The Conversation

Extreme political polarization weakens democracy – can the US avoid that fate?

Written by Jennifer Lynn McCoy, Distinguished University Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University

A protester is arrested by Capitol Hill Police during the Kavanaugh nomination.AP/Alex Brandon

The midterm elections are approaching during one of the most polarized moments in recent American politics.

A collaborative research project I led on polarized democracies around the world examines the processes by which societies divide into political...

Ideologically motivated far-right extremists have killed close to 500 people since 1990 – and 10 percent were targeted based on religion

Written by Jeff Gruenewald, Associate Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

The mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh exemplifies an increasingly deadly form of domestic terrorism committed by far-right extremists: the targeting of institutions and individuals due to their religious affiliation.

Unfortunately, it’s not new for far-right extremists to vilify non-white, non-Anglo-Saxon and...

The lasting impact of Luther's Reformation: 4 essential reads

Written by Kalpana Jain, Senior Religion + Ethics Editor

A colorful Martin Luther figure, part of an exhibition in Germany, in 2017. AP Photo/Jens Meyer

It was over 500 years ago, on Oct. 31, 1517, that a German monk, Martin Luther, initiated a split in the Roman Catholic Church leading to the Protestant Reformation.

In his “95 Theses,” nailed to Germany’s Castle Church in Wittenberg,...

Religion and refugees are deeply entwined in the US

Written by Stephanie J. Nawyn, Associate Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Center for Gender in Global Context, Michigan State University

Rally organized by HIAS, a Jewish group that supports refugees, outside the White House.Ted Eytan/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

Robert Bowers lashed out at what he believed to be a Jewish plot to bring more refugees and asylum seekers to the U.S. before allegedly murdering 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Bowers’s claim that HIAS,...

International election observers evaluating US midterm elections will face limitations

Written by Judith Kelley, Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, is sending international election observers to the 2018 U.S. midterm election.

American voters may be surprised to learn such visits are routine. In fact, this will be the seventh such visit since 2002.

This year, with the ongoing Mueller probe about election meddling and concerns...

How Sears helped make women, immigrants and people of color feel more like Americans

Written by Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, Visiting Assistant Professor, Case Western Reserve University

The Sears catalog made it easier for anyone to live the American dream.Classic Film, CC BY-SA

Sears did more than pioneer the mail-order catalog over a century ago. The iconic retailer helped make America a more inclusive place at a time when Jim Crow was rampant and women couldn’t even vote.

The news that Sears had filed for bankruptcy is a...

Thinking about borrowing against your home to send your kids to college? Think again

Written by Jacob William Faber, Assistant Professor, New York University

Many parents borrow against their homes to send their children to college.Andy Dean Photography/www.shutterstock.com

When the time comes to send their children off to college, many parents in the U.S. take out loans, draw from savings and earnings and – as some financial advisors recommend – borrow against their homes.

In a study we...

Marijuana is on the ballot in four states, but legalization may soon stall, researchers say

Written by Daniel J. Mallinson, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Administration, School of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania State University

Utah residents show support for a ballot initiative that would legalize medical marijuana in the state.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

The midterm elections could loosen marijuana restrictions in the United States, as four states put ballot initiatives on legalization to a vote.

Voters in Utah and Missouri will choose whether patients should gain access to...

When 'what's on your mind' is tragic, not happy – sharing sad news on social media

Written by Nazanin Andalibi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Information, University of Michigan

Sharing about tragedy online can help people feel less alone.Paulius Brazauskas/Shutterstock.com

It’s always wonderful to share happy news – in person and on social media. New jobs, weddings and becoming parents of healthy children are all commonly posted online, and often gather lots of encouraging comments and congratulations. But...

Tiroteo en Pittsburgh: La historia de las oleadas antisemitas y antimigrantes en EEUU

Written by Ingrid Anderson, Associate Director of Jewish Studies, Lecturer, Arts & Sciences Writing Program, Boston University

Personas poniendo flores en la sinagoga del Árbol de la Vida en Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, EEUU.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

El tiroteo en el centro religioso estadounidense “Árbol de la Vida”, en Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, es, posiblemente, el ataque contra los judíos más mortífero de la historia de Estados...