News Archive

Interviews on Attacks
Assistant Professor Peter Krause conducted interviews with MSNBC, WGBH and NECN on the weekend attacks in New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota, as well as the U.S. response to terrorism.

Trump Election
It would be easy to believe that Americans are falling in love with Donald Trump, according to Assistant Professor of Political Science Emily Thorson, who wrote on the election for an audience outside the U.S. in an essay for The Hindu.

Campaign Narrative
The latest DNC-CNN flap feeds Trump's campaign narrative, Associate Professor of Political Science Dennis Hale tells the Boston Herald.

Campaign Polls
As Donald Trump avoids pledging to accept the result of the U.S. presidential election, his rival Hillary Clinton appears to be enjoying a boost in the polls. Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence assesses the situation for Agence France Presse.

Analysis on Debate
For all the differences between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during Monday night's debate, perhaps the most stark related to the willingness to get specific, Assistant Professor of Political Science David Hopkins contends in an analysis for the Washington Post.com. He discusses his new book, Asymmetric Politics, in a Q&A: BC News

Americans Not Divided
Nearly two decades ago, in his well-known book One Nation, After All, Professor of Political Science Alan Wolfe concluded that Americans were not as divided as many believed. Wolfe, now retired from directing the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, revisits the subject in an interview with CommonWealth Magazine.

Europe Risks Repeating Mistakes
Writing in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (English translation), in response to a column asserting that "terrorism has a lot to do with Islam," Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence contends Europe risks repeating past mistakes on Islam. His piece is featured by The Economist's religion and policy blog "Erasmus." He also discussed developments in Germany and Turkey with Vice.com, Vatican Radio (in German), and German newspaper Bild.

Political Competition
According to Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats, a new book co-authored by Assistant Professor of Political Science David Hopkins, each major party's supporters define the terms and stakes of political competition quite differently--and each is fundamentally correct about its own side. The authors write on their research in a series of pieces for the Washington Post "Monkey Cage" 1, 2,3. | Hopkins also comments on a new report that suggests millennials are leading the trend toward Americans' increased polarization: CNN.

Attempted Coup
Professor of Political Science Ali Banuazizi, director of the Islamic Civilization and Societies program, discussed various aspects of last week's attempted coup. Boston Herald 1, Boston Herald 2

Economic Inequality
The voices heard in American politics are creating a vicious circle in which economic inequality begets political inequality which, in turn, furthers economic inequality, writes Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay Schlozman. The Hill

Insight on Fight Against ISIS
Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause provided insight on the fight against ISIS and Trump’s foreign policy speech in an interview with NECN.

Tactics in ISIS Attacks
Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause was interviewed about the tactics used in recent ISIS attacks in Baghdad, Bangladesh, and Istanbul, as well as ways to combat terror in America, in a live appearance on MSNBC.

Attitudes Affecting Candidates
How do attitudes that persist even when misinformation has been corrected affect candidates? BC political scientist Emily Thorson explains her research in an op-ed for the Washington Post.

Causes and Effects of "Price-Tag Violence"
Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause explains the causes and effects of “price-tag” violence, a new strategy utilized by Israeli settlers in the West Bank in a new article in the journal Terrorism and Political Violence.

Tactics used in ISIS Attacks
Assistant Professor Peter Krause was interviewed about the tactics used in recent ISIS attacks in Baghdad, Bangladesh, and Istanbul, as well as ways to combat terror in America, in a live appearance on MSNBC.

Panelists Discuss Differing Ideas
Professor Marc Landy is among panelists discussing the role of colleges and universities in the examination of differing ideas and unpopular opinions at a time when public clashes of ideologies are occurring on campuses nationwide. WNYC/PRI's "The Takeaway"

When Terrorism Works
In a new article (Spanish) completed with his “Project on National Movements” undergraduate research team, Assistant Professor Peter Krause analyzes “When Terrorism Works: Success and Failure Across Different Targets and Goals”.

Societal Changes within BC
Professor Alan Wolfe's tenure as director of BC's Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life will be celebrated with a daylong conference on April 14. He talks about societal changes since his arrival at BC in an interview with the BC Chronicle.

Can News Networks Be Trusted
A new study by Assistant Professor David Hopkins that explores which news major news networks are—and are not—trusted by Republicans and Democrats is featured by Vox.com.

