American Politics

Washington University's faculty in American politics are known for strengths in the study of judicial politics, legislative politics, public opinion, and public policy. The program offers first-rate training in formal theory and positive theories of politics; and has great strengths in comparative politics, where faculty combine theoretical expertise on political institutions, social movements and gender with geographical expertise spanning the regions of the world. The University also has deep expertise in the international political economy and in political philosophy.

Faculty Experts:

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Charles Burson Visiting Professor of Law Burson Charles Burson has an extensive professional career including Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary at Monsanto Company from 2001-2006; Counsel to the Vice President, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff at The White House, Office of the Vice President from 1997-2001; Attorney ... Expertise: Bush v. Gore, Supreme Court and presidential elections, lawyer's role in corporate crisis management Direct contact: (314) 935-8166 / cwburson@wulaw.wustl.edu

Thomas Schweich Visiting Professor of Law and Ambassador in Residence Schweich Thomas Schweich served the Bush administration as the ambassador for counternarcotics and justice reform in Afghanistan, as the government's principal deputy assistant secretary (PDAS) for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and chief of staff to the U.S. Mission ... Expertise: foreign policy, Afghanistan Direct contact: (314) 935-3379 / tschweich@wulaw.wustl.edu

Melissa Waters Professor of Law Waters Waters' research and teaching interests include foreign relations law, international law, international human rights law and international criminal law, comparative law, conflicts of law, civil procedure, and complex civil litigation. Her scholarly work focuses on the incorporation of international ... Expertise: international law, foreign relations law, war on terrorism, conflicts of law, international human rights law, civil procedure Direct contact: (314) 935-3458 / mawaters@wulaw.wustl.edu

Gregory Magarian Professor of law Gregory Magarian Magarian is a leading expert in the areas of election law, the electoral system, free speech, the First Amendment and constitutional law. He is the author of a number of articles including the forthcoming "Substantive Media Regulation in Three Dimensions" (George Washington Law Review). Expertise: election law, First Amendment, third parties, free speech, law and religion, church-state law, media regulation, … Direct contact: (314) 935-3394 / gpmagarian@wulaw.wustl.edu

Yunju Nam Assistant Professor of Social Work Yunju Nam is available to comment on social and economic equality, poverty, welfare policy, domestic violence, child welfare, and asset-building policy for the poor. She is particularly interested in the effect of welfare reform on poor children and women. Expertise: welfare, welfare police, domestic violence, child welfare, asset-building policy Direct contact: 314-935-4954 / ynam@wustl.edu

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News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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Kiernan examines the history of genocide Yale historian examines the history of genocide for the Assembly Series Nov. 3, 2009 -- Yale historian Benedict Kiernan to speak on the history and telltale warning signs of genocide on Nov. 11 for the Holocaust Memorial Lecture.

Holiday cheer or holiday hunger? Nearly half of all U.S. children will use food stamps, says poverty expert Nov. 2, 2009 -- Holidays and tables full of delicious food usually go hand in hand, but for nearly half of the children in the United States, this is not guaranteed. "49 percent of all U.S. children will be in a household that uses food stamps at some point during their childhood," says Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., poverty expert at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. "Food stamp use is a clear sign of poverty and food insecurity, two of the most detrimental economic conditions affecting a child's health." Rank's study, "Estimating the Risk of Food Stamp Use and Impoverishment During Childhood," is published in the current issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Video available.

Major milestone in the health care debate Expert discusses the next steps for health care reform in the U.S. Oct. 16, 2009 -- With health care legislation now up for debate in both the House and the Senate, comprehensive health care reform is closer than ever, says Timothy McBride, Ph.D., health economist and associate dean of public health at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. McBride says that there is still much work to be done with health care reform and contentious issues remain. Among those are the public option, how the legislation will be financed, the generosity of the coverage, Medicare Advantage reforms and whether there will be mandates for employers to offer coverage. (Video available)

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Related News Clips:

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Show More American Politics Clips

U.S. Census Bureau data on the medically uninsured simply can't be denied Los Angeles Times Sept. 17, 2009 -- Michael Hiltzik says the medically uninsured iin America have become a political football. Opponents and supporters of healthcare reform toss assertions about them back and forth. The report, which says 46.3 million people lacked coverage as of the end of 2008, makes the case for reform stronger than ever by punching holes in arguments that minimize the plight of the uninsured. Includes comments by WUSTL social work and public health professor Timothy McBride.

