Tag Archives: Governance / Law

Scholars’ Circle – Capital Punishment in USA and reasons why it faces increased opposition – October 17, 2021

October 16, 2021 host

The death penalty in the United States has faced increased opposition based on ethical, political, and legal concerns. Several states have outlawed it, but the federal government has returned to its use with a feverish wave of state executions last year. We discuss the implications of the use of the death penalty in the US and examine additional forms of extreme sentencing, such as life without parole. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Frank R. Baumgartner is the Richard J. Richardson Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He is the co-author of The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence and Deadly Justice: A Statistical Portrait of the Death Penalty.
Lee Kovarsky is Bryant Smith Chair in Law and Co-Director of the Capital Punishment Center at The University of Texas in Austin School of Law. He is the author of The Trump Executions and Muscle Memory and the Local Concentration of Capital Punishment.
Jenny-Brooke Condon is a Professor of Law in the Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall Law School. She directs the Equal Justice Clinic. She is the author of When Cruelty is the Point: Constitutional Restraints and Remedies for Family Separation and Denialism and the Death Penalty.

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Scholars’ Circle – Filibuster, it’s history and when is it used in US Congress ; How and Why Peaceful Nuclear technologies was leveraged by US foreign policy makers – August 1, 2021

July 31, 2021 host

The filibuster threatens to block a great deal of the Democratic Party’s legislative wish list. We examine its history, its function in democracy, and its future. [ dur: 29min. ]

Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at University of Texas, Austin. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office and Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy

Then, we explore a new book on the peaceful uses of nuclear power: The Wretched Atom by Jacob Hamblin.[ dur: 29mins. ]

Jacob Hamblin is Professor of History at Oregon State University. His books include Poison in the Well: Radioactive Waste in the Oceans at the Dawn of the Nuclear Age, Oceanographers and the Cold War, Arming Mother Nature: The Birth of Catastrophic Environmentalism and his latest The Wretched Atom: America’s Global Gamble with Peaceful Nuclear Technology.

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Scholars’ Circle – First 100 days of US President Biden in office and Official Acknowledgement of Armenian Genocide by USA – May 2, 2021

May 1, 2021 host

Presidents are often historically judged based on the accomplishments of their first 100 days in office. US President Joe Biden just passed his 100 day mark. How does his record compare to historical records? How likely are President Biden’s proposals to be adopted? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 27 mins. ]

Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at University of Texas, Austin. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office and Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy

Last week, to commemorate the start of the Ottoman genocide against Armenians, US President Joe Biden officially acknowledged the genocide. He was the first US President to do so. Typically cited as the reason why US Presidents were reluctant to acknowledge the genocide is that future of US/Turkish relations, as Turkey continues to deny the genocide. We explore why a nation denies committing genocides and mass atrocities, and what forms this denial takes. What is the implications of President Biden’s acknowledgment for US-Turkish relations? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 31mins. ]

Fatma Müge Göçek is a Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at University of Michigan. Her publications include Social Constructions of Nationalism in the Middle East, The Transformation of Turkey: Redefining State and Society from the Ottoman Empire to the Modern Era, and her latest book Denial of Violence: Ottoman Past, Turkish Present, and Collective Violence against the Armenians, 1789-2009

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Scholars’ Circle – Survey of historical and current Practices to Redress Crimes Against Humanity – April 18, 2021

April 17, 2021 host

After mass atrocities and crimes against humanity, how can societies reconcile? How is justice performed and how should we recognize these crimes? And what of the clash between international interests and local needs when dealing with the punishment and acknowledgment of atrocities? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Elazar Barkan is Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and Director of Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. He is founding Director of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation (IHJR) in The Hague. He is the author of Guilt of Nations: Restitution and Negotiating Historical Injustices and co-author of Taking Wrongs Seriously: Apologies and Reconciliation.
Mark Drumbl is Professor at Washington and Lee University, School of Law, and Director of the University’s Transnational Law Institute. He is the author of Reimagining Child Soldiers In International Law and Policy and Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law.
Jeremy Sarkin is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law and member of CEDIS at Nova University Law School in Lisbon, Portugal. He is the author of The Global Impact and Legacy of Truth Commissions, Reparations for Colonial Genocides and co-editor of Africa’s Role and Contribution to International Criminal Justice.

