Study of democracy’s decline offers roadmap for fighting back
The study of pathways to democratic backsliding provides clear examples of the risks currently posed to the U.S. system of government.
Study of democracy’s decline offers roadmap for fighting back
National security journalist to discuss ‘New Cold Wars’
A public conversation with journalist David Sanger about his recent book, “New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West,” will highlight his April 21-22 visit.
Booker’s speech: A retreat from the ‘acquiescent liberal elite’ and an embrace of ‘good trouble’
Prof. Alexander Livingston comments on Senator Corey Booker's historic 25-hour speech.
Engaged Opportunity Grants fuel community-engaged learning for students
Seven projects are receiving a boost from the latest round of Engaged Opportunity Grants, awarded two times a year by the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement to teams of faculty or staff and their community partners.
Legality unlikely to sway public opinion about executive actions
Don’t expect a broader backlash against President Donald Trump's flurry of executive orders simply because they may rest on shaky legal ground, new Cornell research suggests.
Klarman Fellow headed to Yaddo residency
Eraldo Souza dos Santos will work on their next book project, “Everything Disappears,” a family memoir and meditation on the lived experience of Blackness and enslavement in modern Brazil.
Cornell scholars address global threats to democratic institutions
The Brooks School Center on Global Democracy hosted “Democratic Mobilizing: Comparative Responses to Backsliding Threats,” a hybrid event that attracted 120 participants and was streamed live from Goldwin Smith Hall on Cornell’s Ithaca campus.
Your March 2025 reads
This month’s featured titles include a debut novel and a nonfiction book about the comedy troupe Firesign Theater, both by A&S authors.
Cornell expert: EPA regulations rollback will reduce quality of life
Rolling back these regulations will reduce the quality of life for everyday Americans, says Talbot Andrews, who studies policy design and the changing environment.
Jane Bennett to deliver Culler Lecture in Critical Theory
Bennett, a founding scholar of the field of new materialism, will talk about the limits of “data” as the unit of humanistic study.
Three A.D. White Professors-at-Large on campus this spring
This semester, visiting A.D. White Professors-at-Large will explore themes of democracy, reparatory justice and Latin American narratives during public talks.
Cutting CHIPS funding could be ‘politically challenging’ for some GOP lawmakers
Given its bipartisan support and national security implications, CHIPS funding will be difficult to cut, says professor Sarah Kreps.
Some 2024 Government Accomplishments
We have been busy in Government this year! Here are a few highlights.
Panels discuss federal research funding threats, opportunities
Experts discussed support for science research during a pair of panels organized by faculty and students on Feb. 28.
No winners in looming trade war with Mexico, Canada and China
The effects of tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico are already felt, and the consequences will increase in the coming weeks, says government professor Gustavo Flores-Macías.
Trump administration’s shift from European allies could be ‘devastating’
Prof. Thomas Pepinsky comments on Pres. Trump's foreign policy.
Cornell Center for Social Sciences names 2025-26 Faculty Fellows
12 faculty members from seven colleges have been named 2025-26 Faculty Fellows with the Cornell Center for Social Sciences.
Budget plan: ‘Long and extremely divisive process’ ahead for Republicans
With House Republicans narrowly pushing through a budget plan, the strain on an already strained federal workforce could get worse, says government scholar David Bateman.
Roundtable to consider ‘Science Under Siege’
The Feb. 28 event will provide a forum for scientists, social scientists and humanities scholars to discuss challenges to research support in response to recent major changes to federal funding.
Ellen Lust Leads Einaudi as New Director
Prof. Lust's research examines the role of social institutions and local authorities in governance, particularly in Southwest Asia and North Africa.
Decentralization in the Middle East and North Africa
Government professor Ellen Lust is coeditor of a new open-access book examining how decentralization affects communities in the Middle East and North Africa.
CTI explores 'The Art of Teaching' in new series
Through a series of facilitated faculty conversations, the series aims to shine a spotlight on unique aspects of a variety of teaching formats, from the discussion to the studio, from the field site to the lab to the seminar.
Documenting Uyghur history for the sake of the future
Zilala Mamat '26 has been traveling abroad to document the stories of Uyghur people.
Trump posture on Ukraine peace based on flawed assumptions
Prof. Bryn Rosenfeld comments on the summit between Pres. Trump and Putin.
The key to some nations’ public support for mental health care
Isabel Perera explains why some countries have failed to provide adequate services for the mentally ill while others expanded care.
Alumna playwright honored with Dramatists Guild award
Playwright Gloria Oladipo '21 is also an award-winning cultural critic and journalist with The Guardian.
