Maxwell School News and Commentary

Osama Khalil, associate professor of history, discusses the current state of U.S.-Iran relations, arguing that the U.S.'s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal has made it more difficult to achieve a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

"We can see that service jobs are put at risk when President Trump launches a trade war," says Professor of Economics Mary Lovely. "Many service jobs depend on trade, not just because we export services directly but also because services go into export production."

Saba Siddiki, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, has been awarded two grants for projects beginning this fall. One will support the work of the Institutional Grammar Research Initiative and the other is for project work on urban food action plans to advance human well-being and health, environment, and equity goals.

Grant Reeher, professor of political science, says the whistle-blower revelations aren’t really telling people anything they didn’t already know about President Trump. "How many times,” Reeher says, "can you regenerate the outrage?"

"One of the risks for Democrats in 2020— specially at the presidential level—is that the impeachment process will suck up all the oxygen that otherwise might have been available to make the affirmative case for election," says Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher.

"If the allegations are true, the abuse of power is significant, and many members of Congress will be motivated to conduct impeachment proceedings," says William Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs.

"It’s damning by any account just for the mere fact that he asked a foreign leader to investigate private citizens for potential personal political gain is egregious," says Christopher Faricy, associate professor of political science. "The question, what else is out there that we are not aware of, either with the Ukranian President or even other countries and leaders."

"The more moderate Democrats are recalculating, thinking they have to get on board with this [President Trump's impeachment] or face primaries" from left-leaning insurgents, says Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher. "The facts have also changed" since the Russia investigation, he adds.

"Historically, grandparents have always provided care," says University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer. "What we’re seeing now is grandparents providing care that looks a lot more like parenting: more hours and more tasks."

Mary Lovely, professor of economics, says "the effect of the agreement is going to be swamped by whatever happens next with the economy," about the trade deal.