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From Macedonia to America: Civics lessons from the former Yugoslavia

  • Written by Keith Brown, Professor of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University
imagePolice officers push back demonstrators next to St. John's Episcopal Church outside of the White House, June 1, 2020 in Washington D.C.Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images

Americans protesting police violence may find inspiration in the activism of Macedonian citizens in the last years of Communist rule in Yugoslavia.

In August 1987, Communist...

Read more: From Macedonia to America: Civics lessons from the former Yugoslavia

19th-century political parties kidnapped reluctant voters and printed their own ballots -- and that's why we've got laws regulating behavior at polling places

  • Written by Kristin Kanthak, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
imageA sign keeping campaigners at a distance in the New Hampshire presidential primary election at the Town Hall in Chichester, New Hampshire, Feb. 9, 2016. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Author Edgar Allan Poe, the 19th-century master of American macabre, may have died of dirty politics. According to legend, a gang of party...

Read more: 19th-century political parties kidnapped reluctant voters and printed their own ballots -- and...

How might the campaign’s endgame be disrupted? Here are five scenarios, drawn from the history of election polling

  • Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor of Communication Studies, American University School of Communication
imageWill Trump voters -- like these at a rally, waving goodbye to him as he leaves -- defy the polls and send him back to the White House?Olivier Touron/AFP/Getty Images

The storyline of the presidential campaign seems to be solidifying, as polls show Joe Biden maintaining a sizable lead over President Donald J. Trump.

But the lead may not be...

Read more: How might the campaign’s endgame be disrupted? Here are five scenarios, drawn from the history of...

Why Democrats and health policy experts believe the Barrett confirmation rush is about getting rid of the Affordable Care Act: 3 essential reads

  • Written by Lynne Anderson, Senior Health + Medicine Editor, The Conversation, US
imageFormer House Speaker John Boehner holds a press conference June 25, 2012, after the Supreme Court handed down a 5-4 decision upholding the Affordable Care Act. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Affordable Care Act has seen dozens of legal challenges, but it could now be at its most vulnerable, many health policy scholars and advocates believe. And...

Read more: Why Democrats and health policy experts believe the Barrett confirmation rush is about getting rid...

People want data privacy but don't always know what they're getting

  • Written by Gabriel Kaptchuk, Researcher Assistant Professor in Computer Science, Boston University
imageDifferential privacy lets organizations collect people's data while protecting their privacy, but it's not foolproof.imaginima/E+ via Getty Images

The Trump administration’s move to ban the popular video app TikTok has stoked fears about the Chinese government collecting personal information of people who use the app. These fears underscore...

Read more: People want data privacy but don't always know what they're getting

Beheading in France could bolster president's claim that Islam is in 'crisis' – but so is French secularism

  • Written by Ahmet T. Kuru, Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University
imageAn homage to Samuel Paty, a teacher murdered after showing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Oct. 18, 2020. Adnan Farzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A French high school teacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to his class was beheaded on Oct. 16 by an 18-year-old Muslim refugee in what F...

Read more: Beheading in France could bolster president's claim that Islam is in 'crisis' – but so is French...

Lincoln Project's anti-Trump ads show power of biting satire

  • Written by Chris Lamb, Professor of Journalism, IUPUI
imageIf he's laughing, it's probably not at the Lincoln Project's satire.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

The narrator in a recent Lincoln Project ad tells listeners, “In six months, COVID-19 has killed more Americans than any disease in a hundred years. Donald Trump lied about it, rejected science, and still has no plan to save Americans.”

The...

Read more: Lincoln Project's anti-Trump ads show power of biting satire

Russian media may be joining China and Iran in turning on Trump

  • Written by Robert Hinck, Assistant Professor, Monmouth College
imageChinese outlets that once relayed cautious optimism over Donald Trump's deal-making abilities now express exasperation over his chaotic style.Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

It can be easy to overlook how the rest of the world is making sense of America’s chaotic campaign season.

But in many cases, they’re paying attention just as...

Read more: Russian media may be joining China and Iran in turning on Trump

How QAnon uses satanic rhetoric to set up a narrative of 'good vs. evil'

  • Written by Paul Thomas, Chair and Professor of Religious Studies, Radford University
imageA QAnon supporter waiting to see Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.Rick Loomis/Getty Images

In front of a TV audience on Oct. 15, President Donald Trump declared that he knew “nothing about” QAnon, before correcting himself to say: “I do know they are very much against pedophilia.”

What he didn’t do was disavow...