Controversial Visit
Professor Jonathan Laurence reflects on the geopolitical situation in Turkey in light of the clash that surrounded the visit of controversial Turkish President Erdoğan to Brookings Institution last week.

Cultural Contradictions
Professor of Political Science Peter Skerry has the cover article of the Weekly Standard with his essay on the cultural contradictions of Islam in America. Read online

Political 'belief echoes'
Exposure to negative political information continues to shape attitudes even after it has been discredited, according to a paper by Assistant Professor of Political Science Emily Thorson in Political Communication. She discussed the subject on WHYY 'Radio Times' and with Agence France Presse, here via the Japan Times. Her research is cited by Vox's 'The Weeds.'

2015 Truman Scholar
Marissa Marandola is a Gabelli Presidential Scholar and Honors student majoring in Political Science, with minors in American Studies and Management and Leadership. A native of Cranston, Rhode Island, she has interned in the RI Dept. of Attorney General and Family Court and with the RI Center for Freedom and Prosperity, an independent think tank. On campus she is the Editor in chief of Elements, BC's undergraduate research journal, and an executive board member for BC Splash, an organization that seeks to connect disadvantaged high school students with the possibilities offered by higher education. After graduation she plans to pursue a law degree and hopes to become an advocate for children as an education attorney.

ISIS Analyzed
Assistant Professor Peter Krause analyzed ISIS attacks on tourists and debates over U.S. policy on NECN.

A Seat for Everyone at the Table
Professor Kay L. Schlozman and Henry E. Brady (UC Berkeley) discussed the problem of economic and political inequality for The Hill’s Congress Blog.

France, Muslims, Europe, Refugees
The relationship between Muslims living in France and their adopted homeland has long been a complicated one. Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence was interviewed about it on NPR "All Things Considered," and about the Paris attacks on WCVB-TV News (begins at :54). In a piece for the New York Times "Room for Debate," he calls for more scrutiny of those who go to Syria, as well as a long-range view on refugees in Europe. In Germany, controversy grows over "spying on friends" by the nation's foreign intelligence service. He weighed in on the subject for national broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

The Republican-Democrat Difference
Democrats are motivated by specific policy deliverables while Republicans are motivated by broader philosophical principles, according to research by Assistant Professor David Hopkins, featured by Vox.com.

The Terror Threat
Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause discussed President Obama's address on the threat of terrorism with NECN.

Mayor Walsh's Endorsement
Assistant Professor David Hopkins and Associate Professor Dennis Hale comment on Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s expected endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in The Boston Herald.

The World vs. ISIS
Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause weighed in on ISIS, U.S. foreign policy, and the continuing debate over Syrian refugees in an interview on WBZ-AM. (2nd article for Friday, November 20, begins 1:41)

Economic Liberty
Is economic liberty necessary for individuals to lead truly flourishing lives? A panel of experts discussing the topic at the American Enterprise Institute included Professor of Political Science Susan Shell. National Review

The Forecast for Politics
A look at tournament "superforecasters", nonexperts who can make extraordinarily accurate predictions about future political events, includes White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies Jennifer Erickson. Chronicle of Higher Education

The Ideology of Libertarianism
Professor of Political Science Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, writes on libertarianism as a political movement and an outlook on life in an essay for Commonweal.

U.S. Party Politics
Research by Assistant Professor of Political Science David Hopkins that points to a fundamental asymmetry in U.S. party politics is cited in a piece on Paul Ryan's future as Speaker of the House. Slate | He commented on the likely effect of Hillary Clinton's Benghazi testimony on her presidential bid in the International Business Times.

No-Fly Zone Over Syria
Assistant Professor Peter Krause analyzed escalating Russian and U.S. involvement in Syria in an extended interview on "Broadside." Also an interview on WBZ Nightside with Dan Rea about No-Fly Zone Over Syria.

State Secularism
Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence discussed the limits of state secularism in France in an interview with World Politics Review.

A Federal Raid on Local Schools
A directive on "equal access" by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights ignores the law and won't achieve its intended goals, writes O'Neill Professor of American Politics R. Shep Melnick in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.

White Family Sesquicentennial
Jennifer Erickson, the White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies, was one of the experts interviewed for an article by VICE News.

Recent Attacks on Palestinians
Assistant Professor Peter Krause argues that recent West Bank attacks on Palestinians reflect a deeper debate over the nature of Israel in a new article in War on the Rocks.