Save the Whales! Abolish Patents! Huffingtonpost.com Sept. 16, 2009 -- WUSTL economics professor David Levine says abolishing 'intellectual property' won't solve all social ills, but it would be a big step in the right direction for solving a range of problems from the high cost of health care, to innovating our way out of the current recession. In a series of posts with his co-author, WUSTL economics professor Michele Boldrin, they will be posting here about green technology, entertainment, free speech, multinationals, and innovation over the next weeks.

Elusive price tag for universal health coverage MSNBC.com Sept. 10, 2009 -- How much is it going to cost to provide health care for all Americans? Until the details are complete, the only honest answer is: no one knows, reports John Schoen. "We know that the underinsured tend to be healthier," said Timothy McBride, associate dean for WUSTL's public health. "So if they were to get insured they would not be as expensive as the rest of us."

Japanese-American graduate recalls wartime ordeal Associated Press and 42 others Sept. 1, 2009 -- Yoshio Matsumoto was among the 110,000 Japanese-Americans seemingly bound for an internment camp soon after America entered World War II when WUSTL agreed to take him in.

Surgeon accused of faking study resigns United Press International and 1 others Aug. 21, 2009 -- Timothy Kuklo, a former U.S. Army surgeon, "voluntarily" resigned from WUSTL, effective Sept. 30, and "will have no clinical, research or educational duties for the university between now and that date," a spokeswoman for the university's medical school said in a statement.

Medical Imaging Under The Gun In Health-Reform Push The Wall Street Journal and 5 others Aug. 14, 2009 -- Health-reform moves proposed by the White House and pursued in Congress have largely steered clear of direct hits to the medical-technology sector, with one big exception: medical imaging. Such proposals follow years of rapid growth for medical scanning that has provoked questions about overuse. William Peck, who directs WUSTL's Center for Health Policy, suggests the House legislation needs to get at the causes of overuse, such as doctors hedging against the threat of malpractice suits.

A Fashion Trend Meets A Watery Grave The Wall Street Journal online Aug. 7, 2009 -- The rise and fall of bottled water may be the best case study yet in the strange politics of trendy environmental causes. Bottled water got its foothold in the U.S. as a statement about healthy living. It wasn't that long ago that making water available everywhere was itself a sort of crusade. But now schools such as WUSTL have made "Ban the Bottle" a campus cry. Thus does one crusade lead to another, with the solution to yesterday's crisis providing the stuff of today's.

Should states' rights trump the fed? CNN American Morning July 31, 2009 -- Should states' rights trump the fed? It seems to be a trend across the country. At least 20 states have introduced resolutions reasserting states' rights because they think that federal government is way too involved in what states do with things like taxes and health care and education. WUSTL law professor David Law comments.

The Princeton Review gives 623 colleges financial aid ratings The Princeton Review July 28, 2009 -- The Princeton Review -- an education services company that helps students choose and get in to colleges -- this year collected a wealth of data to help applicants and parents find the highly-coveted financial aid that a majority of them will need to pay for college. WUSTL was among 13 of which received the highest possible score of 99.

In New York City, Trans Fat Ban Is Working U.S. News & World Report online and 7 others July 21, 2009 -- In December 2006, New York City required that artificial trans fats be phased out of restaurant food, and the mandate was in full effect by November 2008. Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL and a past president of the American Dietetic Association, said that banning fats is not enough.

Wash. U: Doctor hid Medtronic ties St. Louis Business Journal online and 2 others July 17, 2009 -- WUSTL orthopaedic surgeon and researcher Timothy Kuklo, who was accused by the Army of falsifying a medical study, delayed disclosing his consulting ties to the school, according to its response to a U.S. Senate investigation. The doctor was put on leave by the university pending an internal review. According to Chancellor Mark Wrighton, WUSTL also suspended open human research projects by Kuklo.

