UNITED STATES

For students wanting a career in politics, studying in the capital is the obvious choice. With limitless chances for new experiences such as internships and networking, new political science students in Washington are thrilled to begin their academic journey.

In an announcement that shocked Republican lawmakers, President-elect Donald Trump nominated controversial Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as attorney general in his new administration on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Less than ten days later, Gaetz withdrew his nomination, resigned from Congress and created an account on the personalized video platform, Cameo.

How can one look into the eyes of a protester with family in the Middle East and tell them to vote for a candidate whose administration helped send arms to the devastation happening in Gaza?

WASHINGTON, D.C.—“Wherever I work, I always have my grandfather's Bracero papers with me,” said Cristóbal Alex. Alex comes from a proud line of Mexican agricultural workers. Today, Alex carries that spirit forward by cultivating the seeds of Latino political power.

As with all communities heading into the presidential election, the American Jewish community is divided on which candidate will win its support. Beyond the platforms of each candidate, there is a deeper question fundamental to Jewish identity: Which candidate will have greater support for Israel?

s millions of Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5, it would be easy to mistake this year’s presidential election for a two-candidate race. The constant stream of polls, pundits on cable news and social media activity seemingly purports that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are the only two candidates in the race.

onald Trump claimed his role as an American savior as he returned to the site of his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, this time with Elon Musk by his side.

The Republican Party faces a significant challenge in terms of its lack of diversity.  According to polls conducted by Pew Research Center, the Republican voter base is about 85% white, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian, and 1% Black.

As the Supreme Court suffers from widespread disapproval in the aftermath of controversial decisions, such as the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the proscription of race-conscious college admission programs, the refusal of various justices to recuse themselves from cases in which their impartiality is questionable has only added to the Court’s crisis of legitimacy. 

Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama addressed thousands in Kalamazoo on Saturday evening, marking Obama’s first appearance on the campaign trail since Harris was nominated for the Democratic ticket. She focused heavily on reproductive rights and women’s health care, emphasizing that these issues affect everyone.

On September 10, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic to defend his handling of the disease’s spread through the state’s nursing homes beginning in 2020.

Representative Adriano Espaillat of New York’s 13th District was nine years old when he first came to the United States in 1964. Escaping the civil war in the Dominican Republic, Espaillat and his family anxiously awaited new beginnings in America, with a humble apartment in Washington Heights on 153rd St. and Broadway becoming their new home.

Since the assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, outspoken conservatives have publicly lamented what they characterize as unnecessarily inflammatory rhetoric from the left. Figures from Matt Walsh to Piers Morgan have derided liberal critics of Trump as overly divisive, pointing to descriptions of the former president as fascist, anti-American, and even like Hitler.

During the first presidential debate between Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants from Springfield, Ohio eat household pets. This claim was fact-checked and disproven by ABC News’ David Muir. However, the former president's claim had already left its toll on the Springfield community.

As November’s presidential election draws nearer – the result of which is increasingly dependent on eight tightly contested “swing states” – candidates, allies, and experts alike are placing a renewed focus on Georgia, arguably the tipping point in 2020 when President Biden won the “Peach State” by just 12,670 votes.

As the Nov. 5 presidential election approaches, America continues to watch Michigan - the Great Lakes swing state. While the election results are in the hands of swing state voters, another race is worth highlighting as well: the Michigan U.S. Senate race.

The upcoming vice presidential debate between Republican candidate, Senator JD Vance and Democratic candidate, Governor Tim Walz will take place in New York City on October 1 hosted by CBS News. This is the only public face-off between the two candidates and will likely be the final debate between either the presidential or vice presidential candidates before the election.

Addressing the enduring question of “how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy,” Obama called on the audience and, by extension, Americans en masse to engage in “deeper, fuller conversation about religion in this country.” With American democracy at a crossroads amidst the 2024 elections, resurrecting Obama’s call to action has never been so imperative.

Much like disenfranchised voters nationally, the upcoming election is a referendum on how voters feel about the trajectory of their community.

— Patrick McFarland

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia recently made a move to oust Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana. Known for numerous controversies during her term, the move has been criticized by even her far-right allies. In light of the party’s recent ousting of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, unity in the Republican party has been complicated just in time for an election year.

— Catherine Hughes

Unlike in most United States presidential elections, third-party or independent candidates in 2024 have the potential to impact its result, since victory will come down to margins.

— Alessia Coluccio

Pennsylvania is one of the states that gathers enormous traction during election season - specifically during the presidential election season. Why? It’s a swing state. 

— Christina Tucholski

As March Women's History Month concludes, I spoke with Bonnie Monnie Morris, a Title IX scholar, women's historian at the University of California at Berkeley, and National Women's History Museum adviser regarding Title IX. We discussed the law's original purpose, how it differs from its modern perception, and how this contrast has impacted women over the past half-century.

— Patrick McFarland

How old is too old? As November approaches, this question circulates across America. President Biden’s age remains a central threat to his reelection, while Donald Trump, only about four years younger, does not face the same challenge.

— Elisabeth Mellen

If one were assigned the near-impossible task of listing the most influential theologians and religious leaders of the past 30 years, it would be difficult not to include the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. One of his earlier works, entitled The Politics of Hope, seems even more relevant today. The route out of our American political crisis, albeit accelerated by electing pro-democracy candidates, fundamentally rests on our ability to realize this politics of hope.

— Stephen Blinder

Recently, former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner for the upcoming 2024 election, has commented on the United States’ commitment to NATO, leaving the other allied countries questioning their safety amid the War in Ukraine.

— Christina Tucholski

Partisanship has proven not anathema to a healthy democracy but an invaluable and, indeed, a necessary constituent of our political system. Partisanship and the sincere, meaningful debate it fosters have been at the root of our democracy from the beginning.

— Stephen Blinder

There are still eight months before the first presidential debate, and while the parties have not made their platforms official, people are already scrutinizing the differences between the two candidates: Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Despite the apparent differences, there is one area where Biden and Trump have something in common.

— Patrick McFarland

Populism remains perilously open to forgery. If Donald Trump is a populist, he is one in performance only – the marriage of the two ends there. Defeating Trump in November is necessary but not sufficient. We need to reclaim the word “populism” before its imposters reclaim our country.

— Stephen Blinder

With key players like Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley making huge moves in the 2024 primary elections, it seems like the Republican Party is ushering in a new era that embraces South Asian voters. Yet, Haley, who is still in the race, fails to connect to her Indian identity and campaign towards South Asian voters.

— Maya Mohosin