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Kristen de Groot
News Officer
krisde@upenn.edu
As a scholar, the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science is perhaps best known for challenging the view that the U.S. is fundamentally, “in its heart and soul,” a liberal democracy.
In a collaborative English course taught by Lorene Cary in the fall, students shared their experiences with civic engagement by writing for publication, partnering with nonprofits like Vote That Jawn to share non-partisan information with other young first-time voters.
Penn Law’s Kermit Roosevelt explains the historical context behind Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, its relation to the current presidential crisis, and its constitutional limitations.
As the nation processes the unprecedented mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, many are wondering what happens now for America. Legal scholar Claire Finkelstein shares her thoughts on the siege and its effects on democracy.
As the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed across the country, new research out of the Department of Philosophy shows that knowledge about the nature of science can combat political biases.
In a virtual talk hosted by the Andrea Mitchell Center, Nadya Tolokonnikova, a co-founder of the Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot, had a wide-ranging conversation with Penn’s Kevin M.F. Platt.
Episode three of the SAS podcast ‘In These Times’ looks at other urgent issues of our time, and examine how they affect and are affected by COVID-19.
During a virtual panel, Penn students, faculty, and staff who worked on NBC’s Decision Desk on Election night gave a behind-the-scenes look at the high-pressure night
Law expert Kermit Roosevelt discusses how the pardon process works and why it exists in the first place.
Political scientist Michael Jones-Correa, historian Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, and demographer Emilio Parrado share their thoughts on the election results and what both parties might take away from looking at how Latinos voted.
Kristen de Groot
News Officer
krisde@upenn.edu
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center wrote an op-ed about the durability of democracy in the U.S. amid polarization, disinformation, and other obstacles. “Individuals exercised constitutional freedoms, especially the mutually reinforcing ones of speech, press, petition, peaceable assembly, and the opportunity to vote—to bend the arc of the country’s history toward justice,” she wrote.
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Diana Mutz of the Annenberg School for Communication and School of Arts & Sciences said social media hasn’t enriched the quality of elected leaders’ communication with the public. “What gains traction on social media is outrageousness,” she said. “It incentivizes precisely what we don’t want in political discourse.”
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Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on the use of the Confederate flag during the breach of the U.S. Capitol. “To see it flaunted right in front of your face, in the United States Capitol, the heart of the government, was simply outrageous,” she said.
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Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts & Sciences said President-elect Joe Biden should support a bill that will create a commission to explore giving reparations to the Black American descendants of enslaved Africans. “Given the role that Black people played in the election, getting him nominated and saving his campaign—there’s no reason they shouldn’t support this bill,” said Berry. “This is one of the best ways to make good on their promise to attack systemic racism and white supremacy and elevate the economic and social condition of Black people.”
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Kermit Roosevelt of the Law School attributed efforts to call into question the results of the presidential election to longer term political objectives. “I’m afraid that it’s going to make the next four years a lot more difficult—not that they were going to be easy, anyway,” he said. “To the extent that we’re in an era of people living in different realities, this exacerbates that.”
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Seth Kreimer of the Law School spoke about challenges to the results of the 2020 presidential election. “I have taught constitutional law for almost four decades, and I do not believe I have ever before seen American officials reject the outcome of an election with such brazenness,” he said.
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