There’s no shortage of media coverage when it comes to China’s booming economic sector.  Reforms dating back to the 1970s have launched China’s economy on a trajectory that was unfathomable 40 years ago.  Now that the country has established industrial and financial infrastructures, it is looking for ways to sustain its economic growth.  Neil Edwards ’14 is examining the developing investment of China in Tanzania to see if it fosters a mutually beneficial relationship between the countries.

Eleanor Fausold ’13 penned a letter to the editor that was published in The New York Times in response to an op-ed titled “Is It Time to Bag the Plastic?” Referencing her senior thesis research on the costs and benefits of charging a fee for both paper and plastic bags in New York City, Fausold answered the article’s title question with, “The answer is overwhelmingly yes!” The letter appeared on the publication’s website on the day she graduated from Hamilton, May 26, and in print on the following day.

Results of a new survey titled “The 2012 Election and the Sources of Partisan Polarization: A Survey of American Political Attitudes” and conducted by the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center received national attention after the poll’s May 21 release. MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews as well as NBC’s First-Read, the network’s news and analysis daily summary from the NBC News Political Unit, both reported on the poll. Also reporting on the poll were the political website Political Wire, UPI, The Washington Times and BusinessWeek.

Despite the hope that President Obama’s clear victory last November might lead to a reduction in partisan polarization, the results of a new survey conducted by the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center at Hamilton College indicate that American are as divided as ever. Full poll results will be released on Tuesday, May 21, at 10:30 a.m. at www.hamilton.edu/PostElectionPoll.

The students in Associate Professor of Government Sharon Rivera’s introductory comparative politics course (Government 112) participated in a mock election debate in the fictitional country of West Europa on April 30 in the Kennedy Auditorium.

Associate Professor of Government Sharon Werning Rivera and Scholar-in-Residence David W. Rivera presented a paper at the 67th Annual Conference of the New York State Political Science Association on April 19 at Syracuse University.

Hamilton students enrolled in Steve Wu's Health Economics class, Alan Cafruny's International Political Economy class, and Herm Lehman's Intro. to Public Health classes were invited to meet and speak with Sacerdote Great Names speaker Dr. Bernard Kouchner in a small, informal group before the large public lecture held later in the evening.

Assistant Professor of Government Ted Lehmann gave a paper titled “Strategic Minerals and Great Power Rivalry” at the International Studies Association annual conference in San Francisco on April 4.  In the paper, Lehmann examined the relationship between strategic minerals, including rare earth elements and oil, and great power strategic relations.

Alan Cafruny, the Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Affairs, presented a paper at the International Studies Association annual convention in San Francisco on April 6. He gave a paper titled “The Crisis and the German Question,” and also participated on a roundtable on “The Crisis of the Greek State.”

Visiting Assistant Professor of Government Omobolaji Olarinmoye presented a paper titled “China in Africa” to the United Nations Association of Upper Mohawk Valley on March 21 in Utica, N.Y.