Maxwell School News and Commentary

Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science, says the unseen, mysterious nature of coronavirus makes it especially scary—and especially ripe for all kinds of imagined explanations and antidotes.

"If you don't already have 35 years of covered earnings at the max level, then your benefit is going to be higher if you work longer," says University Professor and Dean Emeritus John Palmer.

According to Professor Allan Mazur, conspiracy theories are, by definition, resistant to evidence or data that might prove them false.

Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science, says that it’s still early to declare an official front-runner in the Democratic presidential primary.

A single piece of information rarely changes anyone’s opinion, "whether it’s true-or false," says Emily Thorson, assistant professor of political science, "That’s a good thing." The idea that a handful of unreliable outlets were going to substantially alter views or behaviors "is pretty far-fetched, given what we know about the stability of people’s political attitudes," she adds.

"'The Dow's off 1,000 points, oh my goodness, that's horrible.' But the Dow's [near] 30,000 points, so that's a 3% drop," says Donald Dutkowsky, professor emeritus of economics, adding that a 3% drop is not good, but not awful. "I would advise investors to take a deep breath. If you're in it for the long-term for like your pension, take a deep breath and stay the course."

"I think it is fair to say that the tax increase—assuming it is as big as Senator Sanders projects—is about as large as the [13-point] tax increases enacted to finance World War II," as measured as a share of GDP, says Leonard Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

Professor of Economics Mary Lovely says the rules governing scientists’ ties to Chinese research institutions are murky and sometimes lead prosecutors to charge people who have made innocent mistakes. "People can stumble into things inadvertently. The rules have to be very clear and if someone violates those clear rules, then you throw the book at them," she says.

"American higher education should really provide sustained support to Chinese international students" due to the anxieties they face during the COVID-19 scare, says Yingyi Ma, associate professor of sociology and director of Asian/American Studies.