Politics and Government

Ukraine's national language is Ukrainian, but many citizens grew up speaking Russian. Does that matter? Professor Laada Bilaniuk studies language and Ukrainian identity.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, explains why the high price of gas is not an economic issue, but a political one.

Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science, explains how, although mail election processing has increased in recent years, there has not been any change in voter fraud levels.

David Bachman, professor of international studies, explains why the most important part of the Beijing Olympics may be increasing Xi Jinping's reputation domestically.

Scott Radnitz, associate professor of international studies, discusses the causes and potential outcomes of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, discusses the situation in Afghanistan and its possible effects on climate change policy.

There are structural reasons people are swayed by anti-vaccine propaganda. Sneering at the unvaccinated won't solve them. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

"In an effort to ‘recognize the medical spectrum of gender identity,’ The American Medical Association now recommends removing sex labels entirely from birth certificates. As an associate teaching professor at the UW, who teaches human sexuality to about 4,000 undergraduate students every year, I strongly believe that Washington state should follow this recommendation," writes Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW.

Without the ongoing prospect of U.S. military support, the Washington-backed Afghan government quickly fell - and on Aug. 15, 2021, the Taliban declared the creation of a new political order, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, writes Michael Blake, professor of philosophy and of public policy and governance at the UW.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, explains why climate policy is lacking even amidst increasing evidence of its importance.

Collaboration between police departments and federal immigration enforcers has persisted around Washington, despite laws designed to tamp it down, according to a report released on Wednesday. Phil Neff, project coordinator at the UW Center for Human Rights, is quoted.

Police, jail staff and other local law enforcement across Washington continue to share information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and Customs and Border Protection, facilitating arrests and deportations, despite a law that prohibits such cooperation, according to a new report by the UW Center for Human Rights.

Local law enforcement agencies across Washington have worked with federal immigration agents to detain undocumented immigrants, despite a state law banning such collaborations. That’s according to a new report from the UW Center for Human Rights. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies and justice and of international studies and director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is interviewed.

"Straight Talk Africa" explores whether investigating former leaders is good for democracy. James Long, associate professor of political science at the UW, is interviewed.

If America’s unions are dying, no one told labor leaders in Washington. The state ranks fifth in the nation for union membership. That strength also translates to political power. In recent years, organized labor has helped Democrats solidify one-party rule. In turn, unions have notched a succession of legislative victories. Kim England, professor of geography and chair of the UW Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, is quoted.