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Scholars’ Circle – Rise of Anti-Asian hate crimes and Leading the US Department of Justice – March 21, 2021

March 20, 2021 host

Anti-Asian hate crimes have been on the rise since the outbreak of Covid. What is at its root? [ dur: 29mins. ]

Brian Levin is Director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism and Professor of Criminal Justice at California State University, San Bernardino. He is co-author of the book The Limits of Dissent and co-author of the publications Report to the nation: hate crimes rise in US cities and counties in time of division and foreign interference, Posing the Why Question: Understanding the perpetration of racially motivated violence and harassment, and Fact Sheet: Anti-Asian Prejudice 2020 (March 2, 2021).

To report a hate incident and for more information visit https://stopaapihate.org/

A new Attorney General will lead to new priorities. How should Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice confront hate crimes and terrorism? [ dur: 27mins. ]

Chuck Rosenberg is a senior counsel in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group. He served as the Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (2015 to 2017) and as the Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to FBI Director Jim Comey (2013 to 2015). He is the host of the podcast on MSNBC called The Oath.

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Scholars’ Circle – Role of Attorney General at US Department of Justice and Necessary push towards elimination of Nuclear Weapons – March 14, 2021

March 13, 2021 host

Who does the Attorney General work for? What has led to the increasing control of the Department of Justice by the Presidency.[ dur: 29mins. ]

Cornell Clayton is the C. O Johnson Distinguished Professor of Government and Director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University. He is the author of The Politics of Justice: Attorney General and the Making of Government Legal Policy.

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is now in force. What does this mean for the future of nuclear armament? Can an international treaty lead to the removal of the nuclear threat to the planet? [ dur: 29mins. ]

Ira Helfand, MD is co-chair of the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR)’s Nuclear Abolition Committee. He is also a member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)’s International Steering Committee. He has co-authored PSR’s report “Nuclear Famine: 2 billion at Risk?“

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Scholars’ Circle – Impeachement of Donald Trump and President Biden’s immigration policy – February 14, 2021

February 13, 2021 host

What is the future of impeachment as a constitutional tool after the Second Trump Impeachment Trial? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 33mins. ]

Frank Bowman III is Floyd R. Gibson Missouri Endowed Professor of Law at the University of Missouri School of Law. He is an expert on the impeachment of the president and other federal officers. Bowman is the author of High Crimes and Misdemeanors: A History of Impeachment for the Age of Trump. His writes the blog “Impeachable Offenses”.
Eric M. Freedman is a Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Rights at Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. He is the author of Habeas Corpus: Rethinking the Great Writ of Liberty and Making Habeas Work: A Legal History.

How will Biden change American immigration policy? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 25mins. ]

Joanne Lin is National Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at Amnesty International, USA.
Hiroshi Motomura is a Susan Westerberg Prager Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has authored many books including Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States and Immigration Outside the Law.

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Scholars’ Circle – Military Coup snatches away young democracy from people of Myanmar-Burma – February 7, 2021

February 7, 2021 host

The Burmese military has again overthrown the democratic government in Myanmar. What is the future of the government and how should democracy advocates respond? We discuss how international actors committed to democracy in Myanmar should use their influence to counter the military coup. Also, Burma has been a nation of trauma. We look at how the coup continues this pattern. Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Seinenu M. Thein-Lemelson is Visiting Scholar in the Anthropology Department at UCLA and a senior research scientist for the Foundation for Psychocultural Research (FPR). She is the author of forthcoming book chapter Healing Our Sacrifice: Trauma and Translation in the Burmese Democracy Movement and her forthcoming book is entitled, Naingkyin: Body of Sacrifice, Spirit of Resilience.
Kosal Path is Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Master’s Program in International Affairs and Global Justice at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. He is the author of the book Vietnam’s Strategic Thinking During the Third Indochina War.
Jonathan Lijeblad is Senior Lecturer at Australian National University. He’s the author of the forthcoming book chapter The Prospects for Amending Myanmar’s 2008 Constitution in its Transition to Democracy and Democracy, Rule of Law, & Legal Ethics Education: Directing Lawyers to Support Democratization in Myanmar.

