Commentary
3-Minute Civics: Bridging divisive concepts
Early in my teaching career, I learned an important classroom management strategy called the “low card” approach. Basically, the idea is to do the least aggressive thing to get a student to stop a bad behavior. For example, if a student is being disruptive, rather than going to the harshest response, a.k.a. the “nuclear option,” […]
Commentary: How anti-CRT lawmakers are passing pro-CRT laws
Since the final months of the Trump administration, the Republican Party has waged a sustained assault on critical race theory. Otherwise known as “CRT,” this academic framework offers tools to illuminate the relationship among race, racism, and the law. Through calculated caricature and distortion, right-wing think tanks and media have weaponized CRT to manufacture a […]
Commentary: Crisis moment for abortion rights underscores need for proactive action
Six months from now, abortion could be illegal in half the country. This isn’t hyperbole. It’s a stark reality we live with every day as the leaders of reproductive health organizations, but with so much happening in our country and world it’s easy for this fact to get lost. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court […]
Editor’s Notebook: Looking skyward, waiting for the wind
“Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn’t get or something he lost. Anyway, it wouldn’t explain anything. I don’t think any word can explain a man’s life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle – a missing piece.” – Jerry Thompson (played by William Alland), “Citizen Kane,” 1941. IT IS 1978 […]
Commentary: At global climate conference, international becomes local
The city of Glasgow, Scotland, became the epicenter of global climate change action negotiations during the first two weeks of November. The agreement that emerged from many rounds of intense discussions among nearly 200 nations has been met with mixed reviews. Despite new momentum on some fronts, COP26 (United Nations Conference of the Parties) delivered […]
Commentary: After COP26, the hard work begins on making climate promises real
How much the world achieved at the Glasgow climate talks – and what happens now – depends in large part on where you live. In island nations that are losing their homes to sea level rise, and in other highly vulnerable countries, there were bitter pills to swallow after global commitments to cut emissions fell […]
Commentary: Bosses need to get used to the ‘great resignation’
Finding good employees has always been a challenge – but these days it’s harder than ever. And it is unlikely to improve anytime soon. The so-called quit rate – the share of workers who voluntarily leave their jobs – hit a new record of 3 percent in September 2021, according to the latest data available […]
Commentary: What Americans can learn from other cultures about the language of gratitude
Families and friends traditionally gather to express gratitude during this time of year. Many also participate in acts of service and charity as a way of giving back to their local communities. As communication scholars who study intercultural communication, we have studied how the many languages around the world have their own unique words and […]
Commentary: How permaculture offers a path to climate justice
Big farming is both a victim of climate change and a contributor. Droughts, floods, and soil degradation threaten crop yields. But agriculture produces nearly one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. A potential antidote to harmful monocultures is a form of community farming invented back in the 1970s: permaculture. Permaculture is not just about farming; it […]
Commentary: Under infrastructure law, high-speed internet is as essential as water, electricity
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15 was hailed by the White House and advocates as a historic investment to improve internet access in America. As a researcher who studies internet policy and digital inequality, I believe the infrastructure plan should be celebrated as a historic […]
Commentary: How to make voting districts fair to voters, not parties
Should fairness to political parties be the standard for evaluating legislative redistricting? Across the nation, state lawmakers are jockeying to advantage their party – be it Republican or Democratic – while drawing boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. If the Freedom to Vote Act currently before Congress passes, many state maps that favor one party […]
3-Minute Civics: All or nothing
If the past few years have taught me anything, it is that the foundations of our democracy have sadly become more and more often seen as obstacles that need to be ignored, or worse, discarded for the sake of temporary political wins. As a government and history teacher, it has become difficult to explain the […]