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Thiel, Harvin Join Emergency Management, Homeland Security Program

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:39:53 +0000

Thiel, Harvin Join Emergency Management, Homeland Security Program Andrew J Schappert Thu, 09/22/2022 - 08:39

In This Story

Bonnie Stabile

Adam Thiel

This fall saw the addition of two new instructors joining the faculty of the Emergency Management and Homeland Security program at the Schar School. The program offers certificates for those interested in furthering or starting careers in policy, planning, security, and organizational and management issues related to emergency preparedness at federal, state, and local levels.

Adam Thiel is the former deputy secretary of public safety and homeland security for the Commonwealth of Virginia (2014-16) where he led a department of 30,000 employees and an annual budget of $3.1 billion. Thiel, a 2000 graduate of the Schar School’s Master’s in Public Administration program, is currently the fire commissioner and director of the Office of Emergency Management for the city of Philadelphia. He is responsible for leading the Philadelphia Fire Department’s 3,000-plus uniformed and civilian members in addressing every facet of protecting the sixth-largest city in the U.S.

Donell Harvin

Donell Harvin, former chief of homeland security and intelligence for the District of Columbia is a senior policy researcher at the Rand Corp. He also instructs in the Master’s in Public Administration and Biodefense Graduate programs. In his more than 30 years in the field, Harvin has developed expertise in domestic intelligence and information sharing, planning and response to terrorism, and countering weapons of mass destruction.

“The addition of these two accomplished ‘pracademic’ instructors is a fantastic opportunity for students to confer with and learn from experts who are in the thick of headline news and knowledgeable with up-to-the-minute policy issues in the course of their regular work,” said Bonnie Stabile, associate dean of student and academic affairs at the Schar School.

—Buzz McClain

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Schar School News September 2022

Adam Thiel

Donell Harvin

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (September 2021)

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 14:08:27 +0000

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (September 2021) Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/04/2021 - 10:08

In This Story

From the Hill:

Medicare and Social Security Are Still in Trouble

Now, the objection will be made that a wealth tax is somehow new and discriminates against those who have accumulated great wealth. That is not true.

—Jack A. Goldstone

From the Atlantic Council:

Saudi Arabia Is Trying to Make America Jealous with Its Budding Russia Ties

The signing of this Saudi-Russian agreement—whatever it contains—in the wake of the downfall of the US-backed Afghan government and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan is a signal that Riyadh does not feel that it can fully rely on Washington and, so, is willing to hedge its bets by turning to Moscow.

—Mark N. Katz

From Newsweek:

Climate Goals and Renewable Deployment Need Competitive Electricity Markets

This is not to say that competitive markets ensure mistake-free power generation, distribution and a cleaner environment. They enable the application of data technology at scale to improve the efficiency of electricity production while facilitating consumer demand for more renewables.

—Richard Kauzlarich

From Frontiers in Public Health:

Improving the Covid-19 Vaccination Rate in Pakistan—a Multipronged Policy Approach

One way to fight Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy is to incorporate a nudge behavioral science approach in the government's strategy to increase the vaccination rate. Such an approach calls for “nudges,” which simply are processes, adjustments, or structures meant to guide people toward a particular behavioral choice

—PhD Candidate Muhammad Salar Khan

From Syndication Bureau:

Why Tunisia Is in Crisis

Or at least not yet. For he has undoubtedly begun to follow the autocrats' playbook, accusing political parties and some businessmen of corruption and foreign ties, and intimidating media professionals. And he might find traction.

—Ellen Laipson

From the Sacramento Business Journals:

California Biosecurity Bill Safeguards Bioeconomy and Public Health

If adopted, California would establish the first legally binding biosecurity measure for the synthetic biology industry in the U.S.—and in the world. Just as California has been at the forefront of establishing environmental protections that have become adopted nationwide, California has the potential to set a de facto national standard for biosecurity.

—Gregory Koblentz

From the Washington Post:

Abortion Enters the Virginia Governor’s Race

When the Supreme Court recently declined to block a novel Texas antiabortion law, it made huge waves in the Virginia gubernatorial race. And, if history holds, it could be bad news for the Republicans in Virginia this fall.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Hill:

American Isn’t First—It’s Far Behind—and Studies Point to Republicans

To conservatives, health is a wholly individual responsibility. “Public health” sounds too much like collectivism. And collectivism gives conservatives a nosebleed.

