Experts in the News | Miller Center

Mourners pay respects to Ginsburg at U.S. Supreme Court

Her popularity prompted officials to set aside two days for public viewing, rather than the one day allowed for other justices, said Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. “She became a pop icon in the last decade,” Perry said.

Barbara Perry

The Replacements: Why and How “Acting” Officials Are Making Senate Confirmation Obsolete

The Constitution vests responsibility for filling federal leadership positions in both the president and the Senate — the president nominates officials for key posts, and the Senate provides “advice and consent.” But in recent years, presidents have found it increasingly easy to sidestep this process altogether and to install temporary, “acting” officials in place of Senate-confirmed leaders. This report examines the prevalence of vacancies and temporary officials in Senate-confirmed positions, the use of acting officials and the reasons the nomination and confirmation process has broken down. This report also includes specific recommendations to address the prevalence of temporary officials, fix broken processes and improve accountability.

Kathryn Dunn Tenpas

Amid China's bumpy rise, Xi faces delicate moment at UN

While many in the world have mixed feelings about China’s rise, others will see it as a model of COVID-19 recovery and assistance — in “glaring contrast” to the United States, said Brantley Womack of the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. Xi will also likely be appreciated at the U.N. by countries looking for investment and debt relief under China’s massive Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and by states such as Russia. “Just as the global financial crisis in 2008 set the stage for China’s entrance as a global economic power, the COVID crisis provides a new spotlight for China as a global political power,” Womack said. “In both cases, China’s presence is acknowledged but not necessarily welcome, and China’s diplomatic challenge is to put its best face forward.”

Brantly Womack

Films financed by Steven Mnuchin were tailored to appeal to China

Director Alfonso Cuarón told China Daily that the plotline was driven not by marketing concerns but by the small number of countries that had active space programs. “We had to base it upon elements in space at the time,” he said. “That may very well be true,” said Aynne Kokas, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Virginia and the author of “Hollywood Made in China.” But she notes that the notion of China as a benevolent space power is a narrative that resonates with the Chinese Communist Party.

Aynne Kokas

VERIFY: Yes, if Joe Biden is elected President, and the Senate hasn't confirmed a SCOTUS justice by inauguration, Biden can name a new nominee

"Biden will not be president, if at all, until Jan. 2020," Prakash said. "If the Senate consents and the president appointments prior to that day, the appointment is complete and cannot be withdrawn by Biden or anyone else. If the Senate does not act prior to Biden's inauguration, then of course the nomination can be withdrawn. Trump can withdraw any nomination of his at any time. All nominations expire at the end of a Senate session according to Senate rules."

Saikrishna Prakash

Contradicting statements, national security concerns cloud TikTok deal forecast

Aynne Kokas, Abe fellow and associate professor of media studies at the University of Virginia who specializes in U.S.-China media and tech relations, noted in an interview that the proposed ownership structure as detailed by ByteDance is short of previous executive branch statements around ownership.

Aynne Kokas