Politics and Government

Steve Herbert, the Mark Torrance Professor of Law, Societies, and Justice, explains the intention and process behind his new podcast, Making Amends, in which he speaks to men at an Oregon prison about their crimes and remorse.

Aung San Suu Kyi and the country’s military are back in familiar positions. Once again, Suu Kyi is a prisoner of the military, and the military has unchecked power. Mary Callahan, associate professor of international studies at the UW, is quoted.

Tamiko Nimura (PhD American Ethnic Studies 2004) explains the importance of the Seattle National Archives and Records Administration to the preservation of American Pacific Islander history.

Mary Callahan, associate professor of international studies at the UW, says the military coup in Myanmar was inevitable, given the military-drafted Constitution, which gave the military control of key ministries and seats in Parliament.

Fundraising from within their community can help the campaigns of South Asian American candidates get off the ground. But community support doesn’t always guarantee success and can pose a unique set of challenges for newcomers. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is referenced.

Professor of Sociology Robert Crutchfield, a nationally renowned criminologist, is mentioned in this podcast on defunding Seattle's police.

"As the first few days of the new year plopped themselves on my calendar, echoes from last year emanated, as if refusing to relinquish its grip on a twisted, telenovela-esque reality," writes Oscar Rosales Castañeda, a lecturer in American ethnic studies at the UW.

James Long, associate professor of political science at the UW, explains how the delay in the impeachment trial in the Senate will benefit both Democrats and Republicans and answers other questions about the impeachment.

In response to the question of whether Twitter damaged free speech by suspending Donald Trump, the UW's James Long, associate professor of political science, and Victor Menaldo, professor of political science, write "As critics of 'cancel culture' and similar attempts to stifle dissent and debate, as well as experts on liberal democracy and electoral integrity, we offer a simple, if surprising, answer: No."

Robert Crutchfield, an emeritus professor of sociology and co-author of a new study has found that Black youth who have police contact at a young age may be more likely to have more contacts with police later in life.

We have a new President, and he’s betting big on our ability to work together. The “Seattle Now” podcast digs into the tricky parts of uniting the not-so-United States with Christopher Parker, professor of political science at the UW.

For six minutes on Wednesday at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, all eyes were on Amanda Gorman. The 22-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate combined a message of hope and promise as she read, “even as we grieved, we grew.” Hanson Hosein, co-director of the UW’s Communication Leadership program, is interviewed.

President Joe Biden acknowledged the “uncivil war” festering in the United States in his first address Wednesday, but did so in a way that largely avoided the pessimism of his predecessor’s “American carnage.” That was the assessment of political scientists, former speech writers, language and history experts who took in Biden’s speech. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Concerned it would threaten their cultural preservation, history and treaty rights, 40 tribes in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska joined a Jan. 4 lawsuit with Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to stop the federal government from selling the National Archives facility in Seattle and shipping its millions of boxes of records to California and Missouri. Alexandra Harmon, professor emerita of American Indian studies and of history at the UW, is quoted.

Steve Herbert, the Mark Torrance professor with the department of law, societies, and justice, discusses his podcast "Making Amends," in which he speaks with men from the Oregon State Penitentiary.