Read more: How QAnon uses satanic rhetoric to set up a narrative of 'good vs. evil'

The president's term ends at noon on Jan. 20

  • Written by Donald Nieman, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Binghamton University, State University of New York
imageDonald Trump’s current term as president began on Jan. 20, 2017. It will end on Jan. 20, 2021, with the start of a new term – for him, or someone else.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

With so much unclear about the upcoming presidential election, it’s nice to know that there is one absolute certainty.

Mail-in ballots may take a long time to...

Read more: The president's term ends at noon on Jan. 20

More Articles ...

  1. Chile puts its constitution on the ballot after year of civil unrest
  2. How the Supreme Court can maintain its legitimacy amid intensifying partisanship
  3. Restoring seagrasses can bring coastal bays back to life
  4. Proposed student visa policy could hinder US competitiveness
  5. Prejudice against people with darker skin may make donors less generous
  6. Biden's plan to revive Iran talks could calm the Middle East – but on Israel he and Trump largely agree
  7. The history of oath ceremonies and why they matter when taking office
  8. Religious identity and Supreme Court justices – a brief history
  9. Most US farmers remain loyal to Trump despite pain from trade wars and COVID-19
  10. NASA's OSIRIS-REx will land on an asteroid to bring home rocks and dust – if it can avoid Mt. Doom
  11. How conservative groups will advance their agendas before a Supreme Court with Amy Coney Barrett
  12. 7 tips for staying safe as COVID-19 cases rise and colder weather heightens the risk
  13. China makes it incredibly hard for foreign businesses to operate – but they stay because the money is just too good
  14. Women politicians more likely to reply to people who reach out in need, study shows
  15. Mail-in voting is safe and reliable – 5 essential reads
  16. Rural health cooperatives are challenged by connectivity and social distancing -- but are innovating
  17. Jubilarse joven podría afectar las funciones del cerebro, revela estudio
  18. Colleges and the Thanksgiving COVID-19 risk: Fauci’s right – holiday plans may have to change
  19. How baseball's first commissioner led a conspiracy of silence to preserve baseball's color line
  20. What is osteopathic medicine? A D.O. explains
  21. Hispanics live longer than most Americans, but will the US obesity epidemic change things?
  22. Judges used to stay out of election disputes, but this year lawsuits could well decide the presidency
  23. Will Colorado bring back wolves? It's up to voters
  24. Worsening hurricane season threatens billions of chickens
  25. What is an algorithm? How computers know what to do with data
  26. Exposure to man-made chemicals influences genes controlling aging, immune system and metabolism
  27. Who really defeated the Islamic State – Obama or Trump?
  28. Distance learning makes it harder for kids to exercise, especially in low-income communities
  29. Amy Coney Barrett may be the next woman on the Supreme Court – but does a nominee's gender matter?
  30. What is HIPAA? 5 questions answered about the medical privacy law that protects Trump's test results and yours
  31. How the needs of monks and empire builders helped mold the modern-day office
  32. Political bias in media doesn't threaten democracy — other, less visible biases do
  33. As few as 1 in 10 homeless people vote in elections – here's why
  34. Until a coronavirus vaccine is ready, pneumonia vaccines may reduce deaths from COVID-19
  35. 279,700 extra deaths in the US so far in this pandemic year
  36. Dementia deaths rise during the summer of COVID, leading to concern
  37. How do pandemics end? History suggests diseases fade but are almost never truly gone
  38. Epic miscalls and landslides unforeseen: The exceptional catalog of polling failure
  39. Doing this one thing helps community college students transfer to a 4-year university
  40. Schadenfreude over Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis was more about cosmic justice than joy in another’s pain
  41. Schools often fail to identify gifted and talented students – especially if they are Black, Latino or Native American
  42. What happens when senators die or are incapacitated?
  43. 3 ways to get your point across while wearing a mask – tips from an award-winning speech coach
  44. Dominance or democracy? Authoritarian white masculinity as Trump and Pence's political debate strategy
  45. Restoring California's forests to reduce wildfire risks will take time, billions of dollars and a broad commitment
  46. Political leaders’ views on COVID-19 risk are highly infectious in a polarized nation – we see the same with climate change
  47. What's the best way to get out the vote in a pandemic?
  48. Election 2020 sees record $11 billion in campaign spending, mostly from a handful of super-rich donors
  49. Pandemic presents an opportunity for small liberal arts colleges to change
  50. Appealing to evangelicals, Trump uses religious words and references to God at a higher rate than previous presidents