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Investors are highly interested in information regarding corporate political spending, says Hillary Sale, JD, securities and corporate governance expert and the Walter D. Coles Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis. “The SEC should address the need for transparency in political spending to better inform shareholders and allow them to protect themselves from hidden political agendas in corporate campaign spending,” she says.

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When presidential candidates employ humorous comments during primary debates, what they do with their eyes is key to the strength of audience laughter, according to University of Arkansas political scientist Patrick A. Stewart.

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As a Professor of Practice in Finance and Economics at Wake Forest University, Dr. Sherry Jarrell’s expertise is in valuing enterprises and strategies. She is an accomplished public speaker, award-winning teacher and frequent commentator on issues relating to law, business, economics and finance on local television and radio. She is also the co-author of Driving Shareholder Value: Value-Building Techniques for Creating Shareholder Wealth, published by McGraw Hill. More information is available at www.SherryJarrell.com.

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Steven C. Kyle, associate professor of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, comments about the implications of a U.S. government default if Congress and the White House fail to raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2.

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David Coates, Ph.D., holds the Worrell Chair of Anglo-American Studies, Department of Political Science at Wake Forest University (N.C.). He previously held personal chairs at the universities of Leeds and Manchester in the U.K. He has written extensively on labor politics, contemporary political economy, and U.S. public policy. He is the author of several books, including Making the Progressive Case, Answering Back, The Labour Party and the Struggle for Socialism and Models of Capitalism: Growth and Stagnation in the World Economy (translated into Chinese and South Korean). More information is available at www.davidcoates.net.

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Iowa State University Professor of Economics Dan Otto knows from experience that the economic obstacles in the nation's great debt ceiling debate aren't as difficult as they may appear, since he had students tackle those same problems last spring for a class project.

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James Jordan-Wagner, an expert in sovereign debt markets, is available to talk to reporters about the looming debt crisis.

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Experts are available to comment on the current debt limit debate and the economic impacts a default could cause.

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Discussion of the federal debt ceiling has dominated the front page recently. Several Washington University in St. Louis faculty experts, all members of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy, have offered their opinions to the news media on the history of the debt ceiling and what may happen if a deal is not reached.

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Constitutional law expert Steve Sheppard is available to discuss whether President Barack Obama has the constitutional authority to avoid default by paying government bonds unilaterally and spending money without Congressional approval.

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Dr. Gordon Adams, professor of U.S. Foreign Policy at American University’s School of International Service, says the trillion dollars in defense savings claimed in the latest deficit reduction proposal from Sen. Harry Reid is completely fictional.

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As the nation watches the countdown to Aug. 2 — the date when the U.S. Treasury Department has said it will no longer be able to pay all its bills unless Congress resolves the impasse over raising the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling — Florida State University’s nationally regarded experts in economics and political science are available to answer media questions. They can provide analysis of the continuing debt ceiling negotiations and the potential ramifications of the nation’s fiscal health problems.

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Presidential campaigns provide a near-continuous dialogue on the nation's political, social and economic future. While these issues are important, communication skills remain integral for a successful presidential campaign, according to several Kansas State University political communication and media experts.

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"The debt ceiling issue is a dangerous political ploy that could have real economic consequences," said Todd B. Walker, Indiana U. expert on fiscal and monetary policies. He offers his perspective on the issue and is available for media interviews.

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The results of a study on candidates' use of Twitter in the 2010 midterm elections suggest that Republicans and Tea Party members used the social medium more effectively than their Democratic rivals.

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Dr. Memo Diriker of Salisbury University’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business is available to speak with reporters on the debt crisis.

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Steven C. Kyle, associate professor of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, comments about the political theater surrounding the debt-ceiling debate — and its consequences.

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Michael Goldberg, the Roland H. O'Neal Professor at the University of New Hampshire, said the government’s failure to raise the debt ceiling could cause a global financial crisis even more severe than the 2008 financial meltdown and send the United States and world economies back into recession.

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A new study of political polarization in the United States suggests that changes in the labor market since the 1970s has helped create more Republican and Democratic partisans and fewer independents.

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Did we really celebrate our independence this week, or has the ongoing financial crisis put the American dream of independence beyond the reach of many of our nation’s citizens? That’s the question author David Coates is asking in his new book, Making the Progressive Case: Toward a Stronger U.S. Economy.

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The Iowa Electronic Markets' 2012 presidential election prediction market has opened, and early trading gives President Barack Obama an edge in his re-election bid with a 57 percent probability of re-election.

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Gordon Adams, professor of U.S. Foreign Policy at American University’s School of International Service, testified before the House Budget Committee’s hearing on “Budgeting for America’s National Security.” Adams oversaw all U.S. foreign affairs and national security budgeting at OMB (1993-1997).

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President Barack Obama’s job performance rating in New Hampshire remains low, with his handling of the economy the most significant factor in dragging down his popularity, according to the latest WMUR Granite State Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

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Mitt Romney continues to lead a congested field for the 2012 Republican nomination for president among New Hampshire Republicans. Michele Bachmann has moved into a distant second place. However, the great majority of voters remain undecided about who they will eventually support.

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A new study finds that that cortisol - the "stress hormone" released when a person is under pressure in individuals immediately prior to casting a vote was significantly higher than in the same individuals in similar non-voting conditions.

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According to a newly released Stony Brook Poll conducted in association with Left Right Research, a Long Island based Marketing Research supplier, more than 81 percent of approximately 7,000 people surveyed believe that they had contributed enough to Social Security to support themselves in retirement, or more than they will receive during their lifetime.

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Changing the world can be fun, according to City Tech Professor Benjamin Shepard. His two recently published books explore the use of play as a valuable component of social movements and political activism, from the local to the national level.

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Can we really celebrate our independence this 4th of July, or has the ongoing financial crisis put the American dream of independence beyond the reach of many of our nation’s citizens? That’s the question author David Coates is asking in his new book, Making the Progressive Case: Toward a Stronger U.S. Economy.

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