Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

Is the U.S. Constitution about to change? Professor David Marcus lays out why some states are calling for a constitutional convention to introduce amendments. And Professor David Robertson delves into the history behind this founding document.

For More on This Topic

• Read Dave Robertson’s book, The Original Compromise: What the Constitution’s Framers were Really Thinking
• Checkout David Marcus’s blog post, “The Misguided Article V Convention”

Further Reading

• Why U.S. Conservatives Shape Legislation across the Fifty States Much More Effectively than Liberals, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University, Theda Skocpol, Harvard University
• How The Roberts Court Undermines U.S. Democracy, Stephen E. Gottlieb, Albany Law School

The Sanders and Trump presidential campaigns both capitalized on emotional speeches and rallies. But politics weren’t always this way. Professor Jeremy Young examines the history of how charisma and emotional speaking became essential in elections.

For More on This Topic

• Read his brief, What Emotional Politics More than a Century Ago Says about Winning U.S. Elections Today
• Check out his book, The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870-1940

Further Reading

• Why -- And How -- Modern Politicians Talk About God And Religion, Kevin Coe, University of Utah
• Are Gender Stereotypes a Problem For Female Candidates?, Nichole Bauer, University of Alabama

Many transgender Americans report being denied a job because of their identity, but that’s just one result of the discrimination they face. Professors Eric Grollman and Lisa Miller explain how unfair treatment also harms their mental and physical health.

For More on This Topic:

• Read Miller and Grollman’s two-page brief, Discrimination as an Obstacle to Wellbeing for Transgender Americans
• Check out the blog that Professor Grollman mentions, Conditionally Accepted -- and the blog post by Professor Alex Hanna -- and read their OpEd in USA Today.

Further Reading:

• How Discrimination Hurts Health and Personal Wellbeing, Eric Anthony Grollman,  University of Richmond

• How Fighting Discrimination Can Enhance Well-Being For Aging Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans, Gilbert Gonzalez, Vanderbilt University, Carrie Henning-Smith, University of Minnesota
• The Health Consequences of Moving from Place to Place, Antwan Jones, George Washington University

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement, American processed foods have flooded the Mexican food market -- with dramatic effects on people’s health. Professor Alyshia Gálvez explains how Mexico became a dumping ground for America’s corn.

For More on This Topic:

• Read her OpEd in the Dallas Morning News, How NAFTA got Mexicans hooked on U.S. junk food, co-authored with Nicholas Freudenberg
• Check out the book she referenced, The Making of NAFTA: How the Deal Was Done by Maxwell A. Cameron and Brian W. Tomlin

Further Reading:

• Why Taming Corporation Promotion of Dangerous Consumer Products is Vital to Improving Public Health, Nicholas Freudenberg, City University of New York
• The Misleading Case for Unmanaged Global Free Trade, John A. Miller, Wheaton College
• Will International Trade Pacts Promote Shared Prosperity?, SSN Spotlight, February 2015

As Congress and the Trump Administration roll back environmental protections, some communities are especially harmed. But Professor David Konisky explains that unequal protection is nothing new, and lays out a history of failed promises by the government.

For More on This Topic:

• Read his two-page brief, The Challenge of Achieving Environmental Protection for All
• Check out his book, Failed Promises: Evaluating the Federal Government’s Response to Environmental Justice

Further Reading:

• Improving the Effectiveness of Federal Energy Assistance for Low-Income Households, Tony G. Reames, University of Michigan
• How Environmental Toxins Reduce Life Expectancy in Many American Neighborhoods, John I. Gilderbloom, University of Louisville, Gregory D. Squires, George Washington University

What do Iran’s elections and Trump’s international trip mean for the nuclear deal and US-Iran relations? Professor Kevan Harris discusses the history behind the latest news and paints a different picture of Iranian politics than usually seen in America.

For More on This Topic:

• Look for his upcoming book, A Social Revolution: Politics and the Welfare State in Iran

Further Reading:

• Attacking Iran's Nuclear Facilities Would Likely Radicalize the Islamic Republic's Government and Politics, Matthew Gratias, University of Southern California
• History Shows that President Obama is Wise to Retain a Military Option to Cripple Iran's Nuclear Facilities, Matthew Kroenig, Georgetown University

Quality of healthcare for women in jail varies widely, but it is the only place in the U.S. where they have a legal right to it. Professor Carolyn Sufrin outlines the policies that led to the contradictory system and suggests ways to move forward.

For More on This Topic:

• Read her 2-page brief, Unsettling Realities Of Care – Especially For Pregnant Women – In U.S. Jails
• Look for her upcoming book, Jailcare: Finding the Safety Net for Women Behind Bars

Further Reading:

• How "Tough on Crime" Hurts Families, SSN Spotlight, September 2016
• Measuring the Social Impact of Mass Imprisonment on America's Black and White Families and Communities, Hedwig Lee, Tyler McCormick, Margaret T. Hicken, Christopher Wildeman
• Promising Results from a Program That Trains Women Leaving Jail to Work as Birth Doulas, Monica R. McLemore, University of California, San Francisco

Social security, health insurance, and unemployment insurance help Americans through life’s ups and downs. Benjamin Veghte explains the benefits and challenges to these programs and offers ways they can adapt to changing jobs and family structures.

For More on This Topic:

• Read his 2015 brief on social security and inequality.
• Or find the most recent research in his full report, Report to the New Leadership and the American People on Social Insurance and Inequality.

Further Reading:

• How Social Insurance Protects Americans from Growing Economic Risks, Theodore R. Marmor, Yale University
• How to Fix America’s Broken Unemployment Benefits, Alix Gould-Werth, University of Michigan, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University

Food stamps, Social Security, and Medicaid are not the only, or even the largest, social welfare programs in America. Professor Suzanne Mettler reveals how hidden benefits in the tax code promote inequality and how to make them more visible.

For More on This Topic:

• Read her two-page brief, Why Americans Can't See Government - And Why It Matters,
• Check out this article in New York Times with profiles on who buys homes in America and the impacts of the home mortgage-interest deduction.

Further Reading:

• Reforming Tax Policy For the Wealthiest One Percent, Michael Nau, Ohio State College of Medicine
• How Republican Approaches to Social Spending Increase Income Inequality in the United States, Christopher Faricy, Syracuse University

In the 1900s, dictators rose to power across Europe as democracies fell to fascists and communists. History Professor Timothy Snyder argues that democracy today is far from invincible, and translates lessons from the 20th century to guide Americans now.

For More on This Topic:

• Read his short best-selling book, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.
• Check out his recent piece in TIME Magazine and listen to his interview on NPR.

Further Reading:

• How Today's Populism Dismantles Democracy Worldwide, Erica Frantz, Michigan State University
• How Civic Organizations Can Develop Effective Leaders, Attract Members, and Enhance American Democracy, Hahrie Han, University of California, Santa Barbara