Paul M. Collins Jr., professor of legal studies and political science, has written an article about President Joe Biden’s “complicated legacy on the federal courts.” Collins writes, “I believe Biden’s judicial impact is most notable in three regards: his role in the 1991 confirmation of Clarence Thomas, his historic efforts during his presidency to diversify the federal bench, and his 2024 decision to veto legislation expanding the number of federal district court judgeships.”
Charli Carpenter, professor of political science, writes that international rules-based order is less dependent on the United States than critics of President Joe Biden believe.
(World Politics Review, 1/14/25)
Alexander Theodoridis, Political Science and Co-Director of the UMass Amherst Poll, is interviewed on a Kettering Foundation podcast about political violence: “Even though we don’t see violence run rampant, people are changing their behavior, from ...deciding whether to run for secretary of state to getting involved at any level of the political process.”
In this episode of The Stakes, host Brad Rourke speaks with Alan Jenkins, Harvard Law professor of practice and cocreator of the graphic novel series 1/6, and Alex Theodoridis, political scientist and UMass Poll co-director. Together, they explore:
How January 6 and rising political violence reshape democracy;
The chilling normalization of attacks on minorities, including immigrants and LGBTQ+ communities;
Dehumanizing rhetoric as a tool of authoritarianism; and
Lessons from history on resisting violence and safeguarding democratic norms.
Adrian Grace, Director of Undergraduate Advising for political science and legal studies, has been selected for the 2025 Provost Awards, which recognize staff members who demonstrate exceptional performance in their work and service. Grace will be presented with the award at a campus event hosted by the provost in February.
Regine Spector, political science, and Irina Costache, political science and journalism alumna, have coauthored a case study in Energy Research & Social Science describing a highly contested biomass power plant proposed for Springfield, MA. The paper has open access through Jan. 5.
Spector and Costache were interviewed about the research on The Enviro Show, a radio show and podcast.
Comments by Rebecca Hamlin, Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, made to NPR in 2018 about President Trump’s promise to end birthright citizenship are quoted in a new article about Trump’s promise to end the provision on day one of his upcoming term.
Tatishe Nteta, Director of the UMass Poll, says poll findings do not support President-elect Trump’s claims that he has been given a historic mandate. Recent UMass Polls showed that Americans hold nuanced views on some of the issues Trump plans to tackle or are unsure how they feel about them.
Charli Carpenter, Professor of Political Sciences, writes that it’s time to change the discussion around vaccine skepticism. “Imagine if, instead of arguing over the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 or MMR vaccines, global health organizations took a page from the propagandists’ playbook and created and shared memes and videos on social media featuring images of people afflicted with the various diseases that vaccines have allowed us to control,” Carpenter says.