Maxwell School News and Faculty Media, Opinion and Analysis

Khalil discusses the Arab Spring after 10 years on PBS NewsHour

"I think it's tempting to think about the Arab Spring as a failure. But I think the reality is that it's really still under way," says Osamah Khalil, associate professor of history. "Many of those same issues that brought the protest to a head and the challenging of those—of the different Arab governments still exist." Watch the full PBS NewsHour interview, "Ten years after the Arab Spring, democracy remains elusive in Egypt."

February 12, 2021

O'Keefe discusses Defense Secretary nominee Lloyd Austin in The Hill

University Professor Sean O'Keefe says that while the nomination of may have surprised more than a few people, Austin "may well prove to be exactly the right person for this tough job at this time in our nation’s history." Read O'Keefe's full commentary, "Lloyd Austin can lead — as a civilian," published in The Hill.

January 6, 2021

Jacobson comments on Trump's changes at the Pentagon in Politico

"It's likely that most are rolled back by Biden administration," says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean of Washington programs, about Trump's changes at the Pentagon. "But the point is all of these cost money, waste time and hamper the ability of the national security establishment to focus on the real threats the United States faces," he adds.

December 11, 2020

Jacobson talks to Politico, Washington Post about Biden's Cabinet picks

Mark Jacobson, assistant dean of Washington programs says that "the [John] Kerry pick [as Biden's special presidential envoy for climate] is really incredible from a structural standpoint." His selection, Jacobson says, is "an admission that our mid-20th century national security structures were not designed to deal with some of the more holistic and potentially existential threats, in this case, climate change."

November 24, 2020

Jacobson weighs in on acting Secretary of Defense Miller in Politico

"Conspiratorial minded persons may think this change is about chain-of-command and putting the SecDef in direct control of [Special Operations Command] but that’s wrong — this move changes nothing operationally," says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean of Washington programs. However, Jacobson expresses concern about the "timing" of the move and "Miller’s motivations." "You don’t make a major bureaucratic change in an institution, particularly with regards to organizations dealing with sensitive and complex issues, without thinking through this," he says.

November 19, 2020

Jacobson weighs in on the firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper in Foreign Policy

Mark Jacobson, assistant dean for Washington programs at Maxwell School, commented on the firing of Defense Secretary Esper by Donald Trump. He said "Our enemies are going to take note of that, they know that now is a particularly vulnerable time"

November 10, 2020

Banks featured in WAER piece on COVID-19 in the White House, national security

"Attention on the domestic political situation and the president’s dominance of the news and his well-being is obscuring what else might be going on in the world that should be drawing some of our attention," says William Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs.

October 9, 2020

Jacobson comments on US defense secretary's travel in Politico

"The further away, the less likelihood of being fired," says Assistant Dean Mark Jacobson of U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper's frequent travel amid persistent rumors that he will either quit or be fired after the election.

October 9, 2020

Gueorguiev lends guidance on how to teach China content in ChinaFile

Dimitar Gueorguiev, assistant professor of political science, and his co-authors, emphasizes the need to protect data security, provide risk disclosure to students, promote open discussion while ensuring student safety, respect instructor autonomy, and offer support and guidance to students and faculty facing repercussions for engaging in sensitive content.

August 21, 2020

Banks comments on Hong Kong's new national security law in South China Morning Post

"[National security] definitions are a game that all governments play. Pay attention instead to how governments treat their citizens," says William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs.

July 7, 2020

See related: China, Government, National Security

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