Tag Archives: Presidential

The small Southeastern European nation of Moldova sits at a crossroads. Once a part of the former Soviet Union, the nation has long ties to Central Europe (and in particular Romania). And recent political developments expose this tension. In October, the nation -reelected President Maia Sandu, despite allegations of Russian interference to aid her opponent Alexandr Stoianoglo. And the nation passed a referendum advocating membership in the European Union, but with a very slim majority. And it has seen ongoing conflicts that has separated a significant part of its Eastern territory, which has declared itself the breakaway republic of Transneister. So on today’s show, we will explore the nation of Moldova, its politics, its challenges and its human rights profile. [ dur:34mins. ]

Ecaterina Locoman is Senior Lecturer of Political Science at Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of Moldova’s Critical Decision Between Europe and Russia Narratives of conflict: Russian media’s evolving treatment of Ukraine (2013–2022)
Christian Cantir is Associate Professor of Political Science at Oakland University. She is the author of ‘On the front line of the battle for reunification’: Nationalism and Romania’s identity paradiplomacy in Moldova and “Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels”: The City Diplomacy of Chișinău Mayor Dorin Chirtoacă.
Isabelle DeSisto is fourth-year PhD candidate in Politics at Princeton University. She is co-author of “Moldova chooses Europe again as Sandu wins re-election,” and “The high stakes in Moldova’s 2024 election,”

Following the re-election of Maia Sandu and the passage of a referendum on membership in the European Union, the nation’s human rights profile is particularly important. Membership in the EU requires substantial monitoring of human rights and a commitment to democracy. And while the election of October 2024 looks promising, the nation faces significant challenges. So we will discuss those challenges and the human rights commitments of the nation. [ dur: 24mins. ]

Nicolae Panfil is Program Director and Head of Election Observation Missions at Promo-LEX Association – an NGO dedicated to the advancement of human rights and democratic processes in the Republic of Moldova.

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Insights on 2nd Trump Presidency – November 10, 2024

November 10, 2024 host

Election Day 2024 has come and gone. And the US elected Donald Trump and a huge red wave that turns every branch of government and every lever of power to the Trump-dominated Republican Party. What does this mean for the nation and the world? We look forward today at the US and the world in 2025 and beyond.

Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the 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 co-author of “Problems with President Records are Not Just About Trump” with Kenneth Osgood. He is also the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office. He is the host of the podcast This is Democracy.
Sanford Levinson is W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. He is the author of many publications including Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) and Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance and, with Cynthia Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today.
Hamoud Salhi is Professor of Political Science at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is commentator for Arabic media.

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle – President Biden chooses to step down and Kamala Harris ascendancy to lead the Democratic Party into November 2024 election – August 11, 2024

August 11, 2024 host

We explore the choice of Kamala Harris as the Democratic party’s candidate despite not running in primaries, the choice of President Biden to withdraw from the race, whether he should step down and what the decision means for age and service in the US, and some of the policy implications such as Supreme Court reform and foreign policy. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs and 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 his latest book Civil War by Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight For Democracy. He hosts the podcast This is Democracy.
Peter F. Trumbore is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Oakland University. He is the author of Brexit, the Border, and Political Conflict Narratives in Northern Ireland, with Andrew Owsiak. and Running on Foreign Policy? Examining the Role of Foreign Policy Issues in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 Congressional Campaigns.
Sanford Levinson is W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. He is the author of many publications including Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) and Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance and, with Cynthia Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today.

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle – Guatemala election and inauguration drama explained; Puerto Rico’s struggle with corruption and self determination – January 28, 2024

January 28, 2024 host

In the summer of 2023, Guatemala elected as President an outsider with a famous last name—Bernardo Arevalo. But his political opponents used ever level of law they could to try to deny his Inauguration. Why was he victorious and what does his election mean for the future of democracy in the Central American nation? [ dur: 28mins. ]

Professor Luis Fernando Mack is a Guatemalan independent political analyst and political science professor at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. He is the author of “The Electoral Reform System in Guatemala” and Reform of the State, Assessment of the current constitutional period and prospects for 2024.
Guillermo Trejo is professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, faculty fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, and Director and Principal Investigator at the Notre Dame Violence and Transitional Justice Lab (V-TJLab). He is the co-author of Containing Large-Scale Criminal Violence through Internationalized Prosecution: How the CICIG Contributed to the Reduction of Guatemala’s Murder Rate and Votes, Drugs, and Violence: The Political Logic of Criminal Wars in Mexico (book).

