Schar School of Policy and Government

Mark Katz offers two theories to explain why Russian President Vladimir Putin suddenly called for an end to what, in a departure from past practice, he referred to as the “war” in Ukraine. Katz suggests that Putin might recognize the costs of the war and genuinely want to end it; he may also want to incentivize Western governments to stop supporting Ukraine at current levels.

A Chinese scientist modified the genes in human embryos that became living babies. A new paper takes note of the world’s reaction, particularly within China.

A weekend-long conference near Washington, D.C., brought undergraduate students from several universities together to learn the art of policy communications. The sessions were taught by practitioners in an event hosted by the Schar School.

After seeing a family member struggle with inadequate help in dealing with the criminal legal and treatment systems available, Faye S. Taxman devoted her career to developing change. In November, she received the criminology field’s highest honor.

A major story in the Post breaks down all the ways the Senate is designed, intentionally or not, to favor particular populations. In a telling quote, the Schar School’s Jennifer N. Victor confirms it.

Are flying saucers real? Are they a national security threat? The outgoing director of the Pentagon’s UAP program and a Washington Post intelligence reporter discuss what’s new and known in the UFO world.

A pandemic-era boom has fundamentally changed the face of American home schooling, transforming a group that has for decades been dominated by conservative Christians into one that is more racially and ideologically diverse, a Washington Post-Schar School poll finds.

What’s it like delivering the daily intelligence briefing to the president of the United States each morning? Adunct and Mason alum James P. Danoy can now tell all.

The big winners of a two-month-long competition to create innovative ways to combat counterfeiting were Mason students and alumni—and the world at large. See who won the thousands in prize money in the Bring Down Counterfeiting Hackathon 2023 and who helped sponsor it.

Voice of America explains how the GOP is hamstrung on a single wedge issue: abortion. The Schar School’s Jeremy Mayer confirms it for the global audience.