—Bill Schneider

From Fee.org:

The Four Biggest Problems With Biden’s Vaccine Order

However, Biden’s actions will likely increase vaccine hesitancy, lead to further distrust of the government, and can expect multiple legal challenges – as well as civil disobedience.

—Master’s Student Mason Goad

From War on the Rocks:

A Weapons of Mass Destruction Strategy for the 21^st Century

The last time the U.S. government published a national strategy for countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Saddam Hussein was still ruling Iraq, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un was a teenager, and Xi Jinping was governing a Chinese province.

—Zak Kallenborn, Al Mauroni, Seth Carus, and Ron Fizer

From the National Interest:

Afghanistan’s Fall: Were We Using the Wrong Historical Analogies?

This was only supposed to have occurred some months or even years after the withdrawal—according, at least, to what appeared to be the most relevant historical analogies: the U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam and the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.

—Mark N. Katz

From LSE British Politics and Policy:

Local Campaigning: By Relying on a Variety of Direct Forms of Voter Outreach, Parties Can Make Substantial Electoral Gains

While local campaigning is certainly not the only factor influencing election outcomes, parties that ignore it will only do so at their own peril.

—Lucas Núñez

From Politics Today:

Five Prominent Challenges for the Taliban

The Taliban are going through a transition from guerilla fighting to governance, bringing order to a multiethnic nation, and adjusting within the contemporary world. War and governance are two distinct issues. Now that the Taliban must govern, they face numerous challenges.

—Master’s in Political Science Student Hashim Wahdatyar

From the Washington Post:

Virginia Democrats Soft Enthusiasm Gives Republicans Hope

A major reason for it: Who is and is not in the White House.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Hill:

Biden Continues Trump’s Flirtation with Complacency

America First policies horrify U.S. allies and the Washington foreign policy establishment. Nevertheless, they draw a lot of popular support because they capture a strong — and dangerous — public impulse, namely, complacency.

—Bill Schneider

From World Politics Review:

The Limits of China’s Engagement in Afghanistan

It is unclear how effective these reassurances will be, but in any case, Beijing does not have considerable enough interests at stake in Afghanistan to warrant any substantial military or economic involvement there.

—PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman

From the Hill:

Justice Ginsburg’s Parting Gift?

If the Democratic Party retains control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections, it will have the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to thank.

—Edward Rhodes

From the Washington Post:

Rural Virginians Will Lose Political Clout in Redistricting

No matter whether Virginia’s congressional and state legislative boundaries are drawn by Democrats, Republicans or a redistricting commission, the numbers make this clear: The suburbs will gain seats; the countryside will lose them.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Hill:

What’s at Stake—and In Play—for the Midterms

The odds are not good for Democrats next year. Republicans would need to gain five House seats and one Senate seat to take over Congress. In the last ten midterm elections, the president’s party has lost an average of 23 House seats and three Senate seats.

—Bill Schneider

From Foreign Policy:

Neither Russia Nor China Could Fill a U.S. Void in the Middle East

Moscow and Beijing have not outright challenged the U.S.-led security order in the region, because they benefit from it: It has provided the security umbrella for them to become more involved in the region without having to assume the costs of physically protecting their interests.

—PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman

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Schar School News October 2021

What the ‘Majority Minority’ Shift Really Means for America

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (August 2021)

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 16:54:11 +0000

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (August 2021) Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/30/2021 - 12:54

In This Story

From the New York Times:

Stoking fears of white decline reinforces the myth that this whiteness always included all who now identify with it — as if the Irish had never been demonized, as if Italians had never endured discrimination, as if Jews had never been excluded. Through a historical lens, being white in America today is like belonging to a once-exclusive social club that had to loosen its membership criteria to stay afloat.

—Justin Gest

From CNN:

The Census Shows the GOP Base is Shrinking Fast. So Why Does Its Power Seem So Secure?

The diversification of America is unquestionable. But because the US population is moving into regions where the GOP continues to hold control, Republicans will be able to delay and minimize the political representation of ethnic minorities -- at least until 2030.

—Justin Gest

From Asia Times:

Why Afghanistan’s Security Forces Collapsed So Quickly

At the pivotal turning point in 2014, U.S. experts estimated that half of the recruits to the armed forces were illiterate. The U.S. had to launch a program to teach reading and writing to the troops before it could address other essential skills for the defense of the country.

