems to, for good reasons or bad, rightly or wrongly, he seems to have an enormous amount of grievances and he’s not being shy about saying them," says Alan Allport, professor of history.

Distrust in the media, fueled by disinformation and partisan outlets, is among the reasons Syracuse University is opening the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship in D.C.

A joint initiative of the Newhouse and Maxwell schools, the institute will promote nonpartisan, evidence-based research and dialogue in the public interest and support the work of faculty and students.

Amy McKeever '06 B.A. (Hist), senior writer and editor for National Geographic in Washington, D.C., says research she conducted for her capstone thesis was her "first real exposure to an intense research project and helped her understand how to dig for historical documents and other primary sources."

Anne Mosher, associate professor of geography and the environment department, says it’s not uncommon for localities to cast about for a new identity. “American communities have been reinventing themselves since the 19th century and this is generally how they attracted business and tourists.”