Law, Politics and Society

In a new paper, Margaret Kelley, KU professor of American studies, finds that adults who believe they know a “compromised” gun owner (for example, dangerous, mentally ill or suffering dementia) tend to be much more supportive of “red flag” laws, regardless of political underpinnings.

In a new paper, Jack Zhang, assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, finds that heightened political risks from the U.S.-China trade war increased firm exits by 34%. His study highlights the collateral damage tariffs can cause in an age of global value chains.

A paper by Brad Cokelet, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, was included in the esteemed Philosopher’s Annual, which gathers the top 10 articles during the year in the field of philosophy. Cokelet’s paper titled “Competitive Virtue Ethics and Narrow Morality” introduces a new form of patient-centered virtue ethics.

A KU energy and environmental law professor has published a new study arguing that keeping an open definition of energy communities, or those traditionally dependent on fossil fuel energies, can help ease the transition to renewables. The paper is part of ongoing work in energy justice and transition.

Last chance tourism, or visiting natural sites before they disappear or are altered permanently by climate change, is a growing phenomenon. In a new law review article, a KU scholar examines the literature of tourism, psychology, law and policy to recommend what park managers can do to prepare for and manage the grief and growing visits that come with "eco-necrotourism."

Stephen Wolgast can discuss the one-year anniversary of the Marion County Record raid by police. He has been following the aftermath of the case and conducted a study on the effects the raid had on other rural Kansas journalists.

New research examines how social media announcements of plaintiff’s attorneys’ corporate investigations strongly predict future litigation. It finds how these attorneys’ efforts to recruit additional plaintiffs after a lawsuit has been filed signal that the action is more likely to succeed and result in more severe damages.

New KU findings counter a common narrative that the United States is facing a housing shortage. The study analyzed Census survey data to determine how many cities had shortages of housing stock and compared it to median income for an area.

Public speaking was among the vehicles the writer and reformer used to tell his story of enslavement, to call for abolition and to defend Black Americans’ rights. A KU scholar unravels how relationships with his audiences are context for his ideological transformation.

A new survey of 206 transgender and nonbinary workers shows dramatic improvements in job and life satisfaction when they are able to communicate about their authentic selves on the job. "This is not incremental; it's huge," said study co-author Cameron Piercy, KU associate professor of communication studies.