WashU Experts

Faculty experts in political science, history and law at Washington University in St. Louis discuss the recent capture of the Venezuelan president and offer context about President Donald Trump’s latest challenges to international order.

The unfolding crisis in Venezuela, as well as President Trump’s subsequent threats to countries including Greenland, Colombia, Mexico and Iran, threaten international relations and embolden adversaries. David Carter, an expert in international relations and territorial conflict at Washington University in St. Louis, explains why.

Historically, public opinion has constrained presidents’ use of unilateral power. But political scientist Dino P. Christenson, at Washington University in St. Louis, explains why public opposition to President Trump’s actions in Venezuela is unlikely to sway him.

Under international law, one of the clearest red lines for states is the use of force to take another sovereign’s territory — a prohibition that sits at the heart of the modern global legal order, says MJ Durkee, a Washington University in St. Louis law professor.

When it comes to curbing gun violence in America, the field of public health should consider focusing less on the guns themselves and more on the human emotions that make people reach for guns in the first place, says a researcher from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

The Missouri Legislature has passed a plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps, potentially handing a Democrat-leaning seat to Republicans and giving Republicans a 7-1 district advantage. Partisan mid-decade redistricting, once very rare, could become the new normal, says an expert on voting rights at Washington University in St. Louis.

Changes in vaccine approval have created confusion among consumers and industry leaders. Patrick Aguilar, MD, managing director of Olin Business School’s Business of Health initiative at Washington University in St. Louis, says these changes may also further strain the health sector, which makes up nearly 20% of the U.S. economy.

Beyond registering for classes and decorating their dorms, Andrea Stewart-Douglas, WashU’s director of student financial wellness programs, has another item for new college students’ to-do lists: Make a budget.

Hong Chen, a biomedical engineer at WashU, shares the potential for using synthetic torpor technology to develop new treatments for a range of illnesses and injuries.

A new federal government interpretation allowing churches to endorse political candidates will cause division in churches and sets the stage for the U.S. government to favor politically aligned religions, says Mark Valeri, an American religious historian at Washington University in St. Louis.