Departments College of Social Sciences & Humanities

Fabian Rodriguez cleans a table in an outdoor tented dining area of Tequila Museo Mayahuel restaurant, in Sacramento, Calif. on Nov. 19, 2020. AP Photo by Rich Pedroncelli

The recovery of the US economy after COVID-19 hinges on federal support

Increased federal stimulus, in the form of payroll protection program loans for small businesses, extended unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term unemployed, and childcare subsidies for working parents, will be essential to reviving economic growth in the next six months, says Alicia Modestino, an associate professor of public policy and urban affairs as well as economics at Northeastern.

by Khalida Sarwari December 18, 2020

Do school police keep students safe, or reinforce the school-to-prison pipeline?

Experts in education, social work, and gun violence homed in on the impacts of school policing during a virtual discussion hosted by Northeastern University’s Institute on Race and Justice. Inadequate planning and clarity around these programs has led to friction between schools and law enforcement, parents and police, and communities and schools, they say.

by Khalida Sarwari December 16, 2020

A pile of French newspaper Le Monde headlines

What a Biden presidency means for US-EU ties

There is still much is at stake for European foreign policy, says Mai’a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke professor of political science and international affairs at Northeastern.

by Khalida Sarwari November 6, 2020

The election is almost here. Stay informed with these events.

Here are some events that will keep you up to date on all the big political issues leading up to the election.

by Irvin Zhang October 28, 2020

President Donald Trump walks out to begin a news conference at the White House, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Washington. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Have a problem with Trump’s low income tax? Blame the tax code.

An explosive New York Times investigation reveals that Donald Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. William Dickens, university distinguished professor of economics and social policy at Northeastern, says that while he sees some “questionable deductions” outlined in the Times report, “more generally, Trump is just benefiting from a lot of legal deductions.”

by Molly Callahan September 28, 2020

Left, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a union training center in Hermantown, Minn. AP Photo by Carolyn Kaster. Right, U.S. President Donald Trump addresses supporters at a Great American Comeback campaign rally at Cecil Airport. AP Photo by Paul Hennessy / Sipa

Trump, Biden likely to focus on energizing core supporters in first presidential debate

The move away from showering swing voters with attention has a lot to do with technology that allows campaigns to micro-target supporters down to where they live, says Costas Panagopoulos, chair of Northeastern’s Department of Political Science, whose new book connects election data to insights gained from behavioral social science.

by Peter Ramjug September 28, 2020

President Donald Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court at the White House on Saturday. AP Photo by Alex Brandon

Could the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett backfire on Republicans?

President Donald Trump’s controversial selection of Judge Amy Coney Barrett has deepened the U.S. partisan divide in a way that may influence the election in November, says Dan Urman, a Constitutional law expert at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen September 26, 2020

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at her home in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18 from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, will be memorialized as an iconic figure who faced and overcame discrimination in her personal life to make history as the second woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court. AP Photo/Craig Fritz

Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves behind an unmatched legacy. How might her death shape the 2020 election and beyond?

The 87-year-old Supreme Court Justice will be memorialized as an iconic figure who faced and overcame discrimination to make history as the second woman to ever serve on the nation’s highest court. “Ginsburg basically changed the way that the Supreme Court and American culture understand gender equality and the meaning of sex-based discrimination,” says Dan Urman, a Constitutional law expert at Northeastern.

by Khalida Sarwari September 20, 2020

Trust in COVID-19 vaccines aligns with political parties, new national study finds

Supporters of Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci were significantly more likely to get vaccinated than backers of President Donald Trump, researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers found.

by Peter Ramjug September 15, 2020

Elizabeth Snow fills out her ballot at Red Bank Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Aug. 6, 2020, in Red Bank, Tenn. AP Photo by C.B. Schmelter/Chattanooga Times Free Press

Election Day is in 8 weeks. Will every ballot be counted?

Fake news. Russian interference. Voter suppression. It’s all on the table at Northeastern’s voting rights conference.

by Peter Ramjug September 11, 2020