Politics

A vote-by-vote recount in Mexico's contested presidential election would ideally convince all Mexicans that this was a clean election and not a repeat of 1988, said Vanderbilt political scientist Jonathan Hiskey. Lopez Obrador, who claims there was voter fraud, lost to Felipe Calderon by less than one percent, according to the official results. Read More

The district attorney prosecuting the rape case against three of Duke University's lacrosse players received significant support from both black and white voters in the recent Durham primary, according to a voting analysis by Vanderbilt University political scientist Christian Grose. Read More

Mike Newton, acting associate clinical professor of law at Vanderbilt University, is an expert on war crimes and international criminal law. Vanderbilt University Professor of History Thomas Alan Schwartz says that one of the real dangers about the Haditha investigation is that the truth about the incident could become secondary to opposing political agendas. Read More

The possibility that Iraqi civilians were massacred at Haditha has brought back painful memories for many about the infamous My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, according to Vanderbilt University Professor of History Thomas Alan Schwartz. Read More

President Bush's call for National Guard troops on the border is "a political move that flies in the face of reality," according to Robert Barsky, editor of AmeriQuests and an expert on refugee, border and migration issues. Delivering a nationally televised speech on immigration shows President Bush wants to act, not react, on the debate about cracking down on illegal immigrants, according to presidential expert John Geer. Read More

The next time you hear a political candidate blast his or her opponent in a negative political advertisement, your natural inclination may be to grab the remote and change the channel. However, Vanderbilt University political scientist John Geer believes attacks ads play a crucial role in the democratic political process, so listen to and evaluate that negative message before heading to the polls. Read More

Financial journalist and author Peter Brimelow addressed an audience of nearly 200 in Langford Auditorium March 20 as he spoke on "disappearing borders" - the theme of this year's IMPACT Symposium. Read More

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