A Q&A with 2020 Diehl Prize winner and public school teacher Yulissa Chavez. A child of immigrants who had no formal education, Chavez has long been passionate about public education and combatting systems of oppression and poverty.
government
Rising Stars: Q&A with the 2019 Larry Temple Scholars
Starting the semester with an extra $11,000 in the bank is an experience that two liberal arts sophomores have every fall, thanks to the Larry Temple Scholarship Endowment. The award was established by the UT System Board of Regents to help outstanding liberal arts students enjoy university life and learn from their campus experiences. The […]
Liberal Arts Abroad: Government Senior Travels to Izmir, Turkey
Six weeks of living in another country is a significant way that liberal arts students can apply their education to the world around them. Elizabeth Nelson, a government senior with a minor in Turkish, traveled to Izmir, Turkey, this summer, immersing herself in the language and culture of the country. Nelson is from Denver, Pennsylvania, […]
Under the Microscope: Undergraduate Research Week 2016
The fields of study within the College of Liberal Arts are vast, and the number of topics that merit in-depth investigation are seemingly endless. Each year, liberal arts undergraduates at UT Austin get first-hand experience in conducting academic research that can have an impact on themselves, the academic community and even society as a whole. […]
Government Grad Explains How Liberal Arts and Tech Can Come Together
John Newcomb, a recent government alum who graduated in December, used his liberal arts education and preparation from Liberal Arts Career Services to help him land a job at Facebook. Read more with Newcomb on his college experience, the value of an internship and the power of critical thinking below. What made you want to […]
Executive Session: Q&A with Student Body President Kori Rady
The College of Liberal Arts is no stranger to student body presidents—in the past 20 years, only two presidents of the University of Texas Student Government weren’t students in the college. Studying the liberal arts has a way of shaping leaders. UTSG’s 2014-15 president is Kornel “Kori” Rady, a government and corporate communication major from Houston, […]
The Buck Stops Here
Hit TV series like Breaking Bad demonstrate just how far criminals will go to conceal their piles of dirty money. But of all the countries in the world, these illicit activities are most easily carried out under the guise of shell companies right here in the United States. A shell company is a business in […]
‘Gingrich Senators’ Behind Washington’s Legislative Gridlock, Research Shows
A University of Texas at Austin government professor argues in his new book that rising polarization in the U.S. Senate has been caused almost entirely by a particular breed of Republican lawmakers known as the “Gingrich senators.” In his new book “The Gingrich Senators: The Roots of Partisan Warfare in Congress,” Sean Theriault, associate professor […]
Media Highlights: Spring 2010
Daina Berry (History) was featured on the season finale of NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” as one of several historians who helped filmmaker Spike Lee trace his ancestry back to the Civil War. Numerous media outlets including Business Week and the Times of India featured new research by Brad Love and Ross Otto […]
In Brief: Fall 2010
The Play’s the Thing To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the English Department’s Shakespeare at Winedale program, alumni reunited this summer and performed scenes from several of the Bard’s plays. Among them was Kathryn Blackbird, class of 1984 and 1986. She used a mirror in the century-old hay barn near the idyllic country town of […]
Awards & Honors: Spring 2010
The Silver Spurs, the student service organization that cares for Bevo, gave out its 21st annual Endowed Teaching Fellowship awards to four liberal arts professors, who each receive a $6,000 prize. The group surprises each recipient with an unannounced presentation. They are: Kirsten Belgum (Germanic Studies) Robert Moser (Government) Elizabeth Engelhardt (American Studies) Lisa Moore […]
College Dedicates Charlie Wilson Chair
Grassroots effort helps create first privately funded chair in Pakistan Studies in the nation The College of Liberal Arts has successfully responded to a $500,000 challenge grant from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation of Lufkin to support the nation’s first privately funded faculty chair in Pakistan Studies. In all, the college raised $536,000 and received significant […]
Texas Politics Project
By the numbers In the run-up to the March gubernatorial primary, the Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas at Austin released a poll that not only predicted decisive victories by Republican Rick Perry and Democrat Bill White, but also examined the voter sentiments that shaped those outcomes. Sponsored jointly by The Texas Tribune, […]
Citizen Jane
Constitution helps define women’s civic membership and creates social roles Chile, Germany, the Philippines and Liberia. What do these countries have in common? A woman holds the top political office in each country. Now, name five female politicians in the United States government—other than Hillary Rodham Clinton or Condoleezza Rice. Having trouble? Americans take pride […]
Politics in the Pews
Researchers explore the role of religion in mobilizing African-American voters The Sunday morning worship at Red Memorial* progresses like many services in African-American churches. Parishioners sing classic hymns, clapping and swaying along to the music. The pastor, the Rev. Red, greets the congregation the same way she does each week. However, there’s something different about […]
A Red and Blue Nation?
Political scientist debunks two common myths about American voters High voter turnout helps the Democrats. Late-deciders vote for the challenger. Political polarization has left the American electorate deeply divided between “red” and “blue” states. Right? Wrong. Turn on any cable news channel during an election year and you will find these and many other popular […]
Party Polarization
Government scholar examines changes in constituencies and Congress to reveal what’s behind the political divide Article I All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. —Mark Twain The […]
Mr. President
Keeping an Eye on the Oval Office Every day, Bruce Buchanan brings people closer to the President of the United States. Reporters, policy analysts and students regularly call upon the government scholar for his insights into the American presidency—and for his unique ability to make sense of the ever-changing political landscape. The nationally recognized expert […]
Books That Changed America
Scholars explore seminal works that shaped our nation’s history Have you ever stayed up all night reading a book you just couldn’t put down? Felt unreasonably annoyed when a well-meaning friend interrupts your reading time? Found that a book that you’ve read changed your mind and challenged you to change the world you live in? […]
FDR: Traitor to His Class?
Historian H.W. Brands reviews president’s command performance, popular appeal and Depression-era policies In 1932, as Franklin Delano Roosevelt campaigned for the United States presidency, the country was in the darkest days of its deepest depression. Twenty-five percent of the U.S. workforce was unemployed. Across the country, millions were homeless, farms were failing, industrial production was […]