Maxwell School News and Commentary

"Having that level of quality to choose from is probably a good thing for the Democratic Party," says Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, about the high caliber of New York candidates.

"President Trump and his administration claim that they are fully supportive of the protestors in Iran and warn the Iranian state that crackdown will have consequences," says Mehrzad Boroujerdi, professor of political science. "To many Iranians, the expression of support for the 'great Iranian people' from a man who put Iran on his Muslim travel ban rings rather hollow," he adds. 

"Individuals make decisions to apply for any visa, including but not limited to the diversity lottery visa. The decision is a difficult one, as is the process of receiving the visa," Elizabeth F. Cohen, associate professor of political science, says. "The application and vetting process are also complicated, suggesting that only highly capable and well-prepared individuals will succeed."

“No one’s ever lost an election on the deficit or the debt,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. “If the economy continues to rebound more strongly and voters start focusing on what they are getting out of the tax cut, that can be a powerful combination. To me, it’s not clear that we are headed for the [Democratic] tidal wave that some folks are predicting.”

"Although the U.S. and Israel claim they favor a peaceful settlement and the eventual creation of a Palestinian state through negotiations, their actions ensure that it will not be achieved," says Osamah Khalil, associate professor of history.

"When I hear her, I hear consistency. I don't hear opportunism," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science, about Senator Gillibrand's calls for President Trump's resignation following sexual harassment allegations.

"She [Senator Kirsten Gillibrand] has been a leading spokesperson in the chamber for women’s issues and women’s rights and it’s not surprising to me at all that she would be one of the first Democrats to call out Sen. Franken and when the conversation inevitably turned to him, President Clinton," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.