Politics

Following recently signed legislation banning almost all abortions in South Dakota, several other states are considering similar legislation, setting up a possible challenge to Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court. Vanderbilt experts are available to discuss constitutional and political issues surrounding this debate. Read More

In his State of the Union Address, President Bush called for a sharpening of America's competitiveness and highlighted the need to pick up the pace of innovation in order to thrive on the playing field of global commerce. Read More

Writer and activist Lucy R. Lippard, a celebrated art critic, theorist and author of more than 20 books on contemporary art and cultural criticism, will present "Common Ground: Arts & Communities" on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Vanderbilt University as part of the Chancellor's Lecture Series. Read More

George W. Bush has an important primetime opportunity to regain some presidential momentum by delivering a compelling State of the Union address, according to Vanderbilt political scientist John Geer. Read More

Vanderbilt experts are available to provide insight on 2005's top stories, including the ongoing trial of Saddam Hussein, Hurricane Katrina, President George W. Bush's appointments to the Supreme Court, the bankruptcy of two major airlines and more. Read More

Professor of History Thomas Schwartz will advise the U.S. State Department about important documents from the Johnson, Nixon, Ford and and Carter presidencies through his work on a prestigious advisory committee. Listen to an interview with Schwartz. Read More

The recent riots in France have their roots in that nation's colonialist history, argues Assistant Professor of History Moses Ochonu. Read More

A Vanderbilt international law expert says the threat by attorneys for Saddam Hussein to end all contact with the Iraqi court that will try the former Iraqi president is nothing but "legal maneuvering." Read More

Polls have shown that Argentina is one of the Latin American nations with a high level of anti-American sentiment, so one cannot be entirely surprised by the protests surrounding the international summit in Mar Del Plata, says Vanderbilt University political scientist Mitchell Seligson. There has been a recent political shift to the left among several Latin American countries, with tension between the United States and Venezuela of particular note. A number of Latin Americans feel that the benefits of free trade have not yet "trickled down" to them, and that may be helping to fuel the protests. Read More

The C.I.A. leak case has brought renewed scrutiny of the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq, and there are historical parallels to the Reagan administration's foreign policy during the Iran-Contra scandal, according to Vanderbilt University Professor of History Thomas Alan Schwartz. Read More

Devoting American dollars to democracy building in more than 100 foreign nations has resulted in significant increases in democratic governance around the globe, according to a new study by Vanderbilt University and University of Pittsburgh professors. The study was presented Oct. 27 at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. Read More

Impact of changes to the Supreme Court: Suzanna Sherry, Cal Turner Professor of Law and Leadership at Vanderbilt Law School, is available to discuss the recent changes to the Supreme Court, including the confirmation of a new chief justice and the nomination of a person to fill the vacancy left by Sandra Day O'Connor. She also can discuss what will happen in the coming months as O'Connor continues to hear cases she may not be around to decide and what happens procedurally if a ninth justice joins the court mid-term. Read More

Allan Hubbard, assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council, will talk about America's economy at a 7:30 p.m. lecture Thursday, Sept. 22, in 103 Wilson Hall on the Vanderbilt University campus. Read More

Political theorists Carole Pateman and Charles Mills will share their views on the roles that sex and race play in social contract theory during a joint presentation sponsored by the Warren Humanities Center at Vanderbilt University. Read More

A Vanderbilt University political scientist whose research assists nations in building democracies has received major funding to poll Colombian citizens about their attitudes toward democracy. Read More

Vanderbilt Law Professor Christopher S. Yoo is scheduled to testify at the confirmation hearings next week for John G. Roberts Jr., who has been nominated to serve as chief justice of the United States. Read More

When Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) amended a massive spending bill last year to provide that all institutions of higher education receiving federal funds celebrate Constitution Day, he may not have envisioned a discussion about whether the requirement is itself unconstitutional. Read More

Vanderbilt experts are available to discuss a variety of issues related to the Hurricane Katrina disaster, including emergency response planning, police response, looting, economic impact, impact on universities, mass casualties, infectious disease and medical problems facing children. Read More

Rift within the AFL-CIO about class, not power: Dan Cornfield, Vanderbilt University labor expert and professor of sociology, says the labor unions‘ split is not a power grab, but a response to the AFL-CIO‘s not giving priority to recruiting low-wage workers. He says the dissident unions tend to organize low-wage service and construction workers — who are also disproportionately women, ethnic-racial minorities and immigrants Read More

Political economist Daron Acemoglu will discuss "Rethinking the Wealth of Nations" at Vanderbilt University on Wednesday, May 18. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is the 29th David Steine Memorial Seminar. Read More