—Ellen Laipson

From the Hill:

After the Fall of Kabul, Will There Be More Islamist Revolutions?

This does not bode well.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Washington Post:

Virginia Is the Proving Ground for the GOP’s ‘Big Lie’ and Anti-Vaccine Platforms

If Youngkin doesn’t somehow get off this Trump crazy train, he likely will be consigning the whole Virginia GOP ticket to yet another crushing defeat.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Cipher Brief:

Remembering a True Leader Through CIA Crisis and Controversy

Were aspects of the program unpleasant? Of course, John has said so, in fact describing some of the techniques as “terrifying,” But he also has reminded us of the tenor of the times—no one in America—the President, Congress, the American people—would forgive CIA if it hadn’t done everything within the law to prevent another 9/11-style attack from happening. Period.

—Gen. Michael V. Hayden

From Inkstick Media:

The Coming Tsunami of Illicit Antiquities from Afghanistan

As Islamist extremists, they place no value on preserving their country’s long pre-Islamic past. They are all too happy to facilitate and profit from the illicit export of Afghanistan’s rich archaeological resources. Their fundamental position, demonstrated in March of 2001 when they blew up the Bamiyan Buddhas, is that the largest remains of pre-Islamic culture in Afghanistan should be destroyed in place, while smaller artifacts, such as statues, coins, jewelry, and ceramics should be sold to foreigners to raise funds.

—Louise Shelley and Ambassador Michael Gfoeller

Political Violence at a Glance:

Can the Taliban Stabilize Afghanistan?

In fact, in a forthcoming study, I find that in over half of rebel victories, new governments collapse into infighting, are overtaken by military coup d’états, or suffer major defections by ex-rebel soldiers.

—Philip A. Martin

From Bloomberg Tax:

Misperceptions About the Social Security Earnings Test Need to Be Corrected

The earnings test appears to impose a severe penalty on Social Security recipients who continue to work by adding a 50% tax to the other taxes they already face on their wages. However, the reality is quite different.

—Sita Slavov and Alan Viard

From Defense One:

Taiwan Wants Paladins. Congress Should Say No

Paladins are a bad idea. They are outdated, based on a design that dates back to the Vietnam War. They are also expensive. Taiwan will spend $750 million on 40 howitzers. That is before training, maintenance, and ammunition costs are factored in. Worst of all, Paladins will be sitting ducks in a shooting war.

—Michael Hunzeker and PhD Student Brian Davis

From Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:

Why the FDA Should Quickly Authorize Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccines

Raising a vaccine’s safety bar much higher for children’s vaccines doesn’t correspond to the intent of a policy based on risk-benefit analysis; the United States is missing the chance at a timely pandemic response when it comes to quickly authorizing pediatric vaccines.

—HyunJung Kim (PhD ’20)

From the Hill:

Cuomo Dynasty Ends; Search for ‘Tough Liberal’ Persists

Andrew Cuomo defied his base by defending abusive behavior that is no longer tolerated. Cuomo tried to challenge the believability of his accusers. But they turned out to be tougher than he is.

—Bill Schneider

From Lawfare:

Afghanistan, Policy Choices, and Claims of Intelligence Failure

But the reality is we lack reliable answers to many—most, in fact—of these questions. Some of them may only be known, if ever, after 40 more years—when the printed President’s Daily Briefs from this presidential term are declassified (assuming that a practice established in the Obama administration for declassifying PDBs continues). Even then, unless and until Joe Biden opens his mind and soul, we are unlikely to understand if he internalized the core judgments in any intelligence documents or briefings.

—David Priess

From Sam Magazine (Finland):

The Real News Story from America

Contrary to what news reports might lead one to believe, the gap between the political parties today is quite modest.

—Ed Rhodes

From American City and County:

Is It Finally Time to Acknowledge Broadband as a Utility?

This advocacy was successful in that today there are currently 18 states with restrictive legislation against municipal broadband networks in the United States. At one point there were as many as 21. What has changed however is that since 2003, the significance of broadband in everyday life has increased exponentially, and the pandemic only magnified the issue with too many Americans having been left out of the digital evolution.

