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.

References:

1. May 26, 2009 — When the Justices Ask Questions, Be Prepared to Lose the Case in the The New York Times

Expectations are high that Obama will nominate a woman to the Supreme Court. A recent study by three academics focusing on the votes of federal court of appeals judges bears out the observation that a conservative woman acts more pro-women's rights than a conservative man. The research was conducted by WUSTL law and political science professor Andrew Martin and WUSTL political science doctoral student Christina Boyd, along with Lee Epstein of Northwestern University Law School in Chicago.

References:

1. May 18, 2009 — What another woman would bring to Supreme Court in the The Christian Science Monitor online

Just as California under President Bush asserted itself on issues ranging from gun control to medical marijuana, a motley cohort of states — from South Carolina to New Hampshire — are presenting a foil for President Obama's national ambitions. WUSTL political science professor Steve Smith, who is director of WUSTL's Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy, comments.

References:

1. March 27, 2009 — States rebel against Washington in the The Christian Science Monitor

WUSTL political science professor Steve Smith comments on some lessons learned by Obama and his team in the push for the stimulus bill.

References:

1. Feb. 11, 2009 — Stimulus fight gives Obama lessons early in the USA Today

and 1 others.

The government's midnight bailout of hobbled banking giant Citigroup leaves the Bush administration firmly in charge of the financial rescue package while Congress is away on recess and President-elect Barack Obama continues to assemble his Cabinet. WUSTL congressional expert Steve Smith said Congress is in a weak position. "There is essentially nothing they can do except hold a hearing every other day," he said.

References:

1. Nov. 24, 2008 — Bush steers the bailout bus; Dems play backseat driver in the The Hill (DC) online

McCain styles himself as a Teddy Roosevelt Republican, eager to be in the arena. If elected, he could be expected to pick certain issues and push them to the limit. WUSTL political science professor Steve Smith comments on the impact the financial crisis will have on whichever candidate becomes president.

References:

1. Oct. 19, 2008 — If Elected . . . How would President McCain govern? in the Associated Press

and 31 others.

Another story on the impact of the presidential race includes comments from WUSTL political science professor Michael Minta on the expected turnout of black voters.

References:

1. Oct. 20, 2008 — The Next President: Battlegrounds in the CNN National Programming

WUSTL political science professor Steve Smith comments on the speaking styles and weaknesses that both candidates have to overcome.

References:

1. Sept. 24, 2008 — How rivals will seek edge in 1st debate in the Chicago Tribune

and 2 others.

Iraq is one of several tides running against GOP candidates, driving away independent voters and some party faithful. Except for Missouri, independent voters in five Senate races polled by USA Today were swinging toward the Democrat. Party loyalty was stronger among Democrats than Republicans in every state but Ohio. Michael Minta, professor of political science in Arts & Sciences, comments on how the stem cell research issue is dividing Republicans in Missouri.

References:

1. Sept. 1, 2006 — Republicans tense as voter disillusionment sets in in the USA Today

WUSTL political science professor Andrew Mertha, author of a book on Chinese dams, "China's Water Warriors: Citizen Action and Policy Change," comments on the aftermath of the Chinese earthquake.

References:

1. May 16, 2008 — China: Quake death toll could reach 50,000 in the Associated Press

and 23 others.

Democrats now hold slim majorities in the House and Senate, and the party is expected to make gains in both chambers in November.
Clinton's presence on the ticket could make it harder for Democrats in tight races, some suggest.
But Steven Smith, political science professor at WUSTL, questions the notion that Obama would necessarily give Democrats a bigger boost than Clinton would.

References:

1. March 11, 2008 — Which Democrat Has Bigger Coattails? in the CBS News.com

and 1 others.

Steve Smith answers questions on the Minnesota caucuses for KARE 11, LUNCHTIME LIVE!. Smith is the director of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

References:

1. Feb. 5, 2008 — LUNCHTIME LIVE! Today: Q & A with political analyst Steve Smith in the KARE 11 News (MN)

WUSTL American culture studies Professor Wayne Fields comments on President Bush's recent Mideast trip. "President Bush believes in a religion of dramatic revelations — his conversion and 9/11 being the most notable — in which a person's life is transformed or the world is changed," said WUSTL American culture studies professor Wayne Fields. "These moments ... are the sources of the important 'truths' which inform his understanding of life and shape his behavior as well as his rhetoric."

References:

1. Jan. 11, 2008 — A faith-based stop for the president in the Chicago Tribune

and 1 others.

WUSTL political rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields is one of the experts commenting on victory speeches following the Iowa presidential caucuses.

References:

1. Jan. 5, 2008 — Huckabee oratory deemed 'low-key,' Obama's classic in the The Boston Globe

This year's Iowa caucus may be the last time the largely rural, sparsely populated and predominately white conservative Midwestern state exerts a huge influence on the U.S. presidential nomination process, a political expert predicted. WUSTL political science professor Steven Smith comments.

References:

1. Jan. 4, 2008 — Pundit Says Iowa's Power to Pick the President May Be Over in the All Headline News online

The Democrats who are running for president are flush with policy proposals, position papers and fact sheets. The leading Republican contenders, not so much yet.
WUSTL political scientist Steven Smith comments on the strategy of the presidential candidates.

References:

1. Sept. 22, 2007 — Democratic candidates are packing specifics into some proposals while GOP keeps powder dry in the Associated Press

and 34 others.

If the Democratic presidential primary was always going to boil down to a who-can-beat-Hillary contest, it seemed somewhat odd that opponents were letting her glide along largely unscathed.
WUSTL political science professor emeritus James Davis comments.

References:

1. Sept. 2, 2007 — Clinton getting kid glove in the Chicago Daily Herald

House Democrats propose a measure to require that U.S. troops be withdrawn from Iraq by fall of 2008. Minnesota's delegation, regardless of party affiliation, stays on the fence, in one instance citing that people's opinions are "all over the map."
WUSTL political science professor Steven Smith comments on Nancy Pelosi's strategy.

References:

1. March 8, 2007 — To set a pullout date or not: That is the question in the Minneapolis Star Tribune online

Article looks at the differences between the House and the Senate.
The Senate was, indeed, set up to be the more deliberative of the two bodies. And that compromise was reached only after the framers decided to accommodate smaller states wary of their larger brethren.
Congress watcher and WUSTL political science professor Steven Smith comments.

References:

1. Jan. 29, 2007 — The Senate's Rhythm in the U.S. News & World Report

WUSTL political science professor Steven Smith is one of several experts analyzing the content and presentation of President Bush's State of the Union speech.

References:

1. Jan. 24, 2007 — Bush speech lacks knockout blow: analysts in the Agence France Presse -- English

and 2 others.