What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (November 2020)
From Medium:
The result is that government is more and more poised to serve politicians, not the public — a state of affairs that will not simply evaporate when Trump leaves office.
—Janine Wedel
From the Hill:
Systemic Racism Is a Drag on the U.S. Economy
The United States is in the midst of two crises—a pandemic-induced recession with consequent unemployment, and a struggle to overcome a prolonged history of systemic racism. These twin crises are linked.
—Kenneth Reinhert and Gelaye Debebe
From the Roanoke Times:
We’ve Had Controversial Elections Before
The point is that this is not the first time we have encountered controversy, question, and litigation in connection with a presidential campaign. It has happened before, and it will likely happen again. The good news is that the Republic survived these historic controversies, and we will survive this one as well, regardless of the outcome.
—Bill Bolling
From the Washington Post:
Forget McConnell. Forget Pelosi. In a Divided Congress, Biden Needs to Build His Own Coalition.
I’ve talked with scores of members of Congress who, once they get past their rants about the partisan gamesmanship of the other side, admit anger and frustration with their growing irrelevance in a process that has them running around all day accomplishing nothing.
—Steven Pearlstein
From Bloomberg Tax:
Social Security Framing-Benefit-Claiming Cn Be Delayed Beyond Retirement
A few simple changes would ensure that older Americans are in a better position to understand the choices available to them.
—Sita Slavov
From America’s Quarterly:
Can Francisco Sagasti Hold Peru Together?
Decades later, as Peru emerges from a week of upheaval and police violence, and as the country looks to upcoming elections in April 2021, this depth of experience is part of what makes Sagasti a good steward. Still, he faces real challenges in the short eight months he will be president of Peru.
—Jo-Marie Burt
From Political Violence at a Glance:
Why It Matters if Trump Rejects the Election Result
When electorates are highly polarized along cultural cleavages, rhetoric like this creates an impression on the losing side that they are victims of an imperious and culturally alien “other,” and that the electoral process offers no solution.
—Philip Martin
From the Washington Post:
Virginia Can’t Have Marijuana Legalization Without Equity
If we are going to create and sustain meaningful change, we need to act big and be bold. We can’t tinker around the edges and act as though we are being transformative. One way to do this is to finally fully legalize marijuana and recognize it for what it is: a civil rights issue.
—Terry McAuliffe and Don Scott
From the Hill:
The ‘Diploma Divide’ in American Politics
The wealthier you are, the more likely you are to vote Republican. That has been true for nearly 100 years. At the same time, the better educated you are, the more likely you are to vote Democratic. That trend has been building since 1980.
—Bill Schneider
From Defense One:
Trump Should Act Against Russia’s Use of Chemical Weapons
Only a unified response at home and solidarity with our allies abroad will be able to match the brazenness of Russia’s violations of international law and norms against these barbaric weapons.
—Gregory D. Koblentz and Andrea Stricker
From the Washington Post:
What the Election Meant for Our Region
With a mainstream GOP ticket, Virginia could be not only competitive next year but also a national bellwether for measuring the political standing of the Biden administration.
—Mark J. Rozell, Mileah Kromer, and Michael K. Fauntroy
From War on the Rocks:
Lessons from the Roosevelt: A Call for Improving the U.S. Navy’s Preparedness for Biological Threats
Military threats, however, are rarely communicated so clearly or so far in advance as that of COVID-19. The next biological threat to a U.S. Navy ship, be it a pandemic or an intentional biological attack, may not provide the kind of advanced warning needed to deploy the specialized disease surveillance units and capabilities necessary for early detection.
—Gregory Koblentz and Brian L. Pike
From the Washington Post:
Virginia Voters Face a New Election Season, and It Starts Today
In Virginia, there will be no rest for the weary because, once the presidential race is settled, a brand-new election season starts immediately. Every fall there is a general election in the Old Dominion, and the next one—a year from now—is for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
—Mark J. Rozell
From the Hill:
Trump Didn’t Create the Country’s Division, But He Stoked It: What’s Next?
Four presidents before Donald Trump promised to bring the country together. They all failed. That’s where Trump is different. He didn’t even try. Instead, he exploited the division for his own political benefit. No other president has done that.
—Bill Schneider
Schar School Fact: Schar School experts are quoted in, cited by, and contribute to nearly 300 media appearances a month.