The Conversation

US swing toward autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent – but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections

Written by Jennifer Victor, Associate Professor of Political Science, George Mason University

The United States is no longer a democracy.

At least, that’s the verdict of one nonprofit, the Center for Systemic Peace, which measures regime qualities of countries worldwide based on the competitiveness and integrity of their elections, limits to executive authority and other factors.

“The USA is no longer considered a democracy and...

Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico could spell trouble for distilled spirits

Written by Andrew Muhammad, Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

If all the tariff drama in the news lately has you reaching for a stiff drink, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, those same tariffs might make it harder to get your hands on your favorite brand of tequila.

In early March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump levied import tariffs of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, following through on a...

With Hooters on the verge of bankruptcy, a psychologist reflects on her time spent studying the servers who work there

Written by Dawn Szymanski, Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee

Servers told researchers that they were instructed to make their male customers feel special.Brian Brainerd/The Denver Post via Getty Images

In 1983, six businessmen got together and opened the first Hooters restaurant in Clearwater, Florida. Hooters of America LLC quickly became a restaurant chain success story.

With its scantily clad servers and...

Mississippi’s education miracle: A model for global literacy reform

Written by Harry Anthony Patrinos, Professor of Education Policy, University of Arkansas

Mississippi's reforms have led to significant gains in reading and math, despite the state being one of the lowest spenders per pupil in the U.S.Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

In a surprising turnaround, Mississippi, once ranked near the bottom of U.S. education standings, has dramatically improved its student literacy rates.

As of 2023, the state...

Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users

Written by Kory London, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University

Medetomidine is now a key ingredient in street fentanyl sold in Philly.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have witnessed these shifts firsthand.

New adulterants...

Maritime truce would end a sorry war on the waves for Russia that set back its naval power ambitions

Written by Colin Flint, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Utah State University

A warship is seen docked in the port of the Black Sea city of Sochi.Mikhail Mordasov/AFP via Getty Images

Away from the grueling land battles and devastating airstrikes, the Ukraine war has from its outset had a naval element. Soon after the February 2022 invasion, Russia imposed a de facto naval blockade on Ukraine, only to see its fleet stunningly...

Sudan’s civil war: What military advances mean, and where the country could be heading next

Written by Christopher Tounsel, Associate Professor of History, University of Washington

A Sudanese man celebrates as the military enters the central city of Wad Madani, pushing out the Rapid Support Forces in January 2025. AP Photo/Marwan Ali

A series of advances by the Sudanese military has led some observers to posit that the African nation’s yearslong civil war could be at a crucial turning point.

Even if it were to end...

Deep-sea mining threatens sea life in a way no one is thinking about − by dumping debris into the thriving midwater zone

Written by Alexus Cazares-Nuesser, Ph.D. Candidate in Biological Oceanography, University of Hawaii

A cnidarian is attached to a dead sponge stalk on a manganese nodule in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.Diva Amon and Craig Smith, University of Hawaii at Mānoa

Picture an ocean world so deep and dark it feels like another planet – where creatures glow and life survives under crushing pressure.

This is the midwater zone, a hidden ecosystem...

The solution to workplace isolation might be in the gap − the generation gap

Written by Megan Gerhardt, Professor of Management, Farmer School of Business, Miami University

The potential for friendships and mentorships between colleagues in different stages of life are often overlooked.OwenPrice/E+ via Getty Images

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the United States finds itself in the midst of another public health crisis. This particular pandemic is a psychological one: widespread loneliness and...

Trump is not a king – but that doesn’t stop him from reveling in his job’s most ceremonial and exciting parts

Written by Shannon Bow O'Brien, Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin

President Donald Trump speaks with Elon Musk next to a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Heads of state are the symbolic leader of a country. Some of them, like King Charles III of the United Kingdom, carry out largely ceremonial roles these days. Others, like Saudi Arabian King Salman,...