Maxwell School News and Commentary

"People have always been susceptible to misinformation," Emily Thorson, assistant professor of political science, says. "The real challenge now lies in the immediacy, scope and ease of dissemination we now see with new technologies like social media."

Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, says that while constitutional conventions could help advance civil rights by allowing organized groups to propose and implement changes to the state constitution, there is a fear that the same issues that plague state legislatures, like corporate cash or politician corruption, could also influence the construction of a new constitution.

"I think the fact that [George] Papadopoulos had a meeting early on or had connections early on with Russian government officials while he was employed by the Trump campaign is pretty damaging," says William C. Banks, director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism.

"This is potentially a can of worms, and Mueller has opened that can today," says Bill Smullen, director of the National Security Studies program.

Removing the likelihood of a trial in the United States leaves the government with few options, says William C. Banks, professor of practice of public administration and international affairs. "It’s time now to wonder whether the Trump administration is thinking of doing something different." 

Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, says Trump could attempt to contain the criticism from retiring Republicans by moderating his tone and laying off individual attacks on members.

"The United States has a long tradition of enlisting immigrants. Immigrants make up an important part of the U.S. military, and have since the formation of the United States. Our country should not make it difficult for them to serve," writes Amy Lutz, associate professor of sociology.

Don Dutkowsky, professor of economics, says cities such as Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse—with clusters of universities nearby and relatively low housing costs—may prove to be more attractive than places with a higher cost of living, such as New York City and Boston.

"Because the Democratic Party has been moving steadily to the left in recent decades, it will be hard for them to simultaneously appeal to the ideologically liberal base that has been created along with this shift and to white middle Americans who view their interests to be in direct conflict with some of those who make up the liberal bloc of the Democratic coalition," says Danielle Thomsen, assistant professor of political science.

"Voting ‘yes’ on this particular ballot initiative does not mean there’s going to be a new Constitution," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science. "It means you’re setting the process in motion to rewrite the Constitution."