Maxwell School News and Commentary

"Public participation in public health systems is one area in which Brazil has been particularly successful," writes Carol Tojeiro M.A. (IR/Econ). She highlights Brazil's diverse local health councils, comprised of citizens, health professionals, civil society members, and other actors from public and private entities, to serve as watchdogs over the health system.

"Overall, the evidence is clear that social movements seeking substantial change that rely on nonviolent methods are more likely to achieve their objectives than are those movements that resort to violence," says Louis Kriesberg, professor emeritus of sociology. "After all, violence usually prompts counter violence by the more powerful, which suppresses the effort to change the pre-existing conditions."

"These have morphed into levers, cudgels, whatever you want to call them," says Mary Lovely, professor of economics, about the Trump administration’s trade threats. "We’ll see what’s left in the end."

"Opioids may have been the spark, but a spark needs kindling in order to ignite," says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion.

"With bad credit, it’s harder to get approved for an unsecured credit card, and the unsecured options available to people with bad credit are far less attractive," writes Don Dutkowsky, professor of economics. "If you’ve got bad credit and the flexibility to choose either a secured credit card or an unsecured one, always go secured."

"What is happening, in light of the missile attacks [by Israel against Iranian forces] in Syria, it really seems like we are entering a stage whereby the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia have really decided to take it a notch up in terms of militarily challenging Iran and making sure that the recent victories scored there can be nullified to some extent," says Mehrzad Boroujerdi, professor of political science.

"In fact all maps lie, even good ones," says Mark Monmonier, Distinguished Professor of Geography.  A third edition of his book How to Lie With Maps was recently published.

"I believe I've spent enough time within sisters' domain to understand it, to speak its language, and to interpret and present it all to others. In this, I may have an advantage that insiders do not in presenting that world to a wider audience that really ought to know about it," writes Margaret S. Thompson, associate professor of history and political science.

"This could be a good year [for newcomers], given the surge in excitement and the willingness of donors to support what would in other years have been considered pretty long-shot candidates," says Danielle Thomsen, assistant professor of political science.

"With the mid-term congressional elections coinciding with the gubernatorial primary contest, Nixon and Cuomo are both seeking to project themselves as 'resister in chief',” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.