The Conversation

Should government assistance cover pet food or potato chips? It depends who you ask

Written by Steven Shepherd, Assistant Professor of Marketing and International Business, Oklahoma State University

Your own biases shape what you think about what the poor should eat.Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Lawmakers in states like Arkansas and Texas want to restrict what the 36 million people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, can purchase with that aid.

Drawing attention to people...

Congressional Republicans abandon constitutional heritage and Watergate precedents in defense of Trump

Written by Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia

Republican lawmakers are seen as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) oversees a vote on the second article of impeachment against President Donald Trump in the House of Representatives, Dec. 18, 2019.Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Once, not so long ago, congressional Republicans were impeachment’s constitutional...

How a Chilean dog ended up as a face of the New York City subway protests

Written by Alexandra Isfahani-Hammond, Associate Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, University of California San Diego

A man holds a sign with an image of Negro Matapacos, in Santiago, Chile. MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images

A black Chilean dog wearing a red bandana made his mark during the New York City subway protests beginning in November 2019.

The protests were ignited by videos documenting police assaults on black and brown youth in the subways. For...

Could Iran-US tensions mean troubled waters ahead in the Strait of Hormuz?

Written by Rockford Weitz, Professor of Practice & Director, Fletcher Maritime Studies Program, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Iranian soldiers take part in National Persian Gulf Day in the Strait of Hormuz. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

Soaring tensions between Iran and the United States have reignited fears that the Strait of Hormuz could become a flashpoint as Tehran responds to the killing of its top general.

Oil prices climbed on news of the fatal airstrike,...

If Democrats nominate a woman for president, don't try to make predictions about how she'll do

Written by Nathaniel Swigger, Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives onstage during a primary night rally at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, June 7, 2016.Getty/ Drew Angerer

Four women remain out of an original six in the Democratic primary for president: Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and activist Marianne...

EPA's proposed 'secret science' rule directly threatens children's health

Written by Gabriel Filippelli, Professor of Earth Sciences and Director of the Center for Urban Health, IUPUI

Blood samples from pediatric health screenings can provide valuable data for public health research.AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

The Trump administration is working to weaken U.S. environmental regulations in many areas, from water and air pollution to energy development and land conservation. One of its most controversial proposals is known as the...

Universal coverage, single-payer, 'Medicare for All': What does it all mean for you?

Written by Simon F. Haeder, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Pennsylvania State University

Bill Clinton's 1993 health care plan called for universal coverage. It was dead by 1994, but the political wrangling it started over health care lives on. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

Collectively, health care is our biggest industry. And, health care has long been one of the most politically contested issues. Partisan wrangling over health reform...

The dark side of supportive relationships

Written by Edward Lemay, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Maryland

Your partner's intentions might be good, but the outcome often isn't.Ron and Joe/Shutterstock.com

Imagine that you’ve had a heated argument with a co-worker, and you call up your husband or wife to talk about it. Your partner can react in one of two ways.

They can assure you that you were right, your co-worker was wrong and that you have a...

Unemployment pushes more men to take on female-dominated jobs

Written by Jill Yavorsky, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina – Charlotte

Men make more money in women-dominated fields, such as teaching.Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

In the last few decades, many high-paying jobs that are mostly done by men – like manufacturing – have contracted or disappeared. At the same time, many jobs in fields dominated by women – like education and health care –...

Trump's Twitter threat to destroy Iran's cultural sites is a historic mistake

Written by David J. Wasserstein, Professor of History and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University

Threatening cultural sites like Persepolis could tarnish US' reputation as pillar of the international community.DeAgostini/Getty Images

Be careful of the company you keep.

In a threat delivered over Twitter on Jan. 4, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he is prepared to “HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD” culturally important targets in...