The Conversation

The unfinished business of John F. Kennedy’s vision for world peace

Written by Philip A. Goduti, Jr., Adjunct Assistant Professor of History, Quinnipiac University

John and Jackie Kennedy in Paris in May 1961. Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Less than a week after her husband’s assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, Jackie Kennedy granted an interview with esteemed political writer Theodore White for Life magazine, one of the leading national publications of its day.

Determined to prote...

Medieval Europe was far from democratic, but that didn’t mean tyrants got a free pass

Written by Joelle Rollo-Koster, Professor of Medieval History, University of Rhode Island

Richard II became king of England when he was 10 and was deposed at 32.British Library/Wikimedia Commons

My students tend to imagine the Middle Ages as something like the “Kingdom Come” or “Total War” video games: an age of utter political chaos, when swords and daggers ruled, and masculinity and physical strength mattered...

How Iran responds to Damascus attack could determine trajectory of conflict in the Middle East

Written by Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy, University of Michigan

Reports that Iran is preparing reprisal attacks following the deadly bombing of a facility that Israel claims is linked to threats against its interests have provoked fears of conflict widening in the Middle East.

U.S. President Joe Biden has vowed “ironclad” support for Israel, which is widely considered to be responsible for the April...

Taxes are due even if you object to government policies or doubt the validity of the 16th Amendment’s ratification

Written by Michele Frank, Associate Professor of Accountancy, Miami University

Taxes can be tough – to file and to pay.Kameleon007/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Most Americans don’t like doing, or paying, their income taxes. But every year, about 85% of them will voluntarily pay the full amount of the taxes they owe.

Even so, the IRS estimates that it loses over US$400 billion of revenue each year because people fail...

The backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion in business is in full force − but myths obscure the real value of DEI

Written by Adia Harvey Wingfield, Professor of Sociology, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Inclusive workplaces are good for morale as well as the bottom line.Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Few ideas in business are as misunderstood as DEI.

While opposition to DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – has a long history, it has picked up steam recently.

In 2023, when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, detractors claimed t...

How jurors will be selected in Trump’s legal cases - a criminal law expert explains

Written by Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Professor of Law, Harvard University

Donald Trump appears outside a Manhattan criminal court on March 25, 2024. Mary Altaffer-Pool/Getty Images

Every defendant is entitled to a fair and impartial jury.

But the process to find one can be long and taxing, particularly in a high-profile trial such as the one in New York, in which Donald Trump stands accused of fraud in his efforts to...

Starbucks seeks Supreme Court protection from being preemptively ordered to rehire baristas who say they were fired for union-promoting activities

Written by Michael Z. Green, Professor of Law and Director, Workplace Law Program, Texas A&M University

A group of fired Starbucks employees celebrate the result of a vote to unionize a Memphis shop on June 7, 2022.AP Photo/Adrian Sainz

What factors must a court consider when the National Labor Relations Board requests an order requiring an employer to rehire terminated workers before the completion of unfair labor practice proceedings?

That’s...

I spent a decade helping Afghan girls make educational progress − and now the Taliban are using these 3 reasons to keep them out of school

Written by Enayat Nasir, Research Assistant in Educational Policy, University at Albany, State University of New York

Education for girls in Afghanistan is banned after the sixth grade.Omer Abrar via Getty Images

Before the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021, girls’ access to education was steadily improving.

In 2019, the Ministry of Education introduced the country’s first Girls Education Policy, known as the GEP. This policy sought to...

Elephant tourism often involves cruelty – here are steps toward more humane, animal-friendly excursions

Written by Michelle Szydlowski, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Project Dragonfly, Miami University

A tourist on National Elephant Day in Thailand.oneclearvision/Getty Images

Suju Kali is a 50-year-old elephant in Nepal who has been carrying tourists for over 30 years. Like many elephants I encounter through my research, Suju Kali exhibits anxiety and can be aggressive toward strangers. She suffers from emotional trauma as a result of prolonged,...

Domestic violence survivors seek homeless services from a system that often leaves them homeless

Written by Nkiru Nnawulezi, Associate Professor of Community Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Sometimes emergency housing programs encourage domestic violence survivors to use unsafe alternatives to public programs − even staying with their abusive partner.Claudia Wolff/Unsplash

About 1 in every 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, will experience domestic violence over their lifetime. Since domestic violence can escalate to the point of serious...