—Alan Shark

From the Taipei Times:

Comparisons to Afghanistan Fail

The Chinese side will continue its bluster and intimidation, attempting to capitalize on Afghanistan’s fall and painting the US as a declining power. Yes, the U.S. is reducing its footprint in the Middle East, but the stated purpose is specifically to focus better on new threats posed by state actors such as China and Russia.

—Gerrit van der Weiss

From the National Interest:

The Collapse of Afghanistan Could Mean Trouble for America’s Enemies

But while there will be many who engage in recriminations over what went wrong and whether a better outcome could have been achieved, Washington will have to deal with the situation that emerges no matter how undesirable it is. The likelihood that conflict will develop between the Taliban and other U.S. adversaries may present opportunities that the United States can take advantage of. But it can only do so if it recognizes both the opportunities and the dangers of navigating conflicts between U.S. adversaries.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Washington Post:

Virginia Women May Be the Key Voters in November

Though Virginia will be a first test of how malignant Trump’s legacy remains now that he is out of the White House, it will also be a barometer of whether Cuomo’s fall, brought on by his alleged sexual harassment of female subordinates, weakens women’s support for Democrats generally.

—Mark J. Rozell

Topics

‘Civility and Kindness’: Mason, Schar School Welcomes New Students

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:03:43 +0000

‘Civility and Kindness’: Mason, Schar School Welcomes New Students Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/25/2021 - 11:03

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Gregory Washington

Schar School Associate Professor Jennifer N. Victor: ‘Simple acts of every day kindness can bolster democracy…’ Photos by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

��ӽ紫ý President Gregory Washington and a host of Mason student, faculty, and staff representatives welcomed the largest incoming class in the university’s history—more than 4,000 of them—at two convocations held at EagleBank Arena on Friday, August 20, challenging the newest Patriots to push themselves academically, get involved on campus, and prepare to tackle the grand challenges of our time.

With the nation’s No. 1 pep band, the Green Machine, under the direction of Mason music professor Doc Nix adding a head-bobbing soundtrack to the ceremonies, tThe university welcomed new underclassman—including second-year students who were pandemically locked out of an in-person event last year—to the campus community with words of wisdom and encouragement.

In addition to remarks by Washington, Mason provost Mark Ginsberg, and others, the key-note speaker was Schar School of Policy and Government’s associate professor Jennifer N. Victor, whose message about civility in modern times was simple, succinct, and certainly impactful.

“The threats to U.S. democracy that we’ve seen in recent years are to some extent a symptom of a breakdown of the social contract that we implicitly agree to,” she told the audience. “That contract demands that we take care of one another, share public resources, create public resources for all to share, accept losses, and help pick one another up when we fall. But if it’s that contract that’s at risk, then there is one simple way to fortify it. Kindness!

“Simple acts of every day kindness can bolster democracy. The reason they can is because they strengthen the bonds of community between individuals, which improves each person’s personal sense of democracy,” Victor said.

She explained to the new students that her research in social networking has revealed that political rivals are more likely to cooperate when the connections between them are voluntary and sustained over time. Being kind helps to ensure that they are.

Victor said that even the smallest actions can help foster these connections. To demonstrate, she gave President Washington a Schar School hat as a gift, which he promptly donned.

Washington spoke to the students about the challenges the world is facing. It is an age of unprecedented change, he suggested, which also means unprecedented unknowns. It is an era where the climate lends its hand to natural disasters, and pandemics become global crises in a matter of months. It is an era where kindness can go a long way.

“The idea is that we got a little bit of time to prepare you to deal with [the world’s challenges],” he said. “And I contend to you that we are the right place to do this.”

Mason is the largest and most diverse public university in Virginia, and the freshman class bears that out, with more than 4,000 students, 56% of whom are non-white, both all-time highs. This is also the largest group of new students, counting undergraduate, graduate and law students, to ever enroll at Mason.

Mason President Washington sports his new Schar School chapeau.

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Events

Thys van Schaik Retires After 25 Years at Mason, the Schar School

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 19:23:26 +0000

Thys van Schaik Retires After 25 Years at Mason, the Schar School Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/11/2021 - 15:23

Thys van Schaik

Matthys van Schaik came to ��ӽ紫ý in 1996 after earning a PhD in international studies and a master’s degree in library and information science, both from the University of South Carolina. He was drawn to Mason after seeing an ad for a position for an international affairs librarian and instructor. “It was actually the most perfect thing in the whole world,” the South Africa native said. “You could imagine the job description was written for me. And that was my stroke of luck in life.”

