DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed a twenty-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza, which calls for the release of all remaining living and deceased hostages, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and an interim governance plan for the Strip involving Palestinian and international actors with no Hamas presence. As Trump has presented it, the plan was not negotiated with Hamas and does not require Hamas’ approval, but it does assume Hamas’ cooperation; once Israel agrees, Hamas is expected to lay down its arms and release the hostages within 72 hours.

Admittedly, like other questions I ask in this column, this too is rather rhetorical, but it is neither academic nor redundant; it is fundamentally a practical question at play in Uganda’s current political landscape. Let me say upfront that it is impossible to have political parties that consistently uphold the ethos and ideals of democracy while operating in a system that, at its core, is autocratic, undemocratic, and, in many respects, antidemocratic.

In this episode of Party Politics, Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina unpack a turbulent week in politics at both the national and state level. With a government shutdown now in full effect, the hosts dig into how it could ripple across the economy, voter turnout, and the midterm elections. They also examine new military rules rolled out by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, raising questions about the future of U.S. defense and civil-military relations. Closer to home, the race for Texas governor is heating up, with new challengers, big fundraising numbers, and even a pop star making unexpected headlines.

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, no solo ha recrudecido su ofensiva contra los medios de comunicación e instituciones que lo critican, sino que también ha utilizado términos como 'woke' o 'fake news' para descalificar aquello que se opone a sus políticas conservadoras. En el #InvitadoDelDíaF24 hablamos sobre la estrategia del mandatario con Ernesto Calvo, profesor de Ciencia Política de la Universidad de Maryland. Además, nos preguntamos si en EE. UU. Se está dando un desarrollo sano de la política.

This week, Emily Hart speaks to Lucas Marin Llanes - the director of development at the Latin American Drug Studies Network, and a research affiliate at the Andes University’s Center for Security and Drugs Studies (CESED). There are already some allowances for personal and medicinal use, but last month, Lucas and CESED proposed a whole new framework for legalised commercialisation. The first question is of course, why do it? Lucas proposes that regulation (done right) might be a way to take power from Colombia’s armed groups, and to ensure decent working conditions for rural farmers; it could also ensure the quality and content of the cannabis people are consuming – as well as contributing to a realistic public health policy on the issue. But is it too soon for Colombia – are the security guarantees in place to avoid retaliation against those who want to join legal markets?

On Wednesday, the Rutgers chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT) shared that the organization, among others, won a joint lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump's administration for targeting international University community members. "Our courageous noncitizen members stepped up and shared their experiences of losing their ability to speak freely because of the chilling effect of Trump administration policy," Rutgers AAUP-AFT President Rebecca Givan said in a press release. "Our unions and associations are fighting for our rights, while higher ed institutions are failing to do so. It's a sad state of affairs when a ruling that merely affirms all of our First Amendment rights feels like a tremendous victory."

El actual director del Laboratorio Interdisciplinario para Ciencias Sociales Computacionales (iLCSS), Ernesto Calvo, afirmó en el programa Modo Fontevecchia, por Net TV, Radio Perfil (AM 1190): “El Tesoro de Estados Unidos no transfiere dinero, funciona como un garante”. Aclaró que la operación refleja un alineamiento estratégico y político, más que una simple acción económica, y destacó que no asegura por sí sola la estabilidad del mercado.

Much of the federal government is shut down today after Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a spending bill to keep the government open. While just how far-reaching, or how long-lasting the government shutdown’s impact may be, critical services including social security and Medicare and Medicaid payments are supposed to continue but could be delayed. University of Houston Political Science Professors and co-hosts of “Party Politics” Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina discuss the potential implications of this government shutdown.

God Created the Middle East! Iran: Religion and State - A Conversation with political scientist Dr. Birol Baskan.

On Sept. 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a new executive order: “Strengthening Efforts to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad.” The executive order, which creates the “state sponsor of wrongful detention” designation, is designed to punish foreign governments for their hostage-taking behavior. The executive order addresses a very real problem – and one that lacks obvious solutions. What is wrongful detention, and what will the U.S. executive order do?