Politics

The slavery apology resolution recently passed by the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate was meaningless and "will do absolutely zilch to promote racial healing and reconciliation," says Carol Swain, a professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. Read More

Watch video of a June 2 panel discussion of local health care experts discussing current Congressional action on health care reform. Read More

Commodores for Israel, an Israel advocacy organization under the auspices of Vanderbilt University Hillel, was named an Activist of the Year by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee during AIPAC's annual policy conference in May in Washington, D.C. Read More

Empirical research from Vanderbilt professor of law and political science Tracey George shows how the United States court system, especially the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, could dramatically change under the Obama Administration. Read More

Results from the latest AmericasBarometer Survey showing what the impact of worldwide economic decline might mean for democratic consolidation in Latin America will be presented on May 8 at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C. The presentation by Vanderbilt University political scientists Mitchell Seligson and Elizabeth Zechmeister is titled "Economic Shocks and Democratic Vulnerabilities: Evidence from the AmericasBarometer Survey." Read More

Stephenie Dodson and Kristine LaLonde, candidates in the Metro Council District 18 election run-off, will face each other during a public forum Sunday, April 19, at Eakin School. The meeting will be from 3 to 4 p.m. in the school's auditorium. Read More

While many people associate the word "pork" with lawmakers' wasteful spending for pet projects, new Vanderbilt research demonstrates the importance of cabinet secretaries and their political ideology in the distribution of lucrative federal grants. Read More

As the Obama administration begins its quest to right the economy through government spending, a counter story of recovery comes from admirers of the Reagan administration. President Reagan's admirers point out that he was also faced with a horrible economy upon his inauguration which, they assert, Reagan cured with deep tax cuts. Read More

John Murphy, a national expert on presidential campaign speeches and rhetoric, will present "A New Birth of Freedom: Barack Obama and the Rhetorical Uses of History" on Monday, Feb. 16, at 4:10 p.m. at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt University. Read More

Voters have the opportunity to meet the candidates running for the Metro Council District 18 seat and hear their ideas on wide-ranging community issues during a Feb. 22 forum. Read More

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Israeli legislator Natan Sharansky will deliver public lectures at Vanderbilt University March 17-18 as part of the university's annual Impact Symposium. Read More

What does having an African American president mean to this country and the world? Two Vanderbilt scholars discuss the historical significance. (26:04) Read More

A lecture by Dhavan Shah scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt University has been cancelled due to poor weather conditions affecting Shah's travel. It will be rescheduled. Read More

One of the most important themes to listen for in Barack Obama's inaugural address is a call for a united American body or citizenry, says Vanessa Beasley, an associate professor of communication studies at Vanderbilt University. Beasley is the author of You, The People: American National Identity in Presidential Rhetoric, which looks at previous inaugural addresses from 1885 to 2001. Read More

As the curtain falls on the Bush presidency, we will inevitably try to assess his legacy. So will President Bush. He's been doing interviews, holding press conferences, and just delivered his farewell address all in an effort to define that legacy. Read More

Vanderbilt University will host several events to mark the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. All events are free and open to the public. Read More

Voters in Tennessee House Speaker Kent Williams' district could continue to support and re-elect the Elizabethton representative – even if he switches parties – says Vanderbilt University political scientist Christian Grose. Read More

Dhavan Shah, a leading national researcher on how political ads and digital media work in tandem to influence politics, will present "Network Nation: How Campaign Ads and the Internet Shape Participation" on Wednesday, Jan. 28, from noon-2 p.m. at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt University. Read More

With all the focus on the president-elect's views about the Burris appointment and the economic stimulus, we forget that Barack Obama is about to assume responsibility as chief executive of an organization that employs close to 2 million civilian employees. Obama's fortunes as president will depend in large part on his success at taking charge of the machinery of government. Read More

America's arduous struggle over competing visions of nationhood involving race is a giant step closer to resolution with the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, says Vanderbilt University historian Gary Gerstle. Read More