His joining the Mason faculty also proved fortuitous for the Schar School of Policy and Government as van Schaik—known to all as “Thys” (pronounced “teas”)—worked his way into The Institute of Public Policy (TIPP), a budding entity which became Mason’s School of Public Policy, now known as the Schar School, where he eventually became associate dean for academic affairs. He retired from the position this summer after 25 years at Mason.

Thys would never admit it, but his dedicated efforts have been instrumental in the advancement of the Schar School, particularly in designing new programs and services. He expects the school to remain the nimble, progressive-minded institution it has become. “From my point of view, we have built a strong academic and administrative operation, and I hope that will continue,” he said.

Travel, when it’s freely permitted again, is among his future plans, but for now Thys plans to play more piano and continue sharpening his skills in the kitchen and in the garden. “And I hope to do some volunteer teaching English as a second language, and volunteering in other ways,” he added.

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Retirement

John S. Earle Named University Professor by Mason Board of Visitors

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 14:14:03 +0000

John S. Earle Named University Professor by Mason Board of Visitors Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/09/2021 - 10:14

In This Story

John S. Earle

Mark J. Rozell

University Professor John S. Earle

Schar School of Policy and Government professor John S. Earle has been named a ��ӽ紫ý Professor in recognition of his national and international accomplishments in public policy research. His status as University Professor was approved by a resolution of the Mason Board of Visitors in late July.

Earle, who joined Mason in 2010, is the director of the Center for Micro-Economic Policy Research, which hosts weekly Micro-Economic Policy Seminars that bring prestigious speakers in the field to deliver policy-relevant research to students and faculty, not only from the Schar School, but also from several other universities and Mason departments. He also serves as the director of the Schar School’s PhD in Public Policy program.

Earle earned his PhD in economics from Stanford University and undergraduate degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory. His main research interests include labor, development, and institutions, including topics such as employment policies, financial constraints, political economy, firm dynamics, productivity, post-communist transition, inequality, and entrepreneurship. Much of his research uses large, firm-level databases from the U.S. and other countries, and he has pioneered cross-country comparative studies of such data.

Earle’s accolades include election as president of the Association for Comparative Economic Studies, a Fulbright scholarship, and a National Science Graduate Fellowship. His research won the 2011 Abram Bergson Prize for “Best Paper in Comparative Economic Studies” for his paper “Did Post-Communist Privatization Increase Mortality?” In 2018, he received the Outstanding Scholar Award from the Schar School.

Earle, who came to Mason after two decades of teaching at Stanford University, the Stockholm School of Economics, and the Central European University in Budapest, is frequently published in leading journals around the world, not only in economics, but also political science, management, finance, and labor studies.

Among the numerous journals in which he has published are the Journal of Political Economy, Economic Journal, Journal of Finance, Review of Economics and Statistics, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of Labor Economics.

Earle’s research has been supported by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation and the European Union as well as by private foundations, including the MacArthur Foundation and Russell Sage Foundation, among others. Working with several Schar School students and alumni, he completed a large research project on African American entrepreneurs for the U.S. Small Business Administration during 2019-20.

“Importantly,” added Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell, “these grants have funded multiple graduate students with whom he has co-written many publications, and their career successes owe much to his support and mentorship. We are very proud of John’s accomplishments and congratulate him on his achievement as University Professor.”

In his off hours, Earle can be found at a different sort of keyboard—grand piano—performing in classical recitals throughout the region. In the last year, he joined the piano studio of Linda Monson, director of Mason’s School of Music and director of keyboard studies, and recorded several recitals, duo and solo, at Alexandria’s History Museum: The Lyceum. On September 12, he returns to the Lyceum to perform a program of Piano and Friends, with wind and string instruments and voice joining him at the piano.

Earle joins other Schar School faculty members as University Professors, including Zoltan Acs, Louise I. Shelley, Faye S. Taxman, Kenneth J. Button, James Olds, and Janine R. Wedel. Previous University Professors include Kingsley Haynes, Tim Conlan, Stephen Fuller, and the late Andrew Hughes Hallett.