Promoting Religious Moderation
Earlier this month, French President Francois Hollande met with Moroccan King Mohammed VI and signed an initiative to send French imams to the Mohammed VI Institute in Rabat, a center opened in March with the stated mission of promoting religious moderation and tolerance to combat radical Islam. Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence discussed the move in an interview with World Politics Review.

National Interest
Assistant Professor Peter Krause and recent BC graduate Craig Noyes BA '08, MA '13 published an article in The National Interest on “When Terrorism Works.”

Violent Radicalization
Will France Attack Fuel Tensions? Public discussions of violent radicalization have hit the saturation point, writes Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence in the aftermath of reaction to last week's attack at a gas plant near Lyon.

Rand Paul's Libertarian Stance
Professor of Political Science Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, makes the case against the libertarian stance of presidential candidate Rand Paul in an essay for Reuters "The Great Debate".

Decisive Victory on U.S. Relations
Assistant Professor David Hopkins weighed in on the likely impact of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decisive victory on U.S. relations. Boston Herald

Anti-Democratic Moves
Assistant Professor Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner wrote an opinion piece for The Indian Express on recent anti-democratic moves to restrict candidacy for local elected office on the basis of educational minimums.

Political Compromise
The Tunisian Islamist party Ennahda's stamp of approval allows the young democracy's first post-transition government to achieve a majority in parliament. In the short term, however, the larger secularist party Nida Tounes claims to be making the greater political compromise, writes Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence. Brookings

The Fall of Ramadi
Assistant Professor Peter Krause gave an extended interview on the fall of Ramadi and what it means for ISIS, Iraq, and the US.

Romney Not Seeking Nomination
Former Massachusetts governor and two time presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced last week that he would not seek the Republican nomination. Professor of Political Science Marc Landy was interviewed about the decision on CBS Boston's "Keller at Large".

Boston Marathon Bombings
In the aftermath of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s sentencing for his involvement in the Boston Marathon bombings, some worried that putting him to death would make him a martyr and inspire other terrorists to follow his actions. In an interview with NECN, Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause disagrees citing the relative rarity of this kind of lone wolf terrorist attack and the greater influence of organizations like ISIS and Al Qaeda.

Understanding Each Party's Goals
Making sense of contemporary government requires understanding the distinct goals of each party base, writes Assistant Professor of Political Science David Hopkins, co-author of a post for the Washington Post "Monkey Cage".

Motivations/Implications of Paris attack
Assistant Professor of political science Peter Krause discussed the motivations and implications of the Paris attack and the French response. NECN BroadSide

Invisible Primary
Assistant Professor of Political Science David Hopkins discussed the "invisible primary"—attempts by important elements of each major party to anoint a presidential nominee before voting even begins—with VoxMedia.com.

Terror Attacks in France
The Charlie Hebdo tragedy has evoked new questions about when speech or satire crosses the line from funny or enlightening into provocative, if not hateful, expression. Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence commented on this and other topics related to the terror attacks in France on CNN and in the Economist, Christian Science Monitor and Wall Street Journal.

What Do Illegal Immigrants Want?
As they consider their substantive response to President Obama's recent initiative, Republicans need to ponder how they have arrived at this point, writes Professor of Political Science Peter Skerry. Weekly Standard

Aftermath of the Paris Attacks
In the days following the terrorist attacks in France, Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence did a number of interviews with CNN live from Paris CNN Friday | CNN Saturday | CNN Sunday, as well as with MSNBC,  PRI "The World" and the New York Times, among other media. He also wrote about the future of the National Front, France's far right political party, in Slate, and on extremist attacks on free speech for Brookings UpFront.

Eyes on Tunisia
Europe should watch Tunisia, which can already lay claim to the most democratic success story in the uncertain post-Arab Spring period, writes Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence. Brookings UpFront | The Economist

Torture Report
Political Science Professor Peter Krause did an extended interview with NECN on the implications of the Senate's Torture Report.

Shared Blessing for a Far-Flung People
At Home in Exile: Why Diaspora Is Good for the Jews, the latest book by Professor of Political Science Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, was reviewed in Sunday's "Books of the Times." New York Times.

Politics and Polarization
Research by Assistant Professor of Political Science David Hopkins of the gap in the way Democrats and Republicans today approach governing and legislation, and why the two parties seem to fail to understand one another, was highlighted by the Washington Post and Vox.com.

