From Medium:
The Primary Debates Will Showcase Candidates’ Personalities More Than Their Policies
Either way, the debates are the first real step in narrowing the field. Gaffes may occur. Memes may be born. Each candidate will try to steal the spotlight with a joke or heartfelt anecdote — anything to signal to voters that they’re “relatable.” Once the media inevitably declares the winners and losers (a calculation too often based on personality, not policy), so the narrative around the debate will take hold.
—Associate Professor Jennifer N. Victor
From The Diplomat:
Understanding the US-China Trade Disconnect
The Chinese, by solid consensus, agree their current economic structure can propel them to greater global economic stature, and that their state-owned enterprises, even more than the private sector, are responsible for a competitive economy. The risks of a global technology war only strengthen their resolve. China will not alter its fundamental development path until there is conclusive economic evidence to prove that its model is destined for failure. In the meantime, they view U.S. criticisms as doctrinal and without basis. A financial meltdown or massive bankruptcy of some initiative would be far more effective at bringing about change than the dictates of an alien economic dogma.
—Hilton Root and Liu Baocheng
From The Hill:
Next Generation Foreign Policy: Time for the Democrats to Embrace Restraint
In the time-honored tradition, older Americans have decried the Millennial Generation’s bizarre penchant for avocado toast and for “killing” industry after industry as they come of age. Inside-the-Beltway observers in particular worry about whether younger Americans are going to do the same to foreign policy. Among the trends that worry older Americans is the fact younger Americans report lower levels of belief in American exceptionalism and typically express less support for “tak[ing] an active part” in world affairs.
—A. Trevor Thrall
From The American Conservative:
Are E-Scooters a Menace or Needed Innovation?
Innovation is driving policy, rather than the other way around, and that’s a good thing. But as with any new technology, there is an adjustment period in which users, providers and the public learn by doing. Fortunately, notwithstanding the political backlash, the broader public is responding with cautious optimism, both for the technology itself and the ability to address valid concerns through collaborative policy design. As these technologies and the policies governing them continue to prove themselves, the day will come when e-scooter riders and mobility curmudgeons alike learn to stay in their lane.
—PhD Public Policy Student Lauren McCarthy
From The Hill:
Donald Trump: ‘The Great Divider’
President Trump did not create the nation’s political division. It’s been growing for over 50 years. His predecessors — George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama — all promised to heal the division. They all failed. Trump never pretended to be a healer. He saw the country’s division as a political opportunity he could exploit. It worked for him in 2016. He expects it to work for him again in 2020. “I’m going to do it the same way I did it the first time,” Trump told ABC News. Not by broadening his support the way most incumbents do when they run for a second term. By hardening it.
—Professor Bill Schneider
From University World News:
The Rise and Rise of Ghost-Written Dissertations
Academic corruption is not limited to undergraduate level education in colleges and universities. Corruption exists in doctoral education as well. While the former receives the lion’s share of all the attention of scholars specialising in educational corruption, the latter remains under-researched. This is surprising, since doctoral education should be regarded as the gold standard of quality and reflect the highest standards of academic integrity.
—Visiting Professor Ararat Osipian
From The American Thinker:
Have We Seen a Positive Turn for Trump?
Against any opponent who is considered a "socialist," Trump takes a significant lead 49% to 43% among registered voters. Ironically, it looks as if the major Democratic candidates are unable to break away from advocating socialism in its many different forms. Government-run health care, free college tuition and free loan repayment, significant tax increases needed to pay for new entitlements on the all-economic demographics...I could go on and on.
—Professor David K. Rehr
From United World:
The Strategic Importance of the Strait of Hormuz and Global Energy Security
The strategic position of the Strait of Hormuz allows Iran to leverage its control in order to achieve specific economic and political goals. If the Straight were to be closed, the flow of oil would spiral into a deep shock, making it very difficult for countries that ship oil from the area, and very costly on their economies.
—Visiting Research Scholar Omid Shokri
From The Hill:
Debate Showed Biden-Harris Is Just What Democrats need in 2020—And Especially Beyond
Suppose Biden wins the nomination. He will have to choose a more progressive candidate as his running mate. If Biden then gets elected president, he will be 81 years old when it’s time to run for a second term: a perfect opportunity to do what another young Democratic contender urged him to do during Thursday night’s debate: “Pass the torch. With a Biden-Harris ticket, Democrats could have it both ways: a familiar, relatively safe and more moderate candidate who can beat Trump next year, and an exciting new face to carry the party into a more diverse and a more progressive future.
—Professor Bill Schneider