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How to Make Sure the Labs Researching the Most Dangerous Pathogens Are Safe and Secure

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (July 2021)

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 17:13:02 +0000

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (July 2021) Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/29/2021 - 13:13

In This Story

From Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:

The history of lab accidents and lab-worker infections is disturbingly long, and the possibility that an incident could spark an outbreak cannot be discounted. Nor should policymakers ignore the potential that malevolent actors might misuse research coming out of BSL-4 labs. Worryingly, there is no authoritative international body tracking the number of BSL-4 labs or one mandated to provide research oversight. A stronger biorisk management program is urgently needed.

— Gregory D. Koblentz, Joseph Rodgers, Minh Ly and Filippa Lentzos (King’s College London)

From Smerconish.com:

Trump Was a Symptom, Not the Disease—and It’s Become a Global Pandemic

Yet for many, it remains a puzzle as to why.

—Jack A. Goldstone

From the Conversation:

Political Frustration in Northern Ireland Has Heightened Tension Around ‘Marching Season’

As a scholar who works at the intersection of religion and politics, I share the concerns of those who see the potential for impending violence. The fear is occasions like the July 12 marches provide an opportunity for these frustrations to boil over into unrest, especially given recent political developments.

—Ger FitzGerald

From Asia Times:

Why the U.S. Should Focus More on North Africa

Yet in more recent decades, as US focus in the Arab world became concentrated in the Gulf region or on Arab-Israeli peace, North Africa has felt the decline of American attention and interest.

—Ellen Laipson

From the Washington Post:

A Political Tirade in Search of a Target Hits Virginia’s Higher Education

The latest salvo fired by the Republican Party of Virginia’s chairman at a University of Virginia professor needs to be called for what it is: political malfeasance and an assault on higher education.

—David Ramadan

From the Washington Post:

Glenn Youngkin’s Rookie Mistake

Retail Politics Rule No. 1: Never lower your guard around people you don’t personally know and trust.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Hill:

Confronting China on Trade

Speaking of consensus, rather than incensing our allies on trade as the Trump administration often did, the U.S. should revive the Trilateral Commission with the EU and Japan in developing an effective response to China. This would allow a more coordinated and forceful way to address China trade issues.

—Kenneth A. Reinert

From WOLA:

Peru Has a New President, But Fujimori’s Election Lie Imperils Democracy

Fujimori did not say anything about the fact that now that her loss is official, prosecutors are likely to seek a date to initiate the trial against her, in which she faces charges of money laundering, leading a criminal organization, and obstruction of justice. She faces a possible prison term of 31 years. Her husband, U.S.-born Mark Vito, also faces criminal charges for corruption.

—Jo-Marie Burt

From the Atlantic Council:

Will Russian Forces Really Leave Libya?

But can Moscow maintain a military presence in Libya when it has agreed that armed groups and militias in Libya should be dismantled? Yes, it can.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Hill:

Authoritarianism: It Can Definitely Happen Here

What saved the country was the deep conviction among military leaders that the military should stay out of politics.

—Bill Schneider

From DAWN:

The Living Legacy of the Arab Spring

But let's consider an alternative, and in our view, more persuasive interpretation. The Arab uprisings should not be evaluated solely on their immediate political outcomes, but on more incremental shifts that reflect the evolving attitudes and adaptive approaches of rising generations demanding change.

—Ellen Laipson and Mona Yacoubian

From Russia Matters:

Russia, the United States, and the Counterrevolutionaries: A Trilateral Chess Match in the Middle East

Regardless, what is certain is that regional actors will continue to exploit these tensions however possible in order to advance their own agendas.

—PhD Student Jon Hoffman

From the Washington Post:

Virginia’s Fall Election Will Illuminate How Changed Voting Laws Affect Turnout

The GOP has yet to prove wholesale election fraud to justify the hundreds of restrictive bills it is pushing nationally. Stranger still, a careful look at last year’s results and voting trends deflates the party’s political rationale for making voting harder.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Hill:

Biden’s High-Wire Political Challenge: Deliver Infrastructure and Please the Base

President Biden is trying to be bipartisan and partisan at the same time. It will be a neat trick if he can bring it off.

—Bill Schneider

From Defense One:

Israel’s Drone Swarm Over Gaza Should Worry Everyone

Local, national, and international law enforcement agencies should also search for indicators of terrorists seeking drone swarm capabilities, such as large drone purchases and known extremist work to develop or modify drone control systems.

