Category: Politics

September 20, 2012

Erica Chenoweth: Why civil resistance trumps violent uprisings

“Nonviolent resistance of some sort is almost always possible, and armed uprisings are never inevitable. Instead, violence may be a method people choose because they don’t know there is a realistic alternative.”–Erica Chenoweth With a variety of protest movements erupting...

September 19, 2012

Jonathan Lyons – Islam, Violence, and the West: It’s Not the Video, Stupid

Jonathan Lyons makes the case that there is a great deal more going on in the recent protests in the Muslim world than simple outrage about a film.

August 29, 2012

Political Science Titles on Sale!

Unfortunately, due to Hurricane Isaac, the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, which was to be held in New Orleans, has been cancelled. Not only does this mean that a series of great panels and talks will not...

August 22, 2012

Erica Chenoweth — Creative Nonviolence Can Defeat Repression

Erica Chenoweth explains how protests can most effectively bring down repressive regimes.

July 26, 2012

Stephen Starr – Syria can find peace if its minorities seek common ground

Stephen Starr explains how the Assad Regime in Syria brought about their own downfall, and discusses problems that will trouble a new Syrian government.

July 24, 2012

Stephen Starr on the complicated situation in Syria

Stephen Starr explains how the public understanding of the conflict in Syria is incredibly (and harmfully) simplistic.

July 19, 2012

New inquiry into the 1961 death of Dag Hammarskjöld

A new inquiry into the death of Swedish UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld has been commissioned.

July 18, 2012

Aaron Belkin – “This Is Not Who We Are”: Contradictory Expectations in the US Military

“American warrior identities are contradictory, in that service members are expected to be civilized and barbaric, dominant and subordinate, rapist and rape victim. They are told to be paragons of virtue, and we express shock when they misbehave.” — Aaron...

July 16, 2012

Richard Betts on "American Force" and Current Threats to the United States

Earlier this summer, Richard Betts talked with BookTV in a fascinating discussion about the issues raised in his recent book American Force: Dangers, Delusions, and Dilemmas in National Security. In the interview, Betts discussed how his approach to national security...

June 25, 2012

Jacqueline Stevens: Political Scientists Are Lousy Forecasters

Jacqueline Stevens argues that political scientists should not receive National Science Foundation grants, as political science is not a generally successful predictor of important events.

June 19, 2012

Henry J. Aaron on Health Care Reform

In the following excerpt from Henry J. Aaron’s “Systemic Reform of Health Care Delivery and Payment,” which appears in The Economists’ Voice 2.0: The Financial Crisis, Health Care Reform, and More, Aaron examines some of the challenges confronting the implementation...

May 31, 2012

Jacqueline Stevens — Citizenship to Go

Jacqueline Stevens argues that national borders and citizenship based on birth are antiquated and unjust concepts that should be done away with.