Political Science

In an op-ed, John Gans of the Perry World House compares the current national security advisor, John Bolton, to his predecessor and role model Brent Scowcroft, who served under George H.W. Bush. “In short,” Gans wrote, “Bolton is living Scowcroft’s nightmare: Trust is broken in Washington, and the exchange of ideas it supports has broken down amid infighting. But it is all of us who should be scared.”

Dawn Teele of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the suffrage movement and the problematic nature of framing the Nineteenth Amendment as an inevitable progression toward justice. Doing so, says Teele, feeds “into this idea that if only all of these excluded, downtrodden, marginalized groups could wait their turn or bide their time, then, miraculously, this change they’ve been waiting for will just appear.”

Michele Margolis of the School of Arts and Sciences said white Democrats may be drifting away from religion due to their politics, making religious rhetoric less influential on party members’ voting. “If you live in a world where being a Democrat is equated with being less religious, and religion also isn’t central to your life, why should someone using religious rhetoric appeal to you?” said Margolis.

Dorothy Kronick of the School of Arts and Sciences said Venezuela remains one of the most violent countries, with “wartime levels of violence — but no war.”

Daniel Hopkins and recent graduate Samantha Washington of the School of Arts and Sciences were cited for their research, which found that racial prejudice among Americans has decreased since President Trump’s election. “It’s quite conceivable that Trump has simultaneously galvanized a small number of highly prejudiced white Americans while also pushing millions more to affirm that they are not as prejudiced,” said Hopkins.