Canada and the ISIS Threat
Concerns about ISIS came to the forefront in Canada last week when a gunman killed a reservist in Ottawa, then stormed into parliament–two days after a "radicalized" man killed a soldier with his car. Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause discussed the situation in an interview with NECN.

France, jihadism, Jewish flight
Associate Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence looks at French jihad movements and Jewish flight in a piece for Brookings 'Upfront'.

Inaugural Lecture
Assistant Professor Jennifer Erickson presents
The White Family Sesquicentennial Inaugural Lecture:
"Dangerous Trade: Arms Exports, Human Rights, and the UN Arms Trade Treaty"
Thursday, November 20, 4:00 p.m.
Murray Room, Yawkey Athletics Center
Flyer

First Article Prize
The Council for European Studies 2014 First Article Prize in the Social Sciences was awarded to Assistant Professor Jennifer Erickson for her 2013 article, "Market Imperative Meets Normative Power: Human Rights and European Arms Transfer Policy," European Journal of International Relations 19 (2):209-234.

Erickson was also runner-up for the 2013 Nils Petter Gleditsch Journal of Peace Research Article of the Year Award for her 2013 article, "Stopping the Legal Flow of Weapons: Compliance with Arms Embargoes, 1981-2004," Journal of Peace Research 50 (2):159-174.

Immigration Malpractice
Young Latin Americans are paying the price for America's policy blunders, writes Political Science Professor Peter Skerry. Weekly Standard

'Old-Fashioned Espionage'
Germany is investigating two Germans suspected of spying for the U.S., and has expelled America's top intelligence official in Berlin. Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence discussed the developments with BBC/PRI 'The World,' Australian Broadcasting Co.'s 'The World Today,' The Hill and La Repubblica, among other media.

The Gaza conflict
Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause writes on the 'price' of radical flanks and the conflict in Gaza. Washington Post

Presidents on Holiday
The first family will return to Martha's Vineyard in August. Political Science Professor Marc Landy weighed in on the appropriateness of presidential vacations in an interview with Fox News Boston.

Canadian Parliament Attack
Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause interviewed with NECN concerning the Canada Parliament shooting and the war against ISIS. Interview Video

Germany in the 21st Century  
Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence discusses the major challenges facing Germany in its quest for a foreign and defense policy that can best complement its economic might, in the latest entry in Brookings Institution US-Europe analysis series.

Understanding Ukraine policy
In the Ukraine crisis, President Obama has proven to be a better commander than educator in chief, writes Political Science Professor Marc Landy. WBUR 'Cognoscenti'

Assessment of the Arms Export
Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Erickson, an expert on international security and political economy issues whose current research assesses the impact of arms export controls and embargoes, has been named the White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor.

Political Violence
Assistant Professor Peter Krause explains variation in the use and effectiveness of political violence in the journal International Security. | Podcast

A not so distant state
Assistant Professor Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner questions the state of India’s democracy beyond the voting booth, in an article she wrote for The Indian Express.

Islam in Germany, Turkey
The decision to exclude current Turkish-German generations from dual citizenship betrays a fundamental incoherence in German policy, contends Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence in a piece for the German-language newspaper Die Welt. Read it in English.

Immigration Reform in the U.S.
A proposal advanced by Political Science Professor Peter Skerry to break the U.S. deadlock on immigration reform is highlighted in The Economist.

Dual Book Awards
Political Science Professor Gerald Easter has won two major awards from the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies for his book, Capital, Coercion, and Postcommunist States, which examines divergent approaches to taxation among former Eastern Bloc countries. BC Bookmarks

Paranoid Style, Then and Now
Can Richard Hofstadter's insights of a half-century ago help us understand today's radical right? An essay by Political Science Professor Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, in the Chronicle of Higher Education Review.

Shutdown Cause and Effects
Political Science Professor Marc Landy discussed the politics and ramifications of the government shutdown in an interview on CBS Boston's "Keller @ Large." Interview Part 1, Part 2

Winter Olympics security concerns growing amid terror threats
Assistant Professor Peter Krause appeared on NECN this morning to discuss the terroist threat to the Sochi Olympics.

Shutdown Impact
How will the government shutdown affect the recovering U.S. economy? Economics Associate Professor Robert Murphy (left) weighed in as a guest on NECN "Broadside," while Political Science Assistant Professor David Hopkins commented on the politics of negotiations to NPR "Morning Edition".

