Blog Series

A Tale of Two Citizenships: Chris Choe explores what is at stake in the debates around admission into statehood currently floating around in the halls of Congress, as it relates to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Individual Blog Posts

A Familiar War on Unfamiliar Drugs: Lexie Mattocks examines how the history of America's War on Drugs can help explain the challenges of regulating emerging substances and what past drug policies can teach us about protecting public health today.

Waiting for the Crash: What History Says About Political Turning Points: Kailyn Anthony discusses the different causal factors that can bring about major political change.

The Stakes in Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed, Israel, and American Politics: Kevin Jones examines the  implications of the Michigan Senate race on the future of pro-Israel politics in the United States.

Above the Press: Presidents, New Media, and the Bully Pulpit: Will Steiner interrogates the evolution of new media structures and how the president has historically used these technologies to reach new audiences.

Planes, Trains, and Bicycle Lanes: Cassidy Brown examines the recent debates over congressional funding for alternative forms of transportation and why this has become a polarizing issue.

The US just imposed new sanctions on Russia; will it push Putin to escalate?: Truth Mattison uses the 1941 oil embargo against Japan to analyse the likelihood of the latest anti-Russia sanction package to push Moscow into a confrontation with NATO.

The Twitch Streamer Everyone's Talking About But No American Seems to Know: William Sealy discusses how the media treats both Hasan Piker and Donald Trump and how it ends up legitimizing them.

Catastrophe (Probably) Isn't Near: The New Russian Plague: Dylan McDowell covers the potential plague infection in Russia and compares it with the recent Hantavirus and earlier Covid-19 outbreaks. It's still (probably) no cause for alarm.

Always Watching: Do We Have a Right to Privacy from Flock Camera Surveillance?: Claire Finch looks into Georgia's unease to the ever-increasing presence of Flock Cameras, identifying relevant Supreme Court cases which indicate how our legal system could handle the issue. 

Soccer's Latest Sportswashing Scandal: Lawrence Glover examines recent verdicts against Manchester City for significant financial violations and their relationship to the UAE’s sportwashing efforts.

The Cost of Growth: Gentrification from Linnentown to Now: Skylar Ward considers the harmful effects of UGA's expansionist policies in Athens through the lens of Linnentown and current housing costs.

Who Controls the Public University? From the New Deal to Today: Kailyn Anthony explores how New Deal policies impacted the development of public universities and debates over federal funding that continue to this day.

Iran's October Surprise: Kevin Jones examines the potential impact of the Iran War and Strait of Hormuz oil crisis on the upcoming midterm elections in the United States.

No Kings? No Dr. King: William Sealy argues against No Kings using Martin Luther King Jr.'s own goals for a nonviolent campaign.

Crisis Communication?: Truth Mattison examines John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow and compares it to informal communication during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Is Our Food Still Safe?: Claire Finch explores how recent budget cuts for federal agencies contributed to the abnormally large scale of the Cyclospora outbreak this summer and undermines American food safety. 

The Limitations to an Australian/UK Style Social Media Ban in the U.S.: Kailyn Anthony unpacks the precedent of First Amendment free speech protections and how that can impact social media use in America.

Art From the AIDS Crisis: Skylar Ward uses significant art pieces from the height of the AIDS Crisis to explore how activism can inspire meaningful action against today's HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Dig for John Paul Jones: Dylan McDowell discusses the recovery of John Paul Jones' body and the characteristics of past and contemporary foreign relations.

The Ebola Elephant: Cassidy Brown explores why the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the DRC is the deadliest on record and how the international response compares to past outbreaks.

Gloria Steinem and Abortion Policy: Lexie Mattocks uses Gloria Steinem’s lifetime to trace the evolution of abortion policy from state restrictions, to Roe v. Wade, to Dobbs, and the ongoing relationship between state law and federal policy.

The Truth about Truth: Will Steiner explores the legacy of presidents connecting their audience to partisan messaging through alternative media sources. 

Justice After Genocide: Kevin Jones uses the death of Ratko Mladić, "The Butcher of Bosnia," to explore how perpetrators of genocide are held accountable for their crimes.  

The Coming Oil Squeeze: Kevin Jones argues that Iran's disruption of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global oil and food crisis that, like in the 1973 oil embargo, inflicts disproportionate economic pain on developing countries while potentially shifting international public opinion against the U.S. and Israel.

Are We Too Bullish on History?: Chris Choe takes applied history outside of public policy and suggests we should think about the ways history has been applied to make private policy decisions.

Race to the Governor's Mansion: Sahra King spotlights the rhetoric of gubernatorial dark horse, Rick Jackson, and questions what is to become of the state GOP after Trump.

The Help on the Way: Kevin Jones compares the recent social movement in Iran with more recent demonstrations and surveys the possible future of US involvement.

Democracy Dies in Broad Daylight: Sahra King explores presidents' past histories with the press and questions whether our country truly respects the freedom of press and of expression.

Why the Right Can't Let Go of Racism: Will Steiner traces the origin of the racist movement within the Republican party and examines the repercussions of including a faction such as this one in a coalition.

It's Been Happening Here: William Sealy examines the prevalence of right-wing rhetoric and ideology in police organizations in and beyond Minnesota. 

Is the Latino Far-Right an Aberration?: Lawrence Glover examines the rise in Latino participation in far-right politics and how immigrant identities have been erected.

Decommissioning Women: Sahra King examines the history of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services as an advocate for female servicemembers and how its termination may impact the combat readiness of the American military.

Should We Go to War with Chicago?: Sahra King studies President Trump's decision to send National Guard troops into US cities against the wishes of local leaders, a move that ignores the legal rules and historical examples followed by past presidents

How Modern Medicine Forgot Rural America: Fiona Sturgeon reveals the impacts of healthcare reform on rural healthcare and the implications of the government shutdown on those communities.

Let's Disenfranchise the Irish?: Jared Asser points to the problems of taking originalism to its logical conclusion and the flaws in this interpretative doctrine. 

These Klansmen No Longer Wear Robes: William Sealy explores how more traditional hate groups, such as the KKK, have taken on new symbology and semiotics in the twenty-first century.

Protect our Nation, Help our Veterans: William Sealy surveys the disturbing pipeline that transforms forgotten veterans into soldiers of right-wing extremism.

The Real Skynet: Kaitlyn Hood argues that the real danger isn’t a sudden, sentient “Skynet,” but the gradual and largely unnoticed integration of AI systems into everyday infrastructure, which is already shifting power and control in society.

Duck, Duck, Default!: Nathanael Mickelson studies how the United States historically managed its debt burdens through currency devaluation but challenges the utility of such a strategy in a more globally integrated economic network.