The Conversation

500 years ago, Machiavelli warned the public not to get complacent in the face of self-interested charismatic figures

Written by Vickie B. Sullivan, Professor of Political Science, Tufts University

Julius Caesar was the first tyrant of Rome, after which Rome was never again free.Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images

A United States president sought to remain in office after his term ended, maintains a worshipful following and has declared he will operate as a dictator only on “day one” if reelected. His cunning and manipulation of...

Narendra Modi sworn in as India’s prime minister for a third term after a narrow win – suggesting Indian voters saw through religious rhetoric

Written by Sumit Ganguly, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations, Indiana University

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is greeted by supporters as he arrives at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi on June 4, 2024.AP Photo/Manish Swarup

_Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party Narendra Modi was sworn in on June 9, 2024 for a rare third term as prime minister, after winning with a slim majority in India’s recently...

Modi’s narrow win suggests Indian voters saw through religious rhetoric, opting instead to curtail his political power

Written by Sumit Ganguly, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations, Indiana University

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is greeted by supporters as he arrives at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi on June 4, 2024.AP Photo/Manish Swarup

Narendra Modi, India’s two-time prime minister, was elected on June 5, 2024, as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance, a coalition of political parties that won with a...

Life on the US-Mexico border is chaotic. An immigration scholar explains why − and it’s not for the reasons that some GOP lawmakers claim

Written by William McCorkle, Assistant Professor of Education, College of Charleston

Asylum-seekers at the Rio Grande near the U.S.-Mexico border in Matamoros, Mexico, on May 11, 2023. Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images

As debate over U.S. immigration policy heats up during the 2024 presidential campaign, separating fact from fiction on the U.S.-Mexico border becomes increasingly difficult.

In May 2023, shortly after the end of...

Wisconsin is a key swing state this year – and has a history of being unpredictable

Written by Jonathan J. Kasparek, Professor of history, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

President Joe Biden meets with campaign volunteers and their families at a community center in Racine, Wis. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Voters in Wisconsin – now considered a critical swing state ahead of the 2024 presidential election – may be among the most unpredictable in the nation.

Although former President Barack Obama...

Trump’s rhetoric after his felony conviction is designed to distract, stoke fear and ease the way for an anti-democratic strongman

Written by Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University

Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 felony counts. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

After a jury convicted Donald Trump of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a politically damaging relationship, he responded by warning viewers of his post-verdict news conference:...

Sargassum is choking the Caribbean’s white sand beaches, fueling an economic and public health crisis

Written by Farah Nibbs, Assistant Professor of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Sargassum washes ashore in large, smelly mats. Clearing it away isn't easy.Lhote/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Caribbean’s sandy beaches, clear turquoise water and vibrant coral reefs filled with an amazing variety of sea creatures have long been the pride of the islands.

The big three – sun, sea and sand –...

Pregnancy is an engineering challenge − diagnosing and treating preterm birth requires understanding its mechanics

Written by Melissa Skala, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Studying pregnancy from multiple disciplines could provide new insights.Carol Yepes/Moment via Getty Images

Why are babies born prematurely? Researchers still don’t really know.

Obstetricians are very good at managing the process of birth. But when it comes to predicting whether a baby will be born in a timely manner, the science is still...

Messages can trigger the opposite of their desired effect − but you can avoid communication that backfires

Written by Sherry Seethaler, Director of Education Initiatives, School of Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego

What makes someone do the opposite of what you're suggesting?skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

The best graduation speeches dispense wisdom you find yourself returning to long after the graduation tassels are turned. Take the feel-good life advice in Baz Luhrmann’s song to a class that graduated 25 years ago. Only on a recent relisten did I...

Trump’s lawyers in lawsuits claiming he won in 2020 are getting punished for abusing courts and making unsupported claims and false statements

Written by Elise J. Bean, Director of the Washington Office of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, Wayne State University

A New York disciplinary authority found that Trump campaign attorney Rudy Giuliani 'communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements' and ordered him suspended from practicing law. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Over the past four years, U.S. courts and state bar associations have taken action to protect the integrity of the U.S. judicial...