Experts in the News | Miller Center

Trump played down the pandemic, but voters may have figured that out already

It will be hard for undecided voters to “contextualize what he is saying here,” said Russell Riley, a presidential historian at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. “Some of this will require contextualizing,” Riley said. “And what you hear depends on whether you are getting your context from MSNBC or ... from (Fox News commentator) Sean Hannity.”

Russell Riley

Democracy and capitalism: The recession and the 2020 election

Well-functioning markets rely on political norms, including property rights, the rule of law, free trade, the sanctity of contracts, fair dealing, and the efficient distribution of resources. But increasingly political candidates charge that the capitalist system is “rigged” in ways that thwart democratic processes and favor important players and interests in the capitalist economy. We explore how the disruption of 2020 and a looming recession affect this dynamic—and what the influence on the 2020 election will be.

Robert Bruner

Taxation

Biden is no JFK on taxes. Many Democrats are fine with that.

Unlike the pressure Joe Biden feels today from his party’s left flank, Kennedy had to placate conservative southern Democrats. When they made common cause with like-minded Republicans to cut spending, New Frontier social programs were doomed.

The Hill

Ashley Deeks Named Head of New National Security Law Center

Professor Ashley Deeks, a national security law expert and former official with the U.S. State Department, has been named director of the National Security Law Center at the University of Virginia School of Law. The center will help support the academic contributions of faculty, and serve as a hub for professors and working professionals to exchange ideas, as well as create increased opportunities for students interested in national security law.

Ashley Deeks

2020: The Road to the White House

Barbara Perry is interviewed on Alhurra TV.

Barbara Perry

Inside the presidential campaigns: a look into the transition teams

Months before any president is sworn in, their transition teams are hard at work making sure their administration is ready to begin work on day one. “Every four or eight years we do a complete transition of the entire leadership of the federal government,” said Chris Lu, Director of the 2008 Obama/Biden transition team. “The fact that we’re able to pull this off every four to eight years is a testament to the planning that goes on behind the scenes.”

Chris Lu