The Conversation

'Spearphishing' roiled the presidential campaign – here's how to protect yourself

Written by Arun Vishwanath, Associate Professor of Communication, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Not this kind of spearfishing – the kind that involves a computer.Underwater image via shutterstock.com

Never in American political history have hacked and stolen emails played such a central role in a presidential campaign. But hackers are likely to target you as well – though perhaps with smaller repercussions for the world as a whole....

What Theresa May could teach America’s next president about leading a divided country

Written by Peter Harris, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University

For several months leading up to today’s ballot, Donald Trump has taken to calling himself “Mr. Brexit,” predicting that his brand of grassroots populism ultimately will win out over an out-of-touch political class. Now that election day is upon us, it is certainly possible that Trump will pull off such an upset, even if most...

A president in a pantsuit?

Written by Deirdre Clemente, Associate Professor of History, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Over the past several years, Hillary Clinton has transformed her signature pantsuit – a loose fitting jacket that runs to the mid-thigh paired with lightly tapered pants – into a rallying cry for female empowerment. In early October, a pantsuit-clad flash mob popped up in New York City’s Union Square, dancing to a Justin...

Q A with Yale scholar: How the FBI has meddled in politics before

Written by Brian Balogh, Compton Professor at the Miller Center and the Corcoran Department of History, University of Virginia

FBI interference in U.S. elections is nothing new.

Last week, FBI Director James Comey reopened an investigation of Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state. On Sunday, Comey announced the investigation was complete, and that there was no evidence that warranted charging Clinton with a crime. His actions set off a...

Voters in Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida are changing the swing state map

Written by James Henson, Director of the Texas Politics Project, University of Texas at Austin

As final predictions roll in before Election Day, everyone is looking to see who will win important swing states. Candidates work harder to win over voters in states like Ohio and Florida, because their voting behavior is less predictable. But this year, the map has shifted in unexpected ways.

We asked four of our experts to weigh in on why, and...

Libertarian economics: A philosophical critique

Written by Peter Lindsay, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Georgia State University

The focus of my research as a political philosopher is on matters of economic justice. I ask questions such as: Are markets consistent with justice? Is freedom enhanced through economic exchange? If so, why, and if not, why not?

One position that I have held for most of my career is that free market, or libertarian, thinking suffers from major...

Civility at the core of American democracy, whatever politicians say

Written by Eduardo Mendieta, Professor of Philosophy, Acting Director of the Rock Ethics Institute, and Affiliate Professor in the School of International Affairs, Pennsylvania State University

Exceptions prove the rule. Extremes reveal what is indispensable.

The phenomenon “Trump” is both an exception and an extreme: His brand of politics proves and reveals just how important democratic civility is to a vibrant democracy.

As a philosopher who looks at the the ways in which emotions impact political freedom, I am interested...

Climate change could be a unifying cause of millennials, but will they vote?

Written by Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Director, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement in the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University

Talking 'bout my generation: Younger people are concerned with climate, but how engaged are they politically?Joe Brusky/flickr, CC BY-NC

When Secretary Hillary Clinton sought to mobilize millennial voters, she held a rally with Al Gore in Florida and focused heavily on climate change.

On one level, this is a curious move. Al Gore’s...

In Trump, extremism found its champion – and maybe its demise

Written by Adam G. Klein, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Pace University

Political correctness was one of Donald Trump’s earliest targets in his presidential campaign. From the onset, his massive crowds cheered whenever he would defiantly declare, “I’m so tired of this politically correct crap.” He often went on “straight talk” discourses spouting his beliefs about “real”...

Violence has long been a feature of American elections

Written by Jesse Rhodes, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst

The 2016 American presidential campaign has renewed concerns about the specter of violence in American electoral politics. The campaign has been marked by tense – and occasionally violent – altercations between supporters and critics of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Trump encouraged his supporters to “knock the crap” out...