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Scholars’ Circle – The future of American Democracy and What is Trump’s legacy? – January 10, 2021

January 9, 2021 host

The mob seizure of the US Capitol this week has raised several concerns about the future of American democracy? Was this a coup attempt? Is this beginning an era of undemocratic actions against peaceful transitions following elections? And is the Trump Presidency an anomaly to American democracy? [ dur: 27mins. ]

Anne Meng is Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia. She is the author of Constraining Dictatorship: From Personalized Rule to Institutionalized Regimes.
Naunihal Singh is Associate Professor at the U.S. Naval War College. He is the author of Seizing Power: The Strategic Logic of Military Coups and this analysis article on Washington Post: Monkey Cage Section.

The authoritarianism of the Trump Administration has lasting implications for the Presidency. We discuss this authoritarianism and his impact on the Republican Party. [ dur: 31 mins. ]

Andrew Rudalevige is Thomas Brackett Reed Professor of Government at Bowdoin College. He is co-author of Managing the President’s Program: Presidential Leadership and Legislative Policy Formulation and the author of The New Imperial Presidency.
George C. Edwards III is University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies at Texas A&M University. His books include On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit , The Strategic President: Persuasion and Opportunity in Presidential Leadership and Predicting the Presidency: The Potential of Persuasive Leadership. He is the editor of Presidential Studies Quarterly.

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Scholars’ Circle – Aftermath of The US Election 2020 exposes A Crisis of Legitimacy – November 22, 2020

November 21, 2020 host

Was the election conducted properly? Will mail in ballots be counted and will that count be allowed to stand? Will the US Supreme Court decide the final outcome? And what, in any case, will become of American democracy? In this urgent and timely event, University of Auckland lecturers will use the lenses of law, political science, and psychology to explain this contested election and discuss the implications of the final outcome. This is a recording of the panel gathered at University of Auckland Law School on November 18th, 2020.

Associate Professor Timothy Kuhner from the Faculty of Law at University of Auckland. Professor Kuhner is known for his critical approaches to the law of democracy. His teaching and research focus on comparative constitutional law, corruption, political finance, and law & society. He is the author of Capitalism v. Democracy: Money in Politics and the Free Market Constitution (Stanford University Press, 2014)
Dr Maria Armoudian from the Faculty of Arts at University of Auckland. Dr. Maria Armoudian is a lecturer at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, the host and producer of the radio program, The Scholars’ Circle, and the author of two books, Kill the Messenger: The Media’s Role in the Fate of the World, and Reporting from the Danger Zone: Frontline Journalists, Their Jobs and an Increasingly Perilous Future.
Associate Professor Danny Osborne from the Faculty of Science at University of Auckland. Danny Osborne is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland. Danny received his PhD from UCLA in 2011, where he studied social psychology with an emphasis in political psychology and quantitative methods. Danny’s research seeks to understand the causes and consequences of inequality, with a particular emphasis on ideology and collective action. His publications include Ideology and Post-Colonial Society and Opposing Paths to Ideology: Group-Based Relative Deprivation Predicts Conservatism Through Warmth Toward Ingroup and Outgroup Members.
Associate Professor Scott Optican from the Faculty of Law at University of Auckland.He specializes in evidence, criminal procedure, and comparative criminal procedure, and has written widely on criminal justice and policing issues arising under the New Zealand Bill of Rights. Scott is also a co-author of The New Zealand Bill of Rights (Oxford University Press: 2003), the first comprehensive treatise on the protection of rights and freedoms under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

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Tag Archives: Governance / Law

Scholars’ Circle – Capital Punishment in USA and reasons why it faces increased opposition – October 17, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – Filibuster, it’s history and when is it used in US Congress ; How and Why Peaceful Nuclear technologies was leveraged by US foreign policy makers – August 1, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – First 100 days of US President Biden in office and Official Acknowledgement of Armenian Genocide by USA – May 2, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – Survey of historical and current Practices to Redress Crimes Against Humanity – April 18, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – Rise of Anti-Asian hate crimes and Leading the US Department of Justice – March 21, 2021

To report a hate incident and for more information visit https://stopaapihate.org/

Scholars’ Circle – Role of Attorney General at US Department of Justice and Necessary push towards elimination of Nuclear Weapons – March 14, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – Impeachement of Donald Trump and President Biden’s immigration policy – February 14, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – Military Coup snatches away young democracy from people of Myanmar-Burma – February 7, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – The future of American Democracy and What is Trump’s legacy? – January 10, 2021

Scholars’ Circle – Aftermath of The US Election 2020 exposes A Crisis of Legitimacy – November 22, 2020

By Maria Armoudian