The View from Europe
Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence discussed his book, The Emancipation of Europe's Muslims, as a guest on New Mexico PBS-TV. He also commented on the uproar abroad surrounding NSA spying activities in two articles by the Christian Science Monitor: 1 | 2

The President's Political Capital
President Obama's approval rating has fallen according to recent polls due to the situation in Syria and other crises. Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay Lehman Schlozman discussed how this may affect the White House agenda in an interview with U.S. News & World Report.

Marx, Methodism and Mecca
"As one of the most thoughtful observers of the politics of European Islam," Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence "makes some important, paradoxical points" in his recent essay for the journal Dissent according to The Economist blog "Erasmus."

Integrating Europe's Muslim Minorities
Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence writes on the relationship of the European Left and Islam in the current issue of Dissent magazine.

Crisis in Syria
Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause weighed in on recent developments regarding U.S. intervention in Syria in an interview with Fox News Boston. NOTE: The interview took place prior to President Obama's address to the nation.

'How to rule the world'
Students will reflect on their own ambitions—and perhaps discover a few more—in ‘How to Rule the World,’ a course offered by Behrakis Professor of Hellenic Political Studies Robert Bartlett.

Intervention in Syria
Political Science Professor David Deese discussed the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Syria in an interview with Fox News Boston.

Keeping up with the crisis in Syria
Amid negotiations between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week regarding a process through which Syria would give up its arsenal of chemical weapons, Boston Magazine's "Boston Daily" asked Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence to point out key factors in the crisis. BostonMagazine.com

Politics and Immigration Policy
Of late, it has been Democrats who have dug in their heels, as Republican stalwarts have begun to budge on one of the most contentious issues currently facing America, Political Science Professor Peter Skerry writes in the Weekly Standard.

The Dividing "VIP Experience"
Universal Studios Hollywood is introducing the "V.I.P Experience": a special ticket that, among other things, allows purchasers to jump the queue for its various attractions. Political Science Professor Marc Landy weighs in, writing for WBUR "Cognoscenti".

Crisis in Syria
Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause discussed options for U.S. intervention in Syria on Fox News Boston, in two guest appearances on NECN 'Morning Show' (NECN 1, NECN 2,) on WRKO-AM and with the Christian Science Monitor.

Honors for Unheavenly Chorus
The Unheavenly Chorus: Unequal Political Voice and the Broken Promise of American Democracy, co-authored by Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay Schlozman, has won two PROSE awards for excellence in scholarly publishing from the Association of American Publishers. BC Bookmarks

Political impact of terrorism and insurgency
Assistant Professor Peter Krause published an article that analyses the political effectiveness of terrorism and insurgency. Professor Krause argues that internal, organizational goals are even more important causes and effects of political violence than are the external, strategic goals of armed groups.

Pope Francis Reaches Out to Muslims
Pope Francis is restoring a pragmatic approach to the Islamic world, according to a piece for Brookings' "Up Front" by Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence, whose book The Emancipation of Europe's Muslims has received the Hubert Morken Award for best book on religion and politics from the American Political Science Association. | He also wrote on the religious turf war in the Middle East for Germany's Der Tagesspiegel (in German)

Marathon Terrorist Attack
Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause gave interviews to try and provide some analysis and peace of mind on the tragic events at the Boston Marathon. NECN | CNN

Problems of the Second Generation
The Boston Marathon bombings highlighted, once again, the challenges of assimilating Muslim youth. Any fair-minded assessment of recent events must underscore the inadequacies of Muslim-American leaders, yet the usual criticisms are wide of the mark and fail to identify the institutional as well as intellectual weaknesses of these leaders, writes Political Science Professor Peter Skerry for the Weekly Standard.

Jonathan Laurence’s book, The Emancipation of Europe’s Muslims (Princeton University Press) has won a “Best Book Award” from the Migration and Citizenship Committee of the American Political Science Association.

The path to citizenship
Immigration proposals must be kept tough, fair, and simple, writes Political Science Professor Peter Skerry in op-eds for the Boston Globe and The Weekly Standard.

Margaret Thatcher's Legacy
In many ways former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who died yesterday at age 87, pioneered the path that Ronald Reagan later followed, said Political Science Professor Marc Landy.

