Special edition: Understanding the start of the Trump presidency

[Click here to view this message in your web-browser]. Edition: US 22 January 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair] Editor's note On his first day on the job, President Donald Trump attended a prayer service at the National Cathedral and visited the CIA -- the agency he has vociferously attacked and insulted in the past -- to declare that the media had lied about his feud with intelligence agencies and that it had lied again about the size of the crowds at his inauguration. Meanwhile, over a million people marched through Washington and other cities in the U.S. and around the world to vow resistance to the new president. In this special newsletter to mark the beginning of Trump’s presidency, we’ve pulled together our coverage of the new administration -- its policies, its people and its protesters. Political scientist Simon Reich asks what Trump’s insistence on “America first” [means for NATO], an organization the president has described as obsolete. Historian Peter Kastor argues that this presidency marks [the end of an era] defined not just by Barack Obama but also Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Urban geographer Lisa Benton-Short sends a dispatch from the National Mall, [America’s “stage for democracy.”] And, if you want to brush up on [Trump’s cabinet picks], here’s what our scholars expect from them. Maria Balinska Editor Top story First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence wave goodbye to Barack and Michelle Obama. REUTERS [Donald Trump waves goodbye to era of Baby Boomer presidents] Peter Kastor, Washington University in St Louis A presidential historian explains how Trump’s inauguration marks a the end of an era defined not just by Obama, but a series of baby boomer presidents. How will Trump be different? New today - [NATO's future when America comes first] Simon Reich, Rutgers University Newark Is Trump correct in asserting that NATO has outlived its utility? Or that NATO’s members enjoy a 'free ride' on the back of the US? A political scientist examines the evidence. - [Trump's cabinet: Eight essential reads] Emily Costello, The Conversation; Danielle Douez, The Conversation Get ready for Senate hearings and confirmation votes on President Trump's cabinet picks by reading this roundup of key coverage from our archive. - [Dispatch from DC: On the National Mall, the state of a nation] Lisa Benton-Short, George Washington University Inaugural weekends are snapshots of the cultural and political zeitgeist. How did this year's compare to those from 2009 and 2005? Politics + Society - [Price, author of long proposal to replace Obamacare, short on specifics in hearing] Miranda Yaver, Yale University Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) has written a proposal to repeal Obamacare, a program under the Department of Health and Human Services, which he would head. Here are things to consider for his next hearing. - [The art of protesting during Donald Trump's presidency] Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer, Case Western Reserve University On the face of it, our democratic values are in trouble. But we should be hopeful about the power of protest. - [Rule by the lowest common denominator? It's baked into democracy's design] Firmin DeBrabander, Maryland Institute College of Art Is Donald Trump's election a sign that something is wrong with our democracy? A philosopher argues that just the opposite is true. - [Sultan Donald Trump?] Henry F. (Chip) Carey, Georgia State University A political scientist looks at the similarities between the new American president and the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. What might the parallels portend for US politics? - [Military honor in the age of Trump] Andrew Bell, Indiana University, Bloomington As commander-in-chief, Trump will have a major impact in upholding the U.S. military's honor and ethics. A scholar at the U.S. Naval Academy considers if he is up to the task. - [Four key times presidential nominees failed to gain Senate confirmation] Sarah Snyder, American University School of International Service An analysis of four failed presidential cabinet nominees reveals what obstacles Trump's nominees might face during the confirmation process. - [One way Trump is different from European nationalists] Brian Porter-Szücs, University of Michigan An historian based in Poland sees many similarities between Trump and authoritarian nationalists like Poland's Jarosław Kaczyński. But the parallels only go so far. - [Can Trump make real change as president?] Sharece Thrower, Vanderbilt University A scholar of presidential power looks at personality, rationality and the institution of the presidency for clues about what the incoming administration can accomplish. Arts + Culture - [Trump's inaugural speech: Is it morning or mourning in America?] Christian Lundberg, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill; Joshua Gunn, University of Texas at Austin An address that's normally a call for unity instead mirrored the rhetoric of his campaign: unfocused, contradictory and divisive. - [Why each side of the partisan divide thinks the other is living in an alternate reality] Lauren Griffin, University of Florida; Annie Neimand, University of Florida If someone sees or hears something they don't want to believe...they probably won't believe it. Economy + Business - [Trump snubs ethical norms because we've forgotten why they matter] Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon We haven't had a major government ethics scandal since Watergate, which means Americans have forgotten how bad it can be. That's why Trump may end up accidentally reminding us. - [Evidence from states shows why Trump’s brand of Carrier-style dealmaking won't work] Joshua Jansa, Oklahoma State University States have been using tax breaks and other incentives like the kind Trump dangled before Carrier for years. There's little evidence they work, and in fact they may lead to widening inequality. - [How progressives can still make change in the age of Trump] Sandra Waddock, Boston College Conservatives have been very successful framing a compelling narrative about who they are and what they stand for. Progressives will have a tough four years if they don't do the same. Health + Medicine - [As Republicans ready to dismantle ACA, insurers likely to bolt] J.B. Silvers, Case Western Reserve University Trump's pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare already has weakened the health insurance market and likely will weaken it more. The instability will be costly, in more ways than one. - [Rural America, already hurting, could be most harmed by Trump's promise to repeal Obamacare] Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, University of Michigan; Mahshid Abir, University of Michigan Repeal and replacement of Obamacare would hurt rural health care, causing closure of hospitals and physician practices. What does this mean for a group of people whom Donald Trump has pledged to help? - [Sexuality in the time of Trump] Kevin Mintz, Stanford University President-elect Trump has said the issue of gay marriage is settled, yet he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade, which upheld a woman's right to abortion. What will he do once he becomes president? - [Fixes, not repeals, more typical for major legislation like Obamacare] John McDonough, Harvard University Other major laws to improve the health of Americans faced opposition, but none has faced the wrath that Obamacare has faced. Here's a look at what's different in the political response to Obamacare. Education - [Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos and school choice: Eight essential reads] Kalpana Jain, The Conversation; Emily Costello, The Conversation; Danielle Douez, The Conversation Trump's billionaire nominee for secretary of education has stirred up debate about the effectiveness of school choice. What does the research say? And, who is Betsy DeVos? Environment + Energy - [Will President Obama's clean energy legacy endure?] Mark Barteau, University of Michigan The Trump administration has the tools to slow the momentum Obama started on clean energy. Countering Trump are global market forces and state-level action. Science + Technology - [Is part of Chelsea Manning's legacy increased surveillance?] Sanjay Goel, University at Albany, State University of New York Government agencies and contractors are now less trusting of their workers, and keeping a much closer eye on them, both on and off the job. 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