Author: TheConversation

By Myunghee Lee, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University During a whirlwind few hours in South Korean politics, President Yoon Suk Yeol placed the country under martial law on December 3, 2024, only to lift it just a short while later. It marked the first time that a South Korean leader has imposed the emergency power since 1979. Although short-lived, the measure provoked concerns of the country backsliding into authoritarian rule. Myunghee Lee, an expert on authoritarianism, democracy, and South Korean politics at Michigan State University explains what happened and what it means for South Korean democracy, HOW DID ALL...

By Eric Rosenbach, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School President Joe Biden’s recent approval of a major shift in U.S. nuclear weapons strategy highlights the attention the country’s national security officials are paying to Chinese ambitions for influence in the world. As changes emerge in the types of threats facing the U.S., the American military adjusts its strategic focus, budgets and planning. For instance, after 9/11, the U.S. military refocused away from its Cold War emphasis on preparing for combat against a powerful nation – the Soviet Union – and toward fighting small terrorist and insurgent groups...

By Spencer Goidel, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Auburn University As the nation prepares for a second Donald Trump presidency, some history-minded people may seek understanding in the idea that it was not until Richard Nixon’s second presidential term that the serious consequences arrived. But as a scholar of American politics, I do not think that is the right parallel. Trump has already faced most of the situations that brought down Nixon – a congressional investigation and federal prosecutors’ inquiries. Trump has survived by – consciously or not – following the example of another American president who created a...

By Marya T. Mtshali, Lecturer in Studies in Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Harvard University Americans who heard former President Donald Trump claim that Vice President Kamala Harris previously identified as “not Black” in a July 2024 interview may wonder why he continuously emphasized former President Barack Obama’s blackness during his first presidential campaign. As a scholar focused on race and gender issues, I recognize that these seemingly inconsistent definitions of blackness are not inconsistent at all. They demonstrate a consistent position on Whiteness. In both cases, Trump implies that the race of his opponent is all voters need to...

By Mark Satta, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Law, Wayne State University Shortly after Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States in January 2017, George Orwell’s 1949 novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” shot to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list. Apparently, lots of people thought Orwell had something relevant to say in that political moment. In 2016, many Americans were caught off guard by Trump’s win, leading them to grapple with the potential consequences of a Trump presidency only after he was elected. But this time, more people seem to be thinking about the ramifications of such an...

By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was killed in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without their consent. They said it had caused her loved ones extreme distress. Their appeal is immediately understandable – many people would be upset by seeing photos of a loved one everywhere after such a traumatic event. From the family of Ash Good: “Overnight we have been shocked by some media publications reproducing photographs of Ashlee, her...