The Sanders and Trump presidential campaigns both capitalized on emotional speeches and rallies. But politics weren’t always this way. Professor Jeremy Young examines the history of how charisma and emotional speaking became essential in elections.

For More on This Topic

• Read his brief, What Emotional Politics More than a Century Ago Says about Winning U.S. Elections Today
• Check out his book, The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870-1940

Further Reading

• Why -- And How -- Modern Politicians Talk About God And Religion, Kevin Coe, University of Utah
• Are Gender Stereotypes a Problem For Female Candidates?, Nichole Bauer, University of Alabama

Many transgender Americans report being denied a job because of their identity, but that’s just one result of the discrimination they face. Professors Eric Grollman and Lisa Miller explain how unfair treatment also harms their mental and physical health.

For More on This Topic:

• Read Miller and Grollman’s two-page brief, Discrimination as an Obstacle to Wellbeing for Transgender Americans
• Check out the blog that Professor Grollman mentions, Conditionally Accepted -- and the blog post by Professor Alex Hanna -- and read their OpEd in USA Today.

Further Reading:

• How Discrimination Hurts Health and Personal Wellbeing, Eric Anthony Grollman,  University of Richmond

• How Fighting Discrimination Can Enhance Well-Being For Aging Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans, Gilbert Gonzalez, Vanderbilt University, Carrie Henning-Smith, University of Minnesota
• The Health Consequences of Moving from Place to Place, Antwan Jones, George Washington University

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement, American processed foods have flooded the Mexican food market -- with dramatic effects on people’s health. Professor Alyshia Gálvez explains how Mexico became a dumping ground for America’s corn.

For More on This Topic:

• Read her OpEd in the Dallas Morning News, How NAFTA got Mexicans hooked on U.S. junk food, co-authored with Nicholas Freudenberg
• Check out the book she referenced, The Making of NAFTA: How the Deal Was Done by Maxwell A. Cameron and Brian W. Tomlin

Further Reading:

• Why Taming Corporation Promotion of Dangerous Consumer Products is Vital to Improving Public Health, Nicholas Freudenberg, City University of New York
• The Misleading Case for Unmanaged Global Free Trade, John A. Miller, Wheaton College
• Will International Trade Pacts Promote Shared Prosperity?, SSN Spotlight, February 2015

As Congress and the Trump Administration roll back environmental protections, some communities are especially harmed. But Professor David Konisky explains that unequal protection is nothing new, and lays out a history of failed promises by the government.

For More on This Topic:

• Read his two-page brief, The Challenge of Achieving Environmental Protection for All
• Check out his book, Failed Promises: Evaluating the Federal Government’s Response to Environmental Justice

Further Reading:

• Improving the Effectiveness of Federal Energy Assistance for Low-Income Households, Tony G. Reames, University of Michigan
• How Environmental Toxins Reduce Life Expectancy in Many American Neighborhoods, John I. Gilderbloom, University of Louisville, Gregory D. Squires, George Washington University