WashU Experts

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has called for a phaseout of the state’s income tax, a move that would cause the most pain to the state’s low-income residents, says an expert on tax law at Washington University in St. Louis.

The markets essentially shrugged when the U.S. removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a special operation. But that could change if the U.S. follows through on other geopolitical threats, says political scientist Timm Betz at Washington University in St. Louis.

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.