The North Korea Threat
Earlier this week North Korea urged all foreign companies and tourists to leave South Korea, saying they are on the eve of a nuclear war. Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause discussed the threat in an interview with NECN.

The Gridlock Illusion
If Washington seems to get much less done than it once did, it is partly because it is trying to do so much more, writes O'Neill Professor of American Politics R. Shep Melnick in the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly. The piece was featured Jan. 25 by RealClearPolicy.com.

The Foley abduction
Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause discussed unfolding events in the Middle East in light of the abduction of journalist James Foley in Syria in an interview with NECN.

Inauguration of Sacrifice
President Obama must use his second Inaugural to speak—loudly and clearly—about the sacrifices we will all be called upon to make to restore the nation to fiscal sanity, writes Political Science Professor Marc Landy for WBUR's "Cognoscenti"

Third way on immigration
Instead of deportation or amnesty, the U.S. should adopt legalization without citizenship, writes Political Science Professor Peter Skerry in the Los Angeles Times. | The op-ed was drawn from a longer piece on the subject he wrote for National Affairs.

"Lasting Contribution Award"
R. Shep Melnick, the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Professor of American Politics at Boston College, has received the 2012 "Lasting Contribution Award." This award is given annually for a book or journal article, ten years or older, that has made a lasting impression on the field of law and courts.

Muslims in Europe
Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence discussed Muslim integration and implications for increasing cultural tensions in Germany in an interview on NPR-Berlin, and addressed the differences between French and German policies towards Muslim-origin minorities with ParisBerlin Magazine. | He delivered the Daimler Lecture at the American Academy in Berlin, where he is currently a fellow. Video

The Final Presidential Debate
The polls show the presidential race to be about even as President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney meet face-to-face for their final debate tonight. Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause joined "The Morning Show" to discuss some of the key foreign policy issues that will be discussed. NECN

Integration or Emancipation?
Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence, currently a Daimler Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, looked at the degree to which Muslims in Europe have become truly emancipated, U.S. democratization policy in the Middle East and North Africa, and other issues in a series of op-eds this fall for German national newspapers (presented here in English). Der Tagesspiegel | Die Tageszeitung | Süddeutsche Zeitung

The (Foreign) Language of U.S. Politics
At what point should we start describing our liberal-democratic heritage as under threat? And what should our appropriate language be for discussing it?, asks Political Science Professor Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. Chronicle of Higher Education Review

The promise of democracy
American democracy is failing to live up to expectations, according to Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay Lehman Schlozman, who is co-author of The Unheavenly Chorus: Unequal Political Voice and the Broken Promise of American Democracy, an extension of her research on civic participation. BC Chronicle

Election 2012, "Occupy" Anniversary
Political Science Professor Marc Landy comments on the Massachusetts race for the U.S. Senate in the Wall Street Journal, as well as on the latest presidential election polls and a planned reunion to mark the one-year anniversary of the Occupy Boston movement for the Boston Herald.

Wrong Signals
The Cologne court's decision to halt non-medical circumcisions earlier this summer marks a new low for religious freedom in 21st century Europe, Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence, currently a Daimler Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, writes for the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. | In English

U.S. and the Middle East
In two interviews with NECN, Political Science Assistant Professor Peter Krause discussed the uprisings in the Middle East and the political impact for the U.S., as well as the ramifications of No Easy Day, the controversial new book written by a former Navy SEAL that focuses on the covert operation that took down Osama bin Laden.

Election 2012
GOP nominee Mitt Romney could still use his recent tough talk to his advantage in battleground states with the right strategy, experts including Political Science Associate Professor Dennis Hale tell the Boston Herald.

The People with no Washington Lobby
New research points to a disturbing fact: While some Americans are well represented in the multibillion-dollar influence game, others have no place at the table at all, writes Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay Schlozman, co-author of a piece in the "Ideas" section of the Boston Sunday Globe.

The Ryan Choice
Every so often a presidential campaign prompts a profound national debate rather than simply a choice between candidates and parties. Paul Ryan's place on the ticket makes it likely that 2012 will prove to be such an epochal election, writes Political Science Professor Marc Landy for WBUR's "Cognoscenti".

