Politics and Government

It has been five years since Washington’s signature “sanctuary” law went into effect, prohibiting most local officials from cooperating with immigration enforcement. Since then, Washington jail and law enforcement agencies have committed hundreds of alleged violations, according to a report by the UW’s Center for Human Rights. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is quoted.

About one-fifth of all electricity customers in Washington will be eligible for a $200 energy credit this summer, funded through the state’s landmark climate law. Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Vice President Kamala Harris is quickly gaining momentum as a potential successor for President Joe Biden in November. But there’s still one major event that will define this year’s Democratic campaign: The Democratic National Convention. James Long, professor of political science at the UW, is interviewed.

Sudan has been at the center of a deadly and brutal war for over a year. It's the site of the world's largest hunger crisis, and the world's largest displacement crisis. Christopher Tounsel, associate professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.

In the 72 hours after a political earthquake, there is debate about the impact on the November election. James Long, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

"The Supreme Court’s decision that grants presidents immunity from criminal prosecution for their 'official acts' has been met by alarm by many legal scholars," writes Michael Blake, professor of philosophy and of public policy and governance at the UW.

"While the war between Hamas and Israel dominates the news, the growing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is far more dangerous. Since Hamas attacked Israel last Oct. 7, Hezbollah — far larger and better armed than Hamas — has been waging a less-publicized war on Israel from southern Lebanon, attacking with rockets, artillery, drones, antitank missiles and other weapons, forcing Israel to evacuate tens of thousands of civilians living near the border. Hezbollah could initiate full-scale war at any moment. Its goal: The destruction of Israel," writes Paul Burstein, professor emeritus of sociology and adjunct professor of political science at the UW.

"The first comprehensive federal immigration legislation in the history of the U.S., the 1924 law solidified features of the immigration system with us today: visa requirements, the Border Patrol, and the category of the 'illegal alien.' Even as the primary targets of immigration restrictionism have shifted over the century, the consequences for immigrants and their communities remain profoundly shaped by the system created in 1924," writes Devin Naar, associate professor of history and of Jewish studies at the UW.

U.S. President Joe Biden stumbled over his words repeatedly in his first presidential debate with former President Donald Trump leading up to the November election, and the Republican frontrunner responded to Biden’s verbal attacks with lies about his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection along with fibs about the economy. James Long, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Research that drives development and national pride will take center stage for the next five years, researchers say. Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

"While charging a former president with criminal offenses was a first in the United States with Trump, in other countries ex-leaders are routinely investigated, prosecuted and even jailed," co-write the UW's political science professors James Long and Victor Menaldo.

"As a political philosopher, I am interested in how concepts like moral equivalence are used in political discussions. Those who use this concept generally do so as a way of asserting that someone is at best deceived – and, at worse, deliberately deceptive – about the moral wrongs done by one side in a conflict," writes Michael Blake, professor of philosophy and of public policy and governance at the UW.

Donald Trump was found guilty, on Thursday, of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex. The historic verdict makes him the first former president to be convicted. Randy Pepple, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

In a survey conducted six months after San Juan County's 32-hour workweek’s October start date, 83% of employees said it had improved their work-life balance, and 78% their mental health. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Nearly a year after the Hollywood writers' strike started, the entertainment industry remains in flux. Daniel Bessner, assistant professor of international studies at the UW, says TV and film writers are feeling the brunt of the changes.