Medical School Says Former Army Surgeon Hid Ties to Medtronic The New York Times and 9 others July 15, 2009 -- Timothy Kuklo, a former military doctor and Medtronic consultant at the center of a research scandal, did not tell WUSTL, his medical school employer for a year, about his Medtronic ties even as he was conducting company-sponsored research. The new disclosures, which WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro made in response to a Senate investigation, may intensify the controversy surrounding the physician.

Disclosure by Surgeon Is Faulted The Wall Street Journal July 15, 2009 -- The allegation that Timothy Kuklo failed to properly disclose his financial relationship with Medtronic was made in a June 23 letter from WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro to Sen. Charles Grassley, who is investigating the Kuklo matter. Kuklo is on paid personal leave at the request of WUSTL, where he is a member of the medical faculty. The university said it is continuing to investigate.

Despite everything . . . Americans are seeing better times ahead USA Today and 2 others June 23, 2009 -- Americans say they're still in a tunnel, but more are beginning to see a light at its end. Fewer people say they've prospered over the past year than in decades, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds. WUSTL social work professor Mark Rank comments on the 'American Dream.'

Keeping a True Identity Becomes a Battle Online The New York Times and 3 others June 18, 2009 -- Since Facebook started giving out customized Web addresses last Friday, some 9.5 million people have rushed to grab their top choice. But for people signing up for these accounts, the battle over domain names is taking place in murky waters. WUSTL student Jeremy Fancer comments.

Bad Habits Asserting Themselves The New York Times and 3 others June 9, 2009 -- Despite the well-advertised healthy lifestyle message, healthy habits are in decline, according to an authoritative national survey on health and nutrition. WUSTL epidemiology professor Ross Brownson, who is a leading expert in chronic disease prevention, comments.

Analysis: Obama tries evenhanded approach Associated Press and 51 others June 8, 2009 -- Nancy Benac reports on Obama's Cairo speech in which he tried to explain the American mindset to Muslims and the world of Islam to Americans. Various experts comment on the speech, including WUSTL presidential rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields.

Former Army Doctor Accused of Research Fraud Takes Leave From University The New York Times and 6 others May 26, 2009 -- Orthopaedic surgeon Timothy Kuklo, a former Army physician accused of falsifying research involving injured soldiers, has taken a leave of absence from WUSTL medical school and its affiliated hospitals.

When the Justices Ask Questions, Be Prepared to Lose the Case The New York Times May 26, 2009 -- A new study by four political scientists, including WUSTL doctoral candidate Ryan Black, to be published in the WUSTL Journal of Law and Policy, looks at whether or not Supreme Court justices tip their hands during oral arguments.

Sen. Grassley investigating army surgeon who allegedly wrote bogus study of Medtronic graft Los Angeles Times and 8 others May 20, 2009 -- Influential Senator Charles Grassley is investigating a former Army surgeon who the Army says forged signatures and falsified data in a study touting the benefits of an implant from Medtronic. Orthopaedic surgeon Timothy Kuklo retired from the Army in 2007 and is now a professor of orthopedic surgery at WUSTL. WUSTL spokeswoman Joni Westerhouse comments.

WUSTL Programs Related to American Politics

• Center in Political Economy:The Center sponsors a Ph.D. concentration, dissertation research, and scholarly conferences in the study of political economy.
• Center for New Institutional Social Sciences: Founded by Nobel Laureate Douglass North, the Center sponsors graduate programs on economic and political institutions.
• Harris Institute for International Legal Studies and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies: Political science faculty and students work closely with these research centers in the School of Law.
• Women and Gender Studies: A graduate program that brings issues of gender to bear on such disciplines as politics, psychology, history, education, law, architecture, art history and archaeology, social thought and analysis, and studies in cultures and languages.
• NSF-EITM Summer Institutes: The Department of Political Science and the Weidenbaum Center host a summer institute on the empirical implications of theoretical models of politics that trains junior faculty and advanced graduate students from around the country. Funded by the National Science Foundation.
• The Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy: The Weidenbaum Center supports research in political science, economics, and related fields. The Center sponsors many workshops and conferences in which political science faculty and graduate students participate.