Poli Sci Faculty Reading List

A student asked for reading recommendations that were still about political sciencey things, but not the kinds of books we'd assign to our classes. So I'll kick off this with a brief list of the new titles I've loved lately. Everyone (faculty and students and alumni alike) should jump in to recommend things old and new!

• Why We Are Polarized by Ezra Klein (self explanatory, but holy moly --this is terrific).
• Prius or Pickup by Marc Hetherington (an easy way of looking at how we separate ourselves)
• An Audience of One by James Poniewozak (about Donald Trump's history & fixation on media)
• The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis (the importance of having a federal government that functions. Ahem)
• The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols (also self explanatory and highly relevant)
• The Age of American Unreason by Susan Jacoby (from 2008, this predicted ALOT). 

So those are a few of my faves. Comment below with your recommendations!

Returning to Normal?

It is a great temptation to think that after the pandemic we will return to the way things used to be. To go back to how it was before. But keep in mind that would be a world in which we were unprepared for the pandemic and where medical equipment and supplies were running low. As Brandon Ambrosino points out, normal is what we observe, think is acceptable, desired and preferred. But what is normal may not be desirable for everyone. It has been normal for many bad things to happen around the world, as well as closer to home. It is not too soon to start thinking about a new normal, in which we do not go back to the way things were but, instead, consider how we make things better.

The politics of nostalgia is based on the idea that there was a mythical time in the past where the community, nation, or world was better than it is today. It is a utopia in reverse. Coined by Sir Thomas More, utopia has come to be understood as a locality that has a perfect political, legal and social system. Most utopian writings dream of a future; however, nostalgia emphasizes that the best system was in the past. Political nostalgia emphasizes an imagine past where systems were perceived as better, life was less complex, and people were better. In reality, this better time was the privilege of a few elites. Political nostalgia encourages us to think that the past as a semi-utopia, and that we somehow need to return to it. Yet, More’s construction of Greek words, eu (not) + topic (place), literally means a place that does not and cannot exist.  

The new normal can be better. Our current situation is an extremely uncomfortable, scary and challenging present. But it is temporary. In the coming weeks, months and years, we can build on those things that were good while still shaping a future that is better. In a sense, it is why we are all connected to the university. Regardless if you are a student or teacher, we are all hoping to make the future better for ourselves, our communities, and our world.

As we approach the end of the academic year, and for some the culmination of an academic career, the resources we have cultivated calls us not to return to normality, but to construct a better new normal.

To Our Seniors!

“The COVID-19 Infodemic” by Graphika

This is an interesting analysis of the global conversation surrounding the pandemic we are in. Please share your thoughts on the analysis and maps they present.
https://public-assets.graphika.com/reports/Graphika_Report_Covid19_Infodemic.pdf

Governor Wolf’s Plan for PA

https://www.governor.pa.gov/plan-for-pennsylvania/#Phase1Relief

Four Pieces from the International Press (one not about COVID-19)

Dogan and Pelassy argued that without the methodology of comparison, to systematically evaluate, we are blind to understanding what we are doing and how well we are doing it. They compare people who do not practice comparison to the blind men and the elephant. There are several great reads about the impacts of the pandemic on politics and the world this week from the international press that are worth considering:

·         Adam Tooze takes an in-depth look at the pandemic and the effect on the world economy, arguing that the three hubs of production (the United States, China and Europe) each have significant problems to overcome to recover from the global crisis. Political and economic realities will be significant obstacles in the recovery. This will have a tremendous effect on the rest of the world as well.

·        Commenting in Deutsche Welle, IIvaylo Ditchev argues that COVID-19 is straining relations in Europe, not just between countries, but also between generations and classes. He points out that there has been a tendency to practice scapegoating, and richer countries have benefited from the brain drain from poorer countries during the crisis.

·         Meanwhile, on the BBC’s website, Jessica Lussenhop provides a harrowing detailed account of the biggest outbreak in the United States at a single location thus far: the 644 confirmed cases (as of 15 April) at the pork-packing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

For those of you who have grown weary of the pandemic coverage (and understandably so), a totally offbeat article:

·         The Irish Times is covering the creation of a new font / typeface based on the cultural heritage of County Galway, which has been designated the European Capital of Culture for 2020. The new font, Gaillimh, has not yet appeared in my choices in Microsoft Word, but I am hopeful.

Protest Against the Shutdown in PA Monday April 20th

https://www.abc27.com/news/local/anti-shutdown-protest-planned-to-take-place-in-front-of-state-capitol-building-next-week/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_abc27_News

This protest is being organized by political action committees.