Dismantling of USAID will have “clear costs at home and abroad”
Such a retreat from current U.S. commitments dangerously disrupts protections to life and liberty, says Rachel Beatty Riedl, professor of government and director of Cornell University’s Center on Global Democracy.
New Klarman Fellows to join the College of Arts and Sciences
Fellows will pursue research in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
How to craft effective policy messages to advance equity
Expansion of the Child Tax Credit gives researchers a unique example of a universally praised social good that disproportionately benefited some populations.
What’s next for TikTok? Kreps outlines possible paths forward
With the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a federal law that would effectively ban TikTok in the U.S., Sarah Kreps, professor of government and law, discusses possible paths forward for the popular app.
Good intentions pave incumbents’ road to re-election
Voters care if they’re better off than before the last election — but also about incumbent politicians’ intentions, Cornell research finds.
Alums offer mentoring to students exploring career options
Melissa Lewin ’00 and her husband Rob ’99 are active backers of Cornell through their support of Cornell’s Public History Initiative and the archaeology program.
Trudeau resignation surrounded by uncertainty, says Cornell expert
Peter John Loewen, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences and professor of government, says it is unclear how a new Liberal leader will be selected in Canada, and whether the Liberal caucus will agree to Trudeau’s wish to stay on until a new leader is chosen.
Elizabeth Sanders, scholar of U.S. political development, dies at 81
Elizabeth Sanders, Ph.D. ’78, professor of government emerita in the College of Arts and Sciences, died Dec. 2 in Cullman, Alabama. She was 81. An expert in American political development and popular politics, Sanders is remembered by colleagues as a meticulous and original scholar, a generous and devoted teacher, and a passionately committed activist.
TikTok heading to SCOTUS: ‘Constitutional freedoms versus national security’
“The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the TikTok case reflects an inclination to make its mark on a potentially landmark decision – how to balance constitutional freedoms against national security in an era of globalized technology."
With DoD grant, Cornell to enhance semiconductor supply chain resilience
The research team includes faculty, postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students from fields such as computer science, electrical and computer engineering and social sciences.
Professor’s model perfectly predicted Trump victory
A Cornell professor’s election forecasting model correctly picked Trump’s win this year in all 50 states – and would have correctly predicted 95% of states in every election since 2000.
Cornell expert: Kenya femicide crisis part of a global trend
Kenyan women are taking to the streets and calling for President Ruto to declare femicide a national crisis following the murders of 97 women over three months; professor Sabrina Karim sees it as part of a global trend.
Your December 2024 reads
This month’s featured titles include a history Harlem by a government alum and a prof’s memoir about his education under Apartheid.
Student spotlight: Danielle Obisie-Orlu
Danielle Obisie-Orlu, doctoral student in government with a focus on international relations, studies how memory and migration shape international relations and affairs under the guidance of Oumar Ba.
Syria developments and foreign involvement: Cornell experts comment
Cornell government and history scholars provide perspective on the end of 14 years of civil war and 24 years of the Assad dictatorship.
TikTok in ‘increasingly desperate’ situation
We are one step closer to a world where TikTok will no longer be available on app stores, says Sarah Kreps, professor of government and law and director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell.
Cornell democracy experts provide insight on South Korea martial law episode
Calls for impeachment are following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration and subsequent lifting of martial law. Cornell University experts provide insight on what other democracies should take away from the events of the last two days.
Cornell expert available on South Korea imposing martial law
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol says he will lift the declaration of martial law he had imposed overnight; his actions could reinvigorate South Korea’s tradition of expressing political dissent through candlelight rallies, says Sidney Tarrow, an emeritus professor of government.
A politicized Supreme Court meets a new moment for America
A panel of experts moderated by Zubrow Distinguished Visiting Journalist Ann Marimow '97 discussed the impact of the Supreme Court's decisions on ordinary Americans and the workings of American democracy.
Your November 2024 Reads
This month’s featured titles include an homage to a beloved government professor, edited by three alumni
Things to do: Much music, Supreme Court panel, advice for aspiring filmmakers
Pick from several concerts, attend the Town-Gown Awards, consider the Supreme Court and get advice for a career in film at events around campus.
Veterans Day celebrated through campus camaraderie
On Veterans Day, a series of speakers shared personal reflections about how camaraderie shapes both military and academic life as part of Cornell’s celebration of its military and veteran community.
Microbe atlas could reveal how to mine critical metals sustainably
A Cornell-led team will use a National Science Foundation grant to develop a catalog of microorganisms and how they interact with minerals.
BTPI releases new report on AI regulation
The Brooks Tech Policy Institute, with support from the Jain Family Institute (JFI), has released a new report that offers “a high-level framework to analyze regulation of AI technologies.”