Henry Farrell

Tom Coburn Doesn’t Like Political Science

Sen. Tom Coburn doesn’t like political science. Since 2009 the Oklahoma senator has been trying to ban National Science Foundation funds for political-science research. His new Senate colleague, Jeff Flake of Arizona, has an M.A. in political science, but doesn’t like it either. Flake tried to block NSF funds when he was in the House of Representatives. When Rep. Eric Cantor gave a speech last month to relaunch the Republican agenda, the Virginia congressman singled out political-science research—a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of government spending—as a major example of government waste.

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Essay

The Wrong Way to Punish Iran with Abraham Newman

November 1, 2018 The New York Times with Abraham Newman
During the war on terror, the United States quietly turned the world financial system into a hidden empire. The American government used the power of the dollar and its influence over obscure organizations such as the Swift financial messaging service to monitor what its adversaries and terrorists were doing and, in some cases, to cut ...
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Academic Article

Linkage Politics and Complex Governance in Transatlantic Surveillance – with Abraham Newman

August 31, 2018 with Abraham Newman World Politics 40
Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman (2018), “Linkage Politics and Complex Governance in Transatlantic Surveillance,” World Politics 40, 4:515-554. Globalization blurs the traditional distinction between high and low politics, creating connections between previously discrete issue areas. An important existing literature focuses on how states may intentionally tie policy areas together to enhance cooperation. Building on recent ...
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