Politics and Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand is back in the news thanks to GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. In the academy, Rand is a nonperson whose theories are works of fiction and whose works of fiction are theories, and bad ones at that, writes Political Science Professor Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. Chronicle of Higher Education

Health Care Ruling and the White House
Last week's Supreme Court decision has been heralded as a major political victory for President Obama. So is it time to celebrate at the White House? Not so fast, Political Science Associate Professor Dennis Hale said in an interview with Boston Magazine.

"The Other America"
There are good reasons why Michael Harrington's The Other America: Poverty in the United States, published in 1962, ought to be remembered, writes Political Science Professor Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, who also asks: Has it become more difficult to make rampant economic inequality central, in such morally compelling terms, to the public conversation today? Chronicle of Higher Education Review

The Campaign Trail
Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay Schlozman commented on women and big-ticket campaign donations. ABC News

The Campaign Trail
Political Science Professor Marc Landy discussed GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's trip to Israel. Boston Herald | The U.S. Supreme Court was right to curb the federal government on Medicaid, Landy wrote to the "Cognoscenti" perspective pages of WBUR.org.

Berlin Prize Fellow
Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence is among recipients of the prestigious Berlin Prize fellowship, awarded by The American Academy in Berlin, for advanced research in a range of academic and cultural fields. BC News Release | His op-ed on the 50th anniversary of Algerian independence was published by Foreign Policy, and he was interviewed about church-state relations and Islam in Europe by the major French-language Catholic newspaper La Croix.

A new Muslim generation
A new generation of American-raised Muslims is emerging that will undoubtedly help Muslims adapt and integrate to our changing society and culture, writes Political Science Professor Peter Skerry. Worcester Telegram and Gazette

Political civility
Political Science Professor Marc Landy, co-author of the book Presidential Greatness, discussed civility in politics and among presidents past and present in an interview with USAToday.

Voice and Equality Honored
Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics, co-written by Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay L. Schlozman, has won the 2012 American Association for Public Opinion Research Book Award, which recognizes "influential books that have stimulated thinking about the substance and study of public opinion."

Emancipation of Europe's Muslims
The Emancipation of Europe's Muslims by Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence, who recently chaired a working group on ethnic minorities and foreign policy convened by the Secretary General of the British Commonwealth, is "perhaps the subtlest and most solidly researched analysis of European policies toward Islam," according to a review in Foreign Affairs, and "establishes firm ground for hope" that the cycle of exclusion and violence will be defused.

The Muslim-American muddle
A decade after 9/11, America has reached a political and intellectual stalemate regarding the Muslims in its midst, writes Political Science Professor Peter Skerry. National Affairs

James Q. Wilson (1931-2012)
Influential scholar and political scientist James Q. Wilson, who in 2009 became the first senior fellow at BC's Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, has died at age 80.

Cooperation and Competition
Professor of Political Science Robert Ross, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the complexities of the relationship between the U.S. and China in an interview with Voice of Russia Radio.

Election Year Politics Abroad
It may be election-year gold, but restricting or demonizing Islamic practices could push disaffected youth toward those with radical agendas, Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence, author of The Emancipation of Europe's Muslims, said in an extended interview with the Christian Science Monitor.

Political civility
Political Science Professor Marc Landy, co-author of the book Presidential Greatness, discussed civility in politics and among presidents past and present in an interview with USAToday.

How to Integrate Europe's Muslims
Only by strengthening the democratic rights of Muslim citizens can Europe integrate immigrants and give full meaning to the abstract promise of religious liberty, writes Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence in the New York Times. His latest book, The Emancipation of Europe’s Muslims, is reviewed by The Economist.

Immigration and Politics
Last week presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich proposed granting legal status-but not citizenship-to some of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. Political Science Professor Peter Skerry looks at which party is likelier to benefit from this latest round of immigration politics in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.

Ken Kersch, professor in the political science department and the Director of the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, interviewed Gary Jacobsohn of the University of Texas-Austin for Polity's first podcast, Volume 43, Issue 4. Kersch is an Editorial Board member of Polity.

The GOP Race
The upset victory by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the South Carolina primary has dealt a setback to former front-runner Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Political Science Professor Marc Landy assessed the situation in an interview with NPR's WBUR-FM.

Barney Frank Retirement
Political Science Professor Marc Landy was among experts interviewed about Mass. Congressman Barney Frank's announcement that he would not seek reelection. USA Today

Europe and the Arab Spring
Will the Arab Spring end the European Union’s current approach to the southern Mediterranean and lead to more serious support for democratization? Political Science Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence writes in the journal World Politics Review | His latest book, The Emancipation of Europe’s Muslims, is reviewed by The Economist.