—Policy Fellow Zak Kallenborn

From Lawfare:

The Rift Between Turkey and Israel Continues to Deepen

Perhaps more than anything else, what concerns Turkey the most about this competition is its rapid expansion to Turkey’s strategic underbelly: the eastern Mediterranean corridor. Diplomatic, economic and military relations between Greece, Israel and the Arab states of the CRB have grown exponentially as part of the broader struggle to shape the post-2011 regional order.

—PhD Student Jon Hoffman

Topics

Before Desegregation, Black Kansas City High Schools Dominated Science Awards

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (June 2021)

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 14:55:36 +0000

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (June 2021) Andrew J Schappert Tue, 07/06/2021 - 10:55

In This Story

From the Kansas City Star:

What we learned shocked me to my core. With the prejudice of the times, I remembered clearly assuming that Kansas City’s Black schools had to be inferior to the white schools. Now I could not avoid the conclusion that, in all probability, those Black students received an educational experience superior to mine—and mine got me into Harvard.

—Frank T. Manheim

From The Conversation:

Fifty-Nine Labs Around the World Handle the Deadliest Pathogens—Only a Quarter Score High on Safety

The vast majority of countries with maximum containment labs do not regulate dual-use research, which refers to experiments that are conducted for peaceful purposes but can be adapted to cause harm; or gain-of-function research, which is focused on increasing the ability of a pathogen to cause disease.

—Gregory Koblentz and Filippa Lentzos (King’s College London)

From the Moscow Times:

Depoliticizing Russian Gas in Europe

Nord Stream 2 has sparked bitter controversy. Biden’s waiver has stirred howls of protest from Congress, but it is unlikely to override the action. Now, policymakers may be wise to focus on finding compromises that protect essential interests of all key stakeholders.

—Richard Kauzlarich and William Courtney

From the Guardian:

Whether Covid Came from a Leak or Not, It’s Time to Talk About Lab Safety

In addition, gain-of-function research with coronaviruses, and other zoonotic pathogens with pandemic potential, is likely to increase as scientists seek to better understand these viruses and to assess the risk they pose of jumping from animals to humans or becoming transmissible between humans.

—Gregory Koblentz and Filippa Lentzos

From the Washington Post:

Peru’s Military Says Shining Path Insurgents Kill 16 Civilians. Others Are Not So Sure.

The campaign to blame the Shining Path for the Vizcatán killings—and Castillo by association—seems aimed at using long-standing public fears of terrorism in Peru for political advantage. The politics of fear may pay off for Fujimori: In the run-up to the final vote Sunday, public opinion polls put her neck and neck with Pedro Castillo.

—Jo-Marie Burt

From the Hill:

The National Security Risks of the U.S. Drought

The security risks of the drought are high, but not yet inevitable. Assessing and understanding these risks is the first step toward tackling them. Rapid action to scale up funding for adaptation and resilience measures should follow, as should efforts to build climate competence across domestic security practitioners in the U.S. military, the Department of Homeland Security, and others.

—Erin Sikorsky

From the National Interest:

What U.S.-Soviet Strategic Arms Talks Reveal About the Iran Nuclear Deal

How the Biden administration, Congress, and American policy analysts, in general, think about these questions should be informed about a similar situation that occurred during the 1970s when the United States was pursuing the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties (SALT) with the Soviet Union at the same time as Moscow and its allies were intervening militarily in the Third World.

—Mark N. Katz

From Asia Times:

Diplomacy Is Back in Middle East, With or Without U.S.

Other countries may be taking up the slack where they see a vacuum of leadership, or they may take the initiative, knowing that their interests in a particular conflict are quite different from America’s. Will the Biden administration try to reverse the trend with its “We’re Back” message?

—Ellen Laipson

From the Hill:

Israel, Democrats, and the Problem of the Middle East

But without any discernible peace process, the two-state solution seems to have become less and less realistic. Given ongoing settlement activity and annexations, Israel appears to be moving closer and closer to a one-state outcome.

