In his latest Baltimore Sun column, UMBC political science professor Thomas F. Schaller explores the causes of decreased class mobility in the U.S. Having just returned from a trip to Finland, Norway and Sweden, Schaller writes that in Scandinavia “a person’s income is far less dependent upon his or her parents’ income than it is here in the United States. In contrast to the U.S., Scandinavian countries are less class-anchored and more egalitarian and feature higher rates of political participation — all features that we aspire to have here in America but which have vanished in recent decades.” Schaller connects… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Judah Ronch, Dean of UMBC’s Erickson School, offers a pointed letter in today’s New York Times, responding to a report that some retirement communities are segregating their dining facilities based on residents’ required levels of care, sometimes splitting up married couple during meals. In “It’s About More Than Food,” Ronch writes that although “different regulatory considerations might play into the dining decisions at differing levels of care in a continuing care retirement community…[w]hat’s important is the fact that dining is deeply tied to pleasure, identity and sense of community, and therefore the service being provided is not simply to deliver… Continue Reading Judah Ronch, Erickson School, in the New York Times
Maryland State Delegate John Olszewski, a Ph.D. student in public policy at UMBC, spoke out about his vote on Maryland’s same-sex marriage bill in the Baltimore Sun this weekend. Olszewski, 29, a second-term Baltimore County Democrat, says he wanted to be sure the bill enables religious institutions who do not want to participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies to refrain from doing so, and that he is confident the measure “goes above and beyond” to “protect religious institutions.” He concluded, “To go another day denying full rights to all Marylanders would be a disgrace.” Prior to enrolling in UMBC’s Ph.D. program… Continue Reading John Olszewski, Jr., Public Policy, in Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun has announced that Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher, editorial cartoonist for The Economist and UMBC artist-in-residence, will be publishing a new cartoon each week in the paper’s Sunday edition. In the Sun‘s announcement video, KAL describes his recent work at UMBC, where he advises student bloggers in their coverage of current events and politics on USDemocrazy. KAL also shares his experiences speaking to international audiences on freedom of the press and the power of caricature.
UMBC Political Science Professor Roy T. Meyers offered a dissenting voice in PolitiFact’s recent analysis of comments by White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew on President Obama’s 2013 budget proposal. Lew said, “You can’t pass a budget in the Senate of the United States without 60 votes” — a statement rejected by critics who note only a simple majority is needed for a budget vote.Meyers offers the counterargument that “Lew is absolutely on the mark on the bigger picture” given that the budget resolution requiring a majority vote is just a blueprint and legislation to actually implement the budget’s… Continue Reading Roy Meyers, Political Science, on PolitiFact
UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller’s latest Baltimore Sun column offers a primer on corporate tax policy. Although the top nominal corporate tax rate in the U.S. is 35%, the Wall Street Journal reports the average, effective corporate tax rate for FY 2011 was 12.1%. “So we are not taxing our corporations to death,” Schaller argues, “Nor are we funding our government on the back of corporations.” Schaller writes, “To their credit, several of the Republican presidential candidates and President Obama advocate lowering the nominal rate in exchange for eliminating various tax loopholes and exemptions.” This suggests an opportunity for… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
The New York Times Economix blog today explored the possible impact of the Giants’ Super Bowl victory on the New York economy, referencing a study coauthored by UMBC economics professor Dennis Coates. Reporter Catherine Rampell calls Coates’ study, “The Economic Impact of Postseason Play in Professional Sports,” the “godfather” of this area of research. Curious about the results? Check out the story.
Dave Marcotte, UMBC public policy professor and graduate program director, will present the inaugural lecture in this semester’s Research Seminar Seminar Series in Public Policy and Economics this Friday, February 10, at noon in PUP 438.Marcotte’s talk is titled “Public Higher Education Tuition and Enrollment.” His writing on higher education, school closings and test scores has appeared in both academic journals and popular press, such as the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal, Baltimore Sun, Education Week and Inside Higher Education.Additional series speakers this semester include Tara Watson, Williams College (3/9), Tom Vicino, Northeastern University (3/30); Jim Bessen,… Continue Reading Public Higher Education Tuition and Enrollment: Lecture by Dave Marcotte (2/10)
As GOP presidential candidates vie for support in Florida, immigration politics and the fight for the Latino vote have moved front-and-center, notes UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller in Salon. He writes, “onstage at the University of North Florida, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich…went after each other with obvious, mutual disdain on immigration, the subject of the opening question and nearly the full first half-hour of the debate.” Schaller suggests that the challenge for GOP candidates is to “appease xenophobes within their base during the primaries” without alienating the Latino voters they will need to remain competitive in swing states… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in Salon
Maryland’s Republican and Democratic senators have recently come together to support a group of bipartisan bills on education, tax and identity theft issues, but will this collaboration have a significant effect? In Maryland’s Gazette, Professor Donald Norris argues, “The reality is on all substantive issues, the parties are miles apart.” Norris is chair of public policy and director of the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research at UMBC.
UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller continues his commentary on the presidential election today with new columns in Salon and the Baltimore Sun. In “Obama takes his case to the swing states,” Schaller explores the implications of the president’s post-State of the Union speaking tour. Schaller writes, “For the past three months, political eyes have been focused squarely on the Republican White House contenders. But after his State of the Union speech, the commander-in-chief shifts himself into campaigner-in-chief mode, whether or not the GOP has settled on a candidate yet.” Schaller’s latest Baltimore Sun column explores the GOP field, arguing… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in Salon and the Baltimore Sun
UMBC political science professor and national political commentator Thomas Schaller appeared on CurrentTV’s “Young Turks” show last night, weighing in on the question “Should liberals root for Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich?” Schaller suggested, “Newt will get the base fired up, but… a vote cast with intensity counts the same as a vote cast reluctantly. It doesn’t matter how juiced up the conservative id is. The votes in the middle are going to matter.”Schaller also weighed in on the GOP candidates’ abilities to collect delegates, in The Daily Beast‘s primary coverage. Whereas neither Gingrich nor Santorum will appear on the… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, on Current TV and The Daily Beast
