Maxwell School News and Commentary

"The survival of our democracy requires public confidence in the country's institutions—a confidence that has been shaken by this election. Cynicism promotes resignation and non-participation and a dangerous and thoughtless acceptance of facile, misleading and false promises," writes James Roger Sharp, professor emeritus of history.

The essays, edited by Farhana Sultana, associate professor of geography, highlight the links between bio-physical and socio-cultural processes, making connections between local and global scales, and focusing on the everyday practices of eating and drinking, essential for human survival.

“It’s a significant victory, but it’s temporary,” cautions Phil Arnold, who serves as associate professor and chair of religion in the College of Arts and Sciences, about the delay of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) construction. "An Environmental Impact Statement hasn’t been done yet for the DAPL. Drillers may wait for President-elect Donald Trump, whose interests are aligned with fossil fuel development, to take office in January and reverse the decision.”

Andrew Cohen, professor of history, argues that looking at early 19th century American trade policies, and the effort to police smuggling goods and contraband, gives us some telling insight about the transformation of America into what it is today.

Louis Kriesberg, professor emeritus of sociology, argues that "with the ascent of Trump to the U.S. presidency, the need is greater than ever to think and act creatively," in his article published in the Huffington Post.

Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science, says that conspiracy theories are "constructed in such a way that there isn’t any evidence you can present to someone who believes them that will lead a believer to change his or her mind."