Chinese Nationalism and Its Discontents
At no time since the end of the Cold War have U.S.-China relations been worse. Equally troubling, this raising of tensions is not only unnecessary but also potentially costly to the United States, according to a piece by Political Science Professor Robert Ross in The National Interest.

Burying the Hatchet
The long arduous and incomplete process of civilizing humankind and suppressing its most violent impulses is the subject of a book review by James Q. Wilson, distinguished scholar in the Political Science Department and senior fellow at the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, for the Wall Street Journal.

The Jobs Plan Push
Political Science Professor Marc Landy said the president is coming late to the game with his plan but also outlines the consequences for the GOP should its members reject the plan outright. NECN

Recent graduate and political science major Jessica Sobrino '10 talks to Anderson Cooper in Cairo about the recent turmoil in Egypt.

Political Science major Angela Donkor ’12 has received the 'Spirit of Taylor Michaels' Award at the 2011 Leadership Conference held by the Magic Johnson Foundation (MJF).

Associate Professor Jonathan Laurence is interviewed by CNN on France's burqa ban.

Hard times, fewer crimes
Contrary to experts' predictions, the economic downturn has not led to more crime - a disconnect due to big changes in American culture, writes James Q. Wilson, senior fellow at BC's Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy. Wall Street Journal

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
A new translation of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, by Behrakis Professor Robert C. Bartlett and University of Houston political scientist Susan Collins (BC Ph.D. 1994) is the subject of a recent review, in The New York Times Book, by political theorist Harry V. Jaffa.

Bin Laden's Burial
News that 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was swiftly buried at sea and in "conformance with Islamic precepts and practices" left some scholars confused and many Americans skeptical. Islamic Civilization and Societies Associate Director Kathleen Bailey's comments on the subject are highlighted by RNN (Raycom News Network), in a piece running nationally and written by Joseph Neese A&S '10.

U.S. Muslim Community
Political Science Professor Peter Skerry discusses the U.S. Muslim community with WGBH-TV 'Greater Boston,' in an op-ed for the Christian Science Monitor and in a Q&A with the International Business Times.

Impact of a Shutdowm
As the clock ticks toward a government shutdown, which will begin at 12:01 Saturday morning if no deal is reached, Political Science Professor Marc Landy discussed the president's approach to the situation and the impact of a shutdown with Fox News Boston and the Christian Science Monitor.

BC's First Behrakis Professor
Robert Bartlett, BC's first Behrakis Professor, sees value in study of classical political philosophy.

Martin Luther King Scholarship
Junior political science major Angela Donkor adds the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award to a lengthy list of achievements.

Revolution in Egypt
Political Science Professor Ali Banuazizi, director of BC's Islamic Civilization and Societies program, provides perspective on the revolution in Egypt on NECN. View interview with Al Jazeera.

Modern World, Ancient Questions
BC's first Behrakis Professor, Robert Bartlett, sees value in study of classical political philosophy. BC Chronicle | Faculty website

Constitution Day Lecture on September 30
To commemorate Constitution Day 2014, the Political Science Department is pleased to announce that William A. Galston will give the Jack Miller Center Constitution Day Initiative Lecture entitled “Constitutional Surprises: What James Madison Got Wrong” on September 30, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. in McGuinn Auditorium, Room 121. A reception will follow the lecture.

William A. Galston holds the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow. A former policy advisor to President Clinton and presidential candidates, Galston is an expert on domestic policy, political campaigns, and elections. His current research focuses on designing a new social contract and the implications of political polarization. Full biography

The lecture is free and open to the public. This lecture is part of JMC’s 4^th annual nationwide Constitution Day Initiative.

Constitution Day was mandated in 2004 when Congress passed legislation requiring that every institution of higher education receiving federal funds hold an educational program on the Constitution on September 17, the day delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787 to sign the completed Constitution.

The Jack Miller Center (JMC) is a nonpartisan 501 (C) (3) public foundation dedicated to reinvigorating education in America’s Founding Principles and history.

The Crisis in Ukraine
As the crisis in the Ukraine continues to hold a firm grasp on the attention of the U.S. and much of the world, Political Science Adjunct Associate Professor Paul Christensen discussed the evolving situation in an interview with NECN.

 

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