Featured Post from Augusta University

Liberals' best hope for a new swing vote is... John Roberts?

Jul 18, 2018

2 min

As Brett Kavanaugh, 53, readies himself for a series of heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, many have questioned who will take up his mentor’s mantle on the Supreme Court.


For three decades Justice Anthony Kennedy was arguably the most powerful figure in Washington, D.C. Famed for his ability to vote across party lines. Kennedy, who announced his retirement in June, helped shape some of the biggest landmark decisions of the past decade—most notably on the issue of same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights. As a replacement, Kavanaugh is unlikely to be as magnanimous with his votes.


But will that alter the Court’s direction?


Only a little, said Dr. Martha Ginn


Ginn, assistant dean of the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and associate professor of political science, said Kennedy’s most likely “successor” is already a fixture of the Court: Chief Justice, and occasional swing voter, John Roberts.


“Roberts will likely become the Court’s ‘swing vote’ now that Kennedy’s out,” Ginn said. “While Roberts may move a little more to the center as result, the overall shift will be more conservative.”


A scholar of constitutional law and the Supreme Court, Ginn said the Court’s rightward movement won’t be quite as monumental as pundits have proposed. After all, Kennedy’s votes weren’t always left-leaning. In his last term, he sided with his liberal colleagues not once.

“I think one point that is getting lost is that Kennedy was, for the most part, a conservative and voted accordingly,” she said. “There were certain issues where he was more likely to join the liberal wing, most prominently LGBTQ rights, but he voted with the conservative justices the majority of the time.”


Kennedy’s retirement will certainly shift the Court toward the right, Ginn added, but “not to the same degree as if Ruth Bader Ginsburg retired or died in office.”


Meanwhile, as the non-chaos of a Kavanaugh confirmation plays out, Roberts stands to gain as the Court’s new wildcard. Ginn said Roberts’ latest ruling, that law enforcement agencies must obtain warrants to use cell tower data, is a good indication of how he’ll vote as part of a post-Kennedy Court.


“I think the role of Chief Justice Roberts becomes even more significant in a Kennedy-less Court and that hasn’t been given much attention,” she said. “I think both sides are forgetting that Roberts is a bit of wild card too when it comes to voting on very consequential cases. The one that comes to mind most


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5 min

AU expert talks Hurricane Helene’s impact on the supply chain

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You can’t anticipate everything, but we learned a lot from COVID and then the Baltimore bridge collapse and the supply chain disruptions those caused.” Franza said North Carolina is a case study in disruption to the supply chain at three different points: the source, manufacturing and transportation. “When we think about supply chain disruptions, people don’t typically think about it affecting the physical supply, but rather the transportation and logistics,” said Franza. “This one’s a little trickier because you have one industry affected by the supply of raw materials, another affected by the manufacturing of supplies and so many more will be affected by transportation problems.” Problems in manufacturing One industry that has been heavily impacted by the storm is the medical field, particularly the manufacturing of IV fluid bags. Baxter International, one of the largest producers of IV fluid bags in the country, has a manufacturing plant located in Marion, North Carolina. 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But an extended shutdown will likely mean even more chip shortages, similar to the global chip shortage that began in 2020 and lasted through 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the tightened restrictions in the countries that manufacture those chips. The loss of roads is not the only source of recent transportation problems, as immediately following the during the storm there was a three-day disruption in imports at 36 ports, including shutting 14 down stretching from Maine to Texas, as 45,000 dockworkers went on strike over pay. 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People need to be better informed because rumors start and then more problems are caused.” But Franza reiterated that companies have learned from past events, and that planning has made the supply chain stronger. “I think we’re better than we were four years ago because each of these crises builds our toolbox on how to plan for and deal with disruptions. It has built resiliency.”

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AU study shows participation in civil society groups lowers suicide rates

A new study by Lance Hunter, PhD, professor of social science in Augusta University’s Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, reveals a direct link between voluntary involvement in civil social groups and a lower risk of suicide. In the study, published in Cross-Cultural Research, Hunter looked at data gathered from 2000 to 2019 from 156 countries with varying levels of development from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America and found that participation in civil society groups, both political and non-political, may produce positive social and psychological benefits that are associated with lower suicide rates. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, during which mental health advocates, prevention organizations and other community groups promote suicide prevention awareness. “The greater the voluntary participation in civil society groups within the country, the lower the suicide rates are for that country,” said Hunter. “Voluntary civil society participation is a great way for people to connect with other individuals with similar interests and possibly find meaning and purpose to some degree. That in turn decreases feelings of social isolation, which can decrease the likelihood of suicidality or suicide.” Based on the research, he noted that social isolation is a major factor in suicide ideation and attempted suicide but it’s not the only factor. “It is important to note there are many psychological, biological, social and mental health factors that can contribute to suicide risk. Civil society participation and social isolation are just two factors among many that can affect suicidality,” said Hunter. Meredith Rausch, PhD, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Research, Counseling and Curriculum, said research shows ideation and deaths by suicide in the United States tend to rise between February and April and again in August and September. “I have found the change in seasons often leads to people feeling overwhelmed when it comes to thinking about enduring another season,” said Rausch. “While the advent of spring or autumn may seem enjoyable or hopeful to some people, others find it to represent an entirely new season and the idea of experiencing that is exhausting.” Rausch also notes it’s important to note how these times of the year also coincide with the academic year, causing an increase in bullying, frustration with academics or other negative experiences for school-aged children. According to a 2023 study by the World Health Organization, more than 700,000 people worldwide die each year by suicide, and suicide is the fourth-leading cause of death among people 15 to 29 years old. Interested in learning more - let us help. Lance Hunter, PhD, is available to speak with media about this important topic - simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

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