The Conversation

Voters in Arab American strongholds likely tipped Michigan in Trump’s favor

Written by Michael Traugott, Research Professor at the Center for Political Studies, University of Michigan

More than 200,000 Arab Americans live in Michigan.AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

President-elect Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2024 election, an important prize in his decisive victory.

The state has earned its title as a swing state. After narrowly defeating Hillary Clinton in Michigan in 2016, Trump lost the state to President Joe Biden in 2020,...

Pennsylvania will keep its divided legislature thanks to split-ticket voters

Written by Richardson Dilworth, Professor of Politics, Drexel University

Democrats held on to their one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House.Laurence Kesterson/AP

Pennsylvania’s red shift in the 2024 election wasn’t isolated to the presidential race.

Statewide races for attorney general, auditor general and state treasurer all went to the Republican candidates, and the AP declared Republican David...

Boeing workers secure big gains after strike, but the future for organized labor under Trump is uncertain

Written by Jake Rosenfeld, Professor of Sociology, Washington University in St. Louis

Jon Holden, a leader of Boeing workers belonging to a labor union, speaks at a rally on Oct. 15, 2024.Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

Striking Boeing machinists approved a new contract on Nov. 4, 2024. It was negotiated between their union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the nation’s largest...

What should journalists do when the facts don’t matter?

Written by Michael J. Socolow, Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine

Donald Trump addresses the crowd after being declared the winner during an election night party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Most people agree that actual facts matter – in such activities as debate, discussion and reporting. Once facts are gathered, verified...

What’s the ‘standard deduction’? An accounting expert explains how it simplifies tax filing and saves most Americans money

Written by Ryan Polk, Assistant Professor of Accountancy, Clemson University

President Donald Trump shakes hands with House Speaker Paul Ryan, as Vice President Mike Pence looks on, after the passage of a tax reform package on Dec. 20, 2017.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Filing taxes can be daunting, but understanding your options for reducing your taxable income can help make it easier and save you money.

U.S. taxpayers have two main...

Trump’s plans to extend tax cuts and slash red tape will likely spur economic growth − but there’s a cost

Written by John W. Diamond, Director of the Center for Public Finance at the Baker Institute, Rice University

President Donald Trump holds up the 2017 tax law after signing it in the Oval Office of the White House in December 2017.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

The economy was one of their top issues as voters went to the polls this year. So what does Donald Trump’s return to the White House – as well as Republican gains in Congress – mean for the...

Disaster survivors want to rebuild safer, more sustainable homes, but cost misperceptions often stand in the way

Written by Susan Ostermann, Assistant Professor of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame

As Florida and the Southeast begin recovering from 2024’s destructive hurricanes, many people are asking: How can we rebuild sustainably and in a way that avoids the same damage, costs and trauma in future storms?

There are proven ways to strengthen homes that pay off in the long run, such as installing hurricane straps to tie down roofs in...

Strength training early in life can set up kids and adolescents for a lifetime of health and well-being

Written by Zachary Gillen, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, Mississippi State University

An age-appropriate strength training program can have significant benefits for children and adolescents.The Good Brigade/DigitalVision via Getty Images

“Aren’t they a little young for that?”

This is a question I used to hear regularly from parents when I’d recommend strength training for the kids I worked with, whose ages...

10 states had abortion measures on the ballot – where they passed, where they failed, and what it all means

Written by Katherine Drabiak, Professor of Health Law, Public Health Law and Medical Ethics, University of South Florida

When all the votes were tallied, Colorado voters approved a ballot measure establishing a right to abortion.Chet Strange/AP Photo

Voters in 10 states decided on measures relating to abortion on Nov. 5, 2024, many of which sought to expand access to abortion or expressly recognize a right to abortion in the state’s constitution.

Seven of the...

Compassion amid chaos − how one of America’s greatest poets became a lifeline for wounded soldiers

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

With over 40 armed conflicts now taking place around the world, the costs of warfare are immense and continue to mount with each passing day.

Russia’s war on Ukraine is estimated to have resulted in more than 600,000 Russian casualties, with estimates of total dead and injured on both sides as high as 1 million. The war between Israel and...