Politics | Yale Insights

President-Elect Joe Biden speaks to the media on November 9, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Business Leaders Mobilize for a Fair Vote

Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
October 30, 2020

As the U.S. approaches a divisive election, writes Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, business leaders are calling for patience while ballots are counted and a peaceful transfer of power.
Can We Talk about Politics at Work?

Heidi Brooks
October 29, 2020

We asked Heidi Brooks, who studies organizational behavior and pioneered the course Everyday Leadership, for her advice on how organizations can respond positively to strong opinions and emotions around political issues—both during election season and after the votes have been cast.
On COVID-19 Vaccines, Big Pharma Knows to Just Say ‘No’

Dr. Albert Ko Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
September 11, 2020

In the face of pressure from President Donald Trump, nine major pharmaceutical companies have signed a pledge to complete testing before submitting vaccines for approval. Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Dr. Albert Ko write that the drugmakers’ caution may help provide badly needed confidence in the eventual vaccine.
What Kamala Harris’s Nomination Means for Women’s Equality

Oriane A. M. Georgeac
September 11, 2020

If Joe Biden is elected this November, Kamala Harris would be the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. We asked Prof. Oriane Georgeac, who studies perceptions of diversity, if Harris’s nomination heralds an acceleration of progress for women generally.
Please Mr. Postman

Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
August 21, 2020

Some have defended cutbacks to the United States Postal Service, weeks ahead of the election, by citing the USPS’s financial struggles. But the postal service was created to provide a public service, writes Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, not to turn a profit.
Don’t Use COVID-19 as an Excuse to Turn Away Skilled Immigrants

Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
May 29, 2020
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to limit immigration for skilled workers in order to boost employment for domestic workers. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that such a move would stifle innovation and even endanger Americans’ health.
How Should the U.S. Government Respond to COVID-19?

Howard P. Forman
March 13, 2020

On March 12, a group of public health experts assembled by Yale SOM’s Dr. Howard Forman released a proposal for a set of emergency public health, healthcare, and emergency support measures to respond to the growing COVID-19 outbreak.
Study: Pharmaceutical Ads Drive Prescriptions—And Save Us All Money

Michael Sinkinson
February 17, 2020
Yale SOM’s Michael Sinkinson found that fewer people get life-savings statins during primary season, when pharmaceutical ads are displaced by political ads.
How Meritocracy Worsens Inequality—and Makes Even the Rich Miserable

Daniel Markovits
January 09, 2020

Yale Law School’s Daniel Markovits argues that rather than democratizing American society, meritocracy has contributed to increasing inequality and the decline of the middle class.
By Intervening in Disciplinary Process, Trump Weakens Military Command Structure

Thomas A. Kolditz Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
November 27, 2019
Leadership experts Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of Yale SOM and General Thomas Kolditz of Rice University write that Trump’s interference in the Gallagher case violates a key principle of military law and undermines the military command structure.