—Bill Schneider

From the Washington Post:

The Virginia GOP’s Diverse Ticket May Present a Problem for Democrats

Even before McAuliffe secured his party’s nomination, he began depicting Youngkin as a Donald Trump loyalist in a state that has soundly and repeatedly rejected the former president. Though a potent weapon in the past, can it generate a turnout large enough to win with Trump out of office and a GOP ticket now headed by an unthreatening, well-funded candidate?

—Mark J. Rozell

From WOLA.org:

After June 6 Elections, Peru’s Democracy Hangs in the Balance

A losing candidate attempting to steal an election by asserting fraud without any evidence may sound all too familiar.

—Jo-Marie Burt and John Walsh

From the National Interest:

How Would Brezhnev Have Assessed Putin’s Foreign Policy?

Brezhnev might point out, though, that when he was in charge, the Soviet Union came to be the sole external power with influence in Syria, whereas Putin has to share influence there with Iran, Turkey, and even the United States.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Washington Post:

Glenn Youngkin’s Difficult Pivot

Youngkin’s attempted pivot is complicated by Trump. It is one thing for a GOP nominee in the general election to soften his or her rhetoric on hot-button issues to win over moderate swing voters, but it is something entirely different to be with Trump for months and then take the former president’s base voters for granted after.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Cipher Brief:

The Cost of Inaction in Myanmar

As much as Beijing has a stake in Myanmar, the global community also needs China’s cooperation to effectively end the crisis.

—Master’s of Public Policy Student Christopher Kernan-Schmidt

From the Hill:

Who Benefits—Buyer or Seller—from Gas Pipelines and Dependency Relationships?

They fear that if Germany imports more gas via the Baltic Sea pipeline, Russia can reduce its gas exports to Europe via Ukraine and Ukraine will lose the transit revenue it now earns from Russian gas. The theory continues that Moscow then would have greater leverage to cut off gas sales to Kiev if it doesn’t need Ukraine’s pipelines to export gas to Europe.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Hill:

The Wild Card That Might Save Democrats in the Midterms

The odds don’t look great for Democrats in next year’s midterm elections. There’s a good chance that Republicans will win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. That could mean the virtual end of the Biden presidency.

—Bill Schneider

From DAWN.org:

Why the U.S. Should End Its Unconditional Military Aid to Israel

It's time for the United States to fundamentally reassess this relationship, and recent events show why—morally, legally and strategically. Besides violating existing U.S. laws that are supposed to bar Washington from providing security assistance to countries that commit human rights abuses, military aid to Israel serves little to no strategic purpose for the United States.

—PhD Student Jon Hoffman

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Schar School News July 2021

Journalist and Professor Bill Schneider Retires from the Schar School After 12 Years

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 16:51:44 +0000

Journalist and Professor Bill Schneider Retires from the Schar School After 12 Years Andrew J Schappert Tue, 06/08/2021 - 12:51

In This Story

Bill Schneider

Mark J. Rozell

Bill Schneider covered elections since 1964, including 19 years at CNN.

He may be retired from the faculty, but longtime Schar School professor Bill Schneider is hardly slowing down. After all, the journalist, political analyst, and author has covered every presidential election since 1964, and old habits die hard.

“I’ll still write my column for The Hill, and I do some broadcasting—I’m a contributor to Al-Jazeera English, which is an international broadcasting network,” he said.

He’s also not giving up teaching: This fall will see Schneider teach as a volunteer instructor for Encore Learning, the nonprofit adult education program that shares classroom space with the Schar School at ��ӽ紫ý’s Arlington Campus. His course will examine November’s Virginia elections.

Schneider was recruited to the Schar School in 2009 to teach American politics as he was wrapping up his 19-year career at CNN as senior political analyst. Schneider’s experience and expertise fit the faculty profile the school was looking for.

"Bill Schneider represents what is best about the Schar School—a publicly engaged intellectual who advances knowledge of critical political and policy issues both within and outside of academia,” said Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell.

“He may be retiring from teaching, but I know he is not slowing down his writing and commentary on American politics and government."

As for parting words to live by, Schneider recalled a statement he heard during his own college career at Brandeis University. When he asked Leonard Hall, a U.S. representative from New York and former chair of the Republican National Committee, how Barry Goldwater managed to win the nomination to run against Lyndon Johnson in 1964, “He said,” Schneider said, “‘Goldwater's people are the kinds of people who stay until the ends of meetings.’ Which I’ve always used: People who stay for the ends of meetings do well in politics.”

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