Politics and Government

“The choice of Garland is a good indication — both for better and for worse — of what can be expected of a Biden administration: competent governance that is more moderate than the progressive wing of the Democratic Party would prefer,” writes Scott Lemieux, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW.

Activist and educator Jesse Hagopian and several other Black Washingtonians who witnessed the day’s events through computer or TV screens described frustration, hurt and anger at the contrast in police response to a mob overtaking the Capitol compared to their own and other Black Americans’ experiences with police. Alexes Harris, professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

James Long, associate professor of political science at the UW, talks about the 25th Amendment, what the process for impeachment of President Trump might look like and what he would have told students if he was teaching this week.

Teachers across the state waded into lessons about the attack on the U.S. Capitol and other conversations about racism and politics, seeing these events as opportunities for critical thinking and their classes as important spaces to tackle misinformation and hate speech. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Hanson Hosein, co-director of the UW’s Communication Leadership program, says that the President Trump’s use of social media to incite unrest is forcing social media companies to accept their role as media companies, accountable for the content that passes through their platforms.

James Long, associate professor of political science at the UW, says that President Trump has been riling up his supporters ever since he entered the political arena, so it's reasonable to be anxious about the two weeks until President-elect Biden's inauguration.

A politically charged mob, egged on by the sitting president, overran the U.S. Capitol and brought democracy to a halt. Members of our state's congressional delegation shares their experiences. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.

Calls to invoke a never-before-used section of the Constitution’s 25th Amendment prior to President Donald Trump’s concession Thursday evening would have been a difficult task, local experts said. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

“The choice of Garland is a good indication — both for better and for worse — of what can be expected of a Biden administration: competent governance that is more moderate than the progressive wing of the Democratic Party would prefer,” writes Scott Lemieux, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW.

As the mob scenes of Trump supporters rioting at the U.S. Capitol unfolded, so did conversations about another familiar scene — from Black Lives Matters events. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is interviewed.

Mark Smith, professor of political science at the UW, puts the rioting at the U.S. Capitol in historical context and calls it an attempted coup.

“Might a singular focus on zero emissions lead to the neglect of climate adaptation policies that have less media appeal? As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, climate policy should pay attention to two important but neglected issues: how the electric car industry will source inputs — such as copper, cobalt, nickel and lithium — and, because climate change is already underway, how prepared countries and cities are to adapt to different dimensions of climate change,” write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

Margaret O’Mara, professor of history, explains the rise of inequality this year.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, explains recent protests by Indian farmers.

“India has enacted new laws that lift restrictions on where and to whom farmers can sell their crops. Why then are Indian farmers protesting instead of celebrating their new economic freedom?” write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.