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Austin Sarat

Tony Carruthers recently survived a lethal injection attempt – the latest man to endure a failed execution

Tony Carruthers recently survived a lethal injection attempt – the latest man to endure a failed execution

(AMHERST, MASS.) Tennessee set out to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21, 2026, but he lived to tell about it. Carruthers, who was sentenced to death for a 1994 triple murder, survived his date with death when the execution team members could find only one suitable vein in which to

When a president settles his own lawsuit to create a fund for allies, fundamental questions about justice arise

When a president settles his own lawsuit to create a fund for allies, fundamental questions about justice arise

(AMHERST, MASS.) Thomas Hobbes took a very dim view of rebels and insurrectionists. He believed that insurrectionists relinquish their status as citizens the moment they seek to overthrow the government and should never be rewarded for doing so. Hobbes, one of the finest political theorists of his time, said this

Why a landmark Supreme Court ruling has failed to keep racial bias out of jury selection

Why a landmark Supreme Court ruling has failed to keep racial bias out of jury selection

(AMHERST, MASS.) On April 30, 2026, Texas executed James Broadnax, a Black man who was sentenced to death for the robbery and murder of two men in 2008. Before the jury was seated, the prosecutor moved to dismiss each of the seven Black people from the jury pool. Citing court

What Trump’s post as a Jesus-like figure tells us about political messianism

What Trump’s post as a Jesus-like figure tells us about political messianism

(AMHERST, MASS.) President Donald Trump sparked immediate outcry on April 12, 2026, when he posted an image of himself as a Jesus-like figure. The post, which Trump later said was supposed to depict him as a doctor, came shortly after the president criticized Pope Leo XIV as “weak” and

A justice department opinion arguing the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional could revert the nation to a time when presidents freely burned their papers

A justice department opinion arguing the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional could revert the nation to a time when presidents freely burned their papers

(AMHERST, MASS.) Prior to 1978, U.S. presidents could do what they pleased with the records from their time in office. They owned them. But in 1978, the Presidential Records Act established new rules for the official records of a president. Passed in the wake of Watergate, when President Richard

Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job

Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job

(AMHERST, MASS.) After President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026, news reports suggested that she fell from grace, not for being too independent, but for not being effective enough at defending him and prosecuting his political enemies. As The New York Times reported the previous

From moral authority to risk management: How university presidents stopped speaking their minds

From moral authority to risk management: How university presidents stopped speaking their minds

(AMHERST, MASS.) Throughout the 20th century, college and university presidents spoke out on everything, from wars to civil rights struggles, with a sense of moral authority attempting to guide the course. Their language was typically direct and free of jargon. “Democracy is the best form of government. It is worth