2020 In the News

Shahzad Bashir will discuss the cultural pervasiveness of poetry in Iran, Central Asia and South Asia.

This opinion piece references the work of Rose McDermott, whose data analysis points to a significant relationship between polygamy and poor outcomes, including higher levels of sex trafficking and higher levels of domestic violence.

Angela Blanchard provided commentary in this article and notes that she invited developer Frank Liu to deliver a presentation at Brown called "Urban Social Policy Meets Real-World Capitalism."

Opportunity insights, co-directed by John Friedman, found that students from high-income backgrounds were significantly more likely to attend selective colleges than their lower-income peers.

John Friedman in The New York Times, "You cannot explain the very high shares of kids from high-income families solely by saying they are the ones who have higher test scores."

Ashutosh Varshney provided commentary on the BJP's increase in vote share.

Peter Andreas in HistoryNet, "If World War I was the crucial context that gave birth to Prohibition, the Great Depression was the crucial context that killed it off."

In this brief interview, Michael Kennedy addresses the news of the day around Lukashenko's recent interview with Russia Today, Maria Kolesnikova's kidnapping, refusal of forced exile, and detention, and alternative futures for Belarus.

In analyzing "the debacle of the Democratic Iowa caucuses," Wendy Schiller said "it is stunning how far from technological grace the Democrats have fallen and that was on full display in Iowa."

This opinion piece on U.S. military spending references data from the Costs of War project, based at Brown's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.

Eric Patashnik in The New York Times, "Reducing the odds and potency of backlash is critical to the political sustainability of activist government."

Continuing coverage: This book review covers Professor of International Studies and Political Science Peter Andreas' new book, "Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs."

Richard Arenberg joined Dan Yorke to discuss the State of the Union address and impeachment.

Wendy Schiller provided commentary on Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo's endorsement of Michael Bloomberg for president.

Peter Andreas penned this article on the role Coca-Cola played in historic wars.

In this interview with North Carolina Public Radio, Peter Andreas dicusses his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs.

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In this piece, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs' Costs of War report is cited - specifically highlighting the correlation between national debt from war and the affect it's had on U.S. taxpayers.

Wendy Schiller provided commentary on how the impeachment process appears to have continued a yearlong process of tilting the balance of power in Washington toward the executive branch.

Omer Bartov is cited in this article for his deliverance of the keynote address at the Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre's international Holocaust Remembrance Day event on Jan. 27.

C-SPAN recorded Peter Andreas' book talk on his recent book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs.

In this radio segment, Wendy Schiller provides commentary on Trump's impeachment trial.

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Watson faculty member Robert Blair in The Verge, "Ultimately, in moments of crisis, public health crises and others, governments have to rely on a baseline level of citizen trust in order to organize an effective response to that crisis."

Director of the Center for Contemporary South Asia Ashutosh Varshney penned this op-ed.

In this video, professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs, Emily Oster, discusses returning to work after having children.

In this piece, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs' Costs of War report is cited - specifically mentioning death toll statistics from conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Chair of Political Science Wendy Schiller provided commentary on the possibility of President Trump's re-election for a second term.

Jeff Colgan cited in The Washington Post, "Jeff Colgan described how Trump administration sanctions have provoked Iran into seizing foreign oil tankers."

Director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary South Asia, Ashutosh Varshney, penned this article about the recent, ongoing protests in India.

Chair of Political Science Wendy Schiller appeared as a guest in this Bloomberg radio segment.

Chair of Political Science Wendy Schiller spoke about the Senate impeachment trial of Trump in this radio segment.

In this podcast epsiode, President and Chief Executive of CPR ThoughtSpace, Yamini Aiyar, talks with Watson faculty member Patrick Heller about the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Latin America.

In this editorial, Richard Arenberg provides commentary on the additional oaths administered to all 100 senators during preparation for the impeachment trial.

Watson faculty member, Prerna Singh, penned this article explaining the recent protests in India due to opposition of the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the National Registry of Citizens.

Adjunct Lecturer in International and Public Affairs Ari Gabinet offered commentary on the case of former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, who pleaded guilty to insider trading charges in October.

Richard Arenberg in PolitiFact, "The $2,025 figure is ridiculous."

Richard Arenberg in BBC News, "This is an additional oath above their oath of office - it's to underline that this is different from the partisan and legislative procedures they normally go through. Even beyond the oath to the Constitution when they take office, they need to additionally swear to offer impartial justice in this trial."

Watson faculty member Peter Andreas discusses the potent psychoactive drugs referenced in his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs on this podcast with host Madeleine Brand.

This interview with Professor of Anthropology Matthew Gutmann focuses on the research in his book, "Are Men Animals?", in which he debunks the myth that biological determinism drives or explains male violence.

Richard Arenberg in ABC6, "By withholding the articles of Impeachment, Pelosi framed the issue around the fairness of the Senate trial.This was given added resonance, particularly by Majority Leader McConnell declaring that he was not an impartial juror and that he was working closely with the White House preparing for the trial."

This column-turned-pop quiz by senior fellow Stephen Kinzer entices readers to predict the future of 2020 and revisit their answers a year from now to gauge success.

This release highlights a new paper by Heidi Peltier, directory of the Costs of War project's "20 Year of War" research series, a collaboration between between the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and Boston University's Pardee Center.

Peter Andreas in People, "Calling it a 'wall' — rather than a barrier or a fence — has had enormous symbolic importance, so much so that it is fair to say that the very idea of the wall itself has divided the country more than divided the U.S. and Mexico..."

Director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary South Asia, Ashutosh Varshney, and three other Brown University professors were among hundreds of signatories on a letter seeking the immediate resignation of JNU Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and the formation of a non-partisan panel to investigate the incident.

In this interview, Peter Andreas delves into the specific relationship between drugs and war - explaining how each substance in his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs, affected soldiers in combat.

This opinion piece references tweets by Ashutosh Varshney, director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary South Asia at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.