The island of Puerto Rico has a complex relationship with the federal government in the United States. Should it seek statehood or independence? Or is the status quo the best option for the nation. This segment was recorded January 2023. [ dur: 30mins. ]

Amílcar Antonio Barreto is Professor and Chair, Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies Department, and Interim Director of International Affairs and Political Science at Northeastern University. He is the author of American Identity, Congress and the Puerto Rico Statehood Debate and The Politics of Language in Puerto Rico Revisited.
Jorge Farinacci-Fernós is Associate Professor of Law at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico Law School and Visiting Professor at the University of Buffalo School of Law. He is the author of The ‘New’ Insular Cases and the Territorial Clause: From Temporary Incorporation to Permanent Unincorporation and the book Puerto Rico’s Constitutional Paradox: Colonial Subordination, Democratic Tension, and Promise of Progressive Transformation.

This program is produced by Doug Becker, Ankine Aghassian, Maria Armoudian and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle – Turkey’s 2023 election and regional effects – June 11, 2023

June 12, 2023 host

Turkey’s election returned President Erdogan to power, despite the crises in the country. How did he win and what does his re-election mean for Turkish democracy? What are the foreign policy implications for the re-election of Erdogan. What does it mean for regional politics and for Turkey as a regional power? Will Turkey become even more interventionist in the region? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Serhun Al is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Izmir University of Economics in Turkey. He is the author of An anatomy of nationhood and the question of assimilation: Debates on Turkishness revisited , Human security versus national security: Kurds, Turkey and Syrian Rojava and Is Turkey Ready for the Post-Erdoğan Era? Roadblocks to a Democratic Transition.
Hamoud Salhi is Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of International Education at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is commentator for Arabic media. He is a host of SWANA Region Radio.

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Melissa Chiprin, Mihika Chechi, and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Historic context of January 6, 2021 insurrection event ; Tracking the rise of Christian Nationalism and their effect on American Politics – June 19, 2022

June 18, 2022 host

January 6 insurrection has begun televised hearings of their findings. We examine the initial findings of this Committee and the role of former President Trump in the attempted coup. [ dur: 22mins. ]

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 co-author of “Problems with President Records are Not Just About Trump” with Kenneth Osgood. His publications also include The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office and Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy. He is host of the podcast This is Democracy.

The rise of the religious right or Christian Nationalism aided in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, and has been a significant voting bloc ever since. How much is this movement driving American politics? How organized are the groups that comprise the movement? And what exactly is its political agenda? [ dur: 35mins. ]

Katherine Stewart is the author of a new book, THE POWER WORSHIPPERS: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism. She is an investigative reporter and author who has covered religious liberty, politics, policy, and education for over a decade. She is also the author of The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children.

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Melissa Chiprin and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle – Will France Elect a Far Right President?- April 17, 2022

April 16, 2022 host

The French are electing a new President. On today’s show we explore French politics and society and the potential of a French election of a far right candidate as President. [ dur: 58mins. ]

On April 10, 2022, French voters went to the polls for Presidential elections. Like so many countries, the first round of elections are multi-party. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, then a second round of elections is held with the top 2 finishers. In a repeat of the 2017 elections, Emmanuel Macron received the most votes but fell short of the 50% threshold. He will once again run against National Front candidate Marine Le Pen. This election will be held April 24. What is at stake is French participation in the European Union and NATO. French identity is at stake as well, with Le Pen’s well known white nationalist appeal to French voters. We will discuss political and social developments in France, and what we are watching in the outcomes on April 24.

Martin A. Schain is Professor of Politics, Emeritus, at New York University. He is the author of The Politics of Immigration in France, Britain and the United States: A Comparative Study, and co-author and editor of Comparative Federalism: The US and EU in Comparative Perspective and Shadows Over Europe: The Development and Impact of the Extreme Right in Europe.
Patrick Chamorel is Senior Resident Scholar and a lecturer at the Stanford Center in Washington. He is the author of France’s Vanishing Center and The French Presidential Election: Can Macron Stay Ahead of the Pack?
Fleur Macdonald is a freelance journalist who works in print and radio. She is the author of The Malaise Poisoning French Politic

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Melissa Chiprin and Sudd Dongre.

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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.

This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle – Analysis of Armenia-Azerbaijan Ceasefire Agreement -/- US Electoral College fault lines – November 8, 2020

November 14, 2020 host

A peace agreement brokered by Russia was signed this week by Azerbaijan and Armenia to end the fighting in the Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, region. What are the details of the agreement and why did both sides agree? [ dur: 33mins. ]

Richard Giragosian is the Founding Director of the Regional Studies Center (RSC), an independent “think tank” located in Yerevan, Armenia. He is Visiting Professor at the College of Europe’s Natolin Campus and Senior Expert at Yerevan State University’s Centre for European Studies (CES). He is the author of the book chapter Small States and Large Costs of Regional Fracture: The Case of Armenia
Robert English is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Russia and the Idea of the West: Gorbachev, Intellectuals and the End of the Cold War and The Other Side: How Soviets and Americans Perceive Each Other.

How much did the Electoral College matter in this election? Should it be reformed? Is it anti-democratic? And if should be reformed, what should be done? [ dur: 25mins. ]

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
Sanford Levinson is W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. He is the author of many publications including Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) and Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance and, with Cynthia Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today.

This program is produced by the following team members: Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle – US 2020 Elections, views from outside the US – November 8, 2020

November 7, 2020 host

How does the US election look to people outside the US. Will its ability to navigate the process show observers abroad the strength of US democracy or will it show its weaknesses.

We explore the American election as viewed from Greece, Britain, Brazil and Canada. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Aristotle Tziampiris is Professor of International Relations and Director of the MSc Program in Energy: Strategy, Law & Economics at the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus. He is also the President of the Council for International Relations-Greece. He is the author of Greece, European Political Cooperation and the Macedonian Question and co-editor of The New Eastern Mediterranean: Theory, Politics and States in Volatile Era and The Emergence of the Israeli-Greek Cooperation.
Erica Resende is Assistant Professor of International Relations and Security Studies at the Brazilian War College in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is the co-editor of Memory and Trauma in International Relations: Theories, Cases and Debates; and Crisis and Change in Post Cold-War Global Politics.
Simon Radford is an independent scholar based in the UK. He is the author of Can donations buy you a British peerage: a study in the link between party, political funding and peerage nominations, 2005 – 2014.
Lisa Burke is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Denver. She is the author of Natural Disasters in the book Rethinking 21st Century Security.

This program is produced by the following team members: Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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The Scholars' Circle Interviews

Tag Archives: Presidential

Scholars’ Circle – Moldova Election 2024 – November 24, 2024

Scholars’ Circle – Insights on 2nd Trump Presidency – November 10, 2024

Scholars’ Circle – President Biden chooses to step down and Kamala Harris ascendancy to lead the Democratic Party into November 2024 election – August 11, 2024

Scholars’ Circle – Guatemala election and inauguration drama explained; Puerto Rico’s struggle with corruption and self determination – January 28, 2024

Scholars’ Circle – Turkey’s 2023 election and regional effects – June 11, 2023

Scholars’ Circle – Historic context of January 6, 2021 insurrection event ; Tracking the rise of Christian Nationalism and their effect on American Politics – June 19, 2022

Scholars’ Circle – Will France Elect a Far Right President?- April 17, 2022

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

Scholars’ Circle – Analysis of Armenia-Azerbaijan Ceasefire Agreement -/- US Electoral College fault lines – November 8, 2020

Scholars’ Circle – US 2020 Elections, views from outside the US – November 8, 2020

By Maria Armoudian