University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Alasdair Roberts, Director of the School of Public Policy at UMass Amherst, discusses his view that the current model of governance — what he calls the “Reagan-Clinton model” — leaves the country unprepared to efficiently respond to a crisis like the current pandemic. He argues that such management policies - for lean, ‘just-in-time’ response -  are “great when everything is going well but awful when things go off the rails.” 

Governor Charlie Baker said he opposes ranked-choice voting as proposed in Massachusetts ballot question 2. A UMass Amherst/WCVB Poll finds that 48% of voters are in favor of the measure, 43% are opposed, and 9% are undecided.

Timothy Pachirat, Associate Professor of Political Science at UMass Amherst, recently co-organized a conference on industrialized animal agriculture and planetary health at Yale University: "Industrialized Livestock Production, Fish Farming, Global Climate Change, and Global Health". Details about the conference can be found here.

Professor Brenda Bushouse, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at UMass Amherst, was quoted in Western Mass News as saying, “In 2008 when Barack Obama was elected, I saw a huge shift in my undergraduate students. They were alert, they were aware, asking questions and getting involved in a new way, so I saw it start there and it’s only increased.”  Two UMass Amherst students were also quoted about their excitement over voting in the upcoming election. Sophomore Marie Maher said, “I’m really excited to be able to voice my opinion, considering I haven’t been able to for the last 18 years,” and added that college has been a great place to learn about politics. Sophomore Linnea Kelley said, “We’re very lucky that we’re able to [vote] so this is important for all of us to take this opportunity to vote.”  (Western Mass News, 10/27/20)

Ray La Raja comments in an interview with Tom Edsall of NY Times about prospects for Biden presidency and holding together the Democratic Party. (New York Times, 10/21)

Ray La Raja writes about the unconventional perspective how money in politics really matters and what to do about it. (Books & Ideas, College de France, 10/21)

A recent article about the lack of enthusiasm among young American voters citing research by Meredith Rolfe, political science, is re-published.

Alexander Theodoridis is interviewed at length for a radio news piece regarding the consequences of using dehumanizing language in politics. Theodoridis says that such language, which includes people referring to others as animals, can lead to people believing that those who disagree with them don't deserve the same treatment or respect as those who agree with them. (NPR, 10/18/20)

- Sheldon Goldman, professor emeritus of political science, is quoted in an article fact-checking claims by Donald Trump that Barack Obama left 128 federal court vacancies at the end of his presidency. 

- Sheldon Goldman is quoted in an article examining Republican efforts to “pack” lower courts with conservative judges.

Dean Robinson was interviewed for a radio report about the toll that racism has on mental health. (Vermont Public Radio, 10/1/20)

- Paul Collins and Raymond La Raja are among the local experts interviewed to analyze the Sept. 29 presidential debate.

- Paul Collins is quoted in a news article discussing the ways companies such as Google and Oracle finance amicus briefs for submission to the Supreme Court.

- An article about Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett citing the so-called “Ginsburg Rule” as a reason to not answer some questions during yesterday’s confirmation hearing references a 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post by Paul Collins and Lori Ringhand from the University of Georgia, titled “The ‘Ginsburg Rule’ is not an excuse to avoid answering the Senate’s questions.”

- Paul M. Collins Jr. is the author of two opinion columns about Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. 

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