Political Science

Five questions about the new White House press secretary

In a Q&A, Barbie Zelizer of the Annenberg School for Communication discusses Jennifer Psaki’s first weeks on the job, plus what a shift back to a traditional press briefing means for journalism during the Biden presidency.

Michele W. Berger

Arab Spring, 10 years later

A virtual panel at the Middle East Center looked at the legacy and long-term impact of the 2011 uprisings and how the region has been redefined by them.

Kristen de Groot

The influence and importance of language

Labels for what happened Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol were very different from those used to describe the Black Lives Matter movement or the 2020 election results. How much weight do individual words actually have? It depends on the context.

Michele W. Berger

Engaging in the election

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.

Louisa Shepard



In the News


The New York Times

This man won birthright citizenship for all

Rogers M. Smith of the School of Arts & Sciences says that it’s ambiguous whether birthright citizenship applies to the children of unauthorized aliens.

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GOP gains in voter registration raise red flags for Democrats

Marc Meredith of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Nevada and New Jersey are two states that saw significant shifts towards the Republicans in November.

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National Catholic Reporter

Panel discusses the Catholic case for a second New Deal

John Dilulio of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the value of private-public partnerships, the interconnectedness between good jobs and good family outcomes, and the role of Catholics as a key constituency of the New Deal.

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The New York Times

Europe has a leadership vacuum. How will it handle Trump?

Amy Gutmann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Germany is front and center in the economic problems currently afflicting Europe.

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Yahoo! Finance

Tesla investors, analysts have questions on the potential of robotaxis and self-driving

Cary Coglianese of Penn Carey Law says that there’s a real risk with robotaxis if federal regulators move too fast.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Civil discourse: Tips for navigating potentially divisive discussions around the holiday table

Research co-authored by Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences found that political discussions between members of opposing voting parties helped reduce polarization and negative views of the other side.

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