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Department of Government

Spring Books Unfold

May 25, 2022 by Alex Reshanov

Disentangling: The Geographies of Digital DisconnectionOxford University Press, July 2021Edited by Paul C. Adams, Professor, Department of Geography and the Environment, and André Jansson, Karlstad University After the rapid rise of digital networking in the 2000s and 2010s, we are now seeing a rise of interest in how people can disentangle their lives from the […]

Leaf Through a Good Book

December 6, 2021 by Alex Reshanov

Keep your to-read list up-to-date with our fall book list, featuring a selection of titles from College of Liberal Arts faculty members and alumni.

Book Excerpt: Armies of Arabia by Zoltan Barany

October 26, 2021 by Zoltan Barany

A major legacy of the conflict is Arabia’s increased dependence on US weapons, training, and power projection capabilities, and this reliance has only increased in the past three decades.

Hannah Hayes stands at a railing as the sun sets over the New York City skyline.

A Semester in New York

September 27, 2021 by Emily Nielsen

The UTNY program enables students to live, work and learn in New York City. Read a Q&A with UTNY participant and government senior Hannah Hayes.

The Misinformation Age

September 17, 2021 by Alex Reshanov

Depending on whom you ask, conspiracy theories are either having a heyday or it’s just business as usual. But whether or not there is a long-term increase happening, certain factors likely influence the ebb and flow of conspiratorial beliefs.

Empty Texas Senate Chambers.

A Texas Politics Explainer

September 2, 2021 by Alex Reshanov

Many Texans learned a new word this year: quorum. And, no, it’s not the collective noun for a group of opossums. A quorum is the minimum number of assembly members that must be present in order to conduct business. For the Texas House of Representatives, that minimum is two-thirds of its members.

Animated illustration of woman with sunglasses; book outline is mirrored in sunglasses as her reddish brown hair blows in breeze.

A Look at Our Latest Books

June 30, 2021 by Michelle Bryant

2021 Spring and Summer titles from our college community.

Donald Trump speaking

Trump, defying custom, hasn’t given the National Archives records of his speeches at political rallies

April 22, 2021 by Shannon Bow O'Brien

Public figures live on within the words they are remembered by.

Photo of capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Strong political institutions can uphold democracy, even if people can’t agree on politics

April 16, 2021 by Sean Theriault and Joseph Daniel

Americans’ trust in the federal government has declined steadily in the last half-century, polls show.

Animated illustration of a book and cityscape within a snow globe with letters falling like snow.

Shake Up Your Winter Reading

December 11, 2020 by Michelle Bryant

Winter 2020-21 books from our college community.

I voted sticker

Election Polling Needs More Transparency, Better Reporting of Results

November 18, 2020 by Jim Henson and Joshua Blank

Although it may be weeks until we have verified vote counts for the U.S. presidential election, the error in the polls is undeniable, with state-level polling consistently underestimating support for President Donald Trump.

Political themed collage with Statue of Liberty, U.S. Capitol Building, mail-in ballots, unemployment chart, coronavirus, and protest viewed through magnifying glass with American flag background.

2020 Vision: Examining Some of the Country’s Big Issues

October 30, 2020 by Rachel White

Experts from UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts weigh in on some of the major issues facing our country and the president-elect over the next four years.

Young woman pulling suitcase in the shape of a book with pink background.

Ticket to Read

October 20, 2020 by Michelle Bryant

Fall 2020 books from our college community.

A moving illustration of a large scene. In it, we can see vertical windows looking to a peaceful night cityscape, with twinkling stars overhead. The windows are in the shape of a cellphone battery icon, and illustration slowly turns to a bright, cheerful day scene. The buildings all come to life in a bright, multi-colored wash of color. Around the border of the window, we can see stylized illustrations of people in various poses. We see people having fun with computers, people playing with their pets, families, riding bikes, reading. We also see a medical doctor with a mask waving. There are also wires leading from each person that connect with the battery-shaped window in the middle, giving life to the city.

Rebooting Our Lives After COVID-19

May 7, 2020 by Rachel White

The world’s new reality amid the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing us to confront issues and critically think about how to revive communities slowly, safely and sustainably.

Portrait of Bahar Sahami.

Intern Supreme

July 2, 2018 by Emily Nielsen

Bahar Sahami is a Dedman Distinguished scholar from Plano, Texas. She is a senior double majoring in government and international relations and global studies, while minoring in Middle Eastern studies and completing a certificate in global management from the McCombs School of Business. She is a 2018 Bill Archer fellow, an Intellectual Entrepreneurship Citizen scholar, […]

Photo of Gregory Watson shows off the A+ on his Update of Student Academic Record application at his office at the Texas Capitol.

The “C” that Changed the Constitution

January 11, 2018 by Rachel White

It took two centuries and one mediocre grade to ratify the 27th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In 1982, Gregory Watson stumbled upon a 200-year-old proposed amendment, written by James Madison, while researching a paper for his sophomore government class. It read: “No law varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives […]

Surreal illustration of a young schoolgirl with her backpack open. She looks nervous as a factory with a smokestack pokes out of it. Smoke is billowing out of the backpack.

School Rules

May 3, 2017 by Nathan Jensen

Texas Lawmakers Need to Rethink the Program that Gives Property Tax Breaks to Corporations Since the 2002 creation of the economic program known as Chapter 313, Texas has awarded more than $7 billion in tax credits to companies. The program is intended to attract investors by providing abatements to offset some of the property taxes […]

A tongue-in-cheek photo of a smiling woman holding a brightly branded "Vote" box against a red background. The box reads, "The Campaign for Your Vote: Just Add Brand Power!" (America's Choice).

The Campaign for Your Vote: Just Add Brand Power

May 9, 2016 by Rachel White

After months of being bombarded by pollsters, campaign ads and the most outlandish sound bites on repeat, the moment will come for you to finally cast your ballot. Whom will you choose? “The presidency is the one office that represents the American people: all their wishes, dreams, desires, hopes, fears and everything else,” says history […]

Gauche painting of a young woman sitting atop a field looking up at the night sky alit with fireflies..

Spark Your Interests: Five Liberal Arts Classes That Ignite Critical Thinking

November 2, 2015 by Emily Nielsen

It’s not uncommon for the College of Liberal Arts to break the Registrar’s website. Not on purpose — the interdisciplinary nature of the courses offered in liberal arts do not always mesh well with a system that was designed around rigid department codes. The level of collaboration among faculty members across departments to create in-depth, fascinating […]

The signing of the Constitution. Painting by Howard Chandler Christy.

Can you Fit a Constitution on an Index Card?

September 17, 2015 by Zachary Elkins

The answer, apparently, is yes. As of today (Constitution Day), a Google search on “constitution” squeezes the 4,500 word U.S. Constitution on a card at the top of the results (and a 3×5 card at that, at least on my screen). A drop-down menu allows the reader to jump through sections. A number of other […]

Portrait of Judy Perkins.

Judy Perkins on Finding Joy in Life and Learning

December 9, 2014 by Alicia Dietrich

The Pro Bene Meritis Award is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. First granted in 1984, it is given each spring to alumni, faculty and friends of the college who are committed to the liberal arts, have made outstanding contributions in professional or philanthropic […]

Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award Medal

Regents Honor Outstanding Teaching

December 4, 2014 by Michelle Bryant

Four liberal arts professors received the 2014 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards. They were among the 27 faculty award winners of the UT System Board of Regents’ highest teaching honor, which recognizes extraordinary educators from system institutions. The awards program is one of the nation’s largest monetary teaching recognition programs in higher education, honoring outstanding performance in the […]

Domino Perez and Nicole M. Guidotti-Hernandez

New Department Focuses on Latino, Mexican American Experience

December 4, 2014 by David Ochsner

Building Upon a 44-Year History of Mexican American Studies at UT A new academic department that takes a comprehensive look at the lives, cultures and histories of Mexican American and Latino populations has been established at The University of Texas at Austin. The Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies (MALS) will ultimately offer undergraduate […]

A stylized illustration of a woman in a car driving off of an unfinished highway. A single orange cone stands in her way.

The Road to Gender Equity: Still Under Construction

November 21, 2014 by Jessica Sinn

Christine Williams has heard her share of conflicting arguments about gender equality in the sociology course she’s taught for more than two decades at The University of Texas at Austin. But there is always one question that gives her pause: “Women have achieved equality, so why is feminism relevant?” “I’m always taken aback when students […]

Photo of community garden with a smiling woman at the vegetable stand. A large shed is in the background along with a group of students being shown how to harvest vegetables.

Food for Thought

November 20, 2014 by Michelle Bryant

Government Professor Bartholomew “Bat” Sparrow first got the idea to teach a class about food from his wife, who had worked at Whole Foods for eight years. The result was an undergraduate course—“The Politics of Food in America”—that uses food as a lens through which to view the entire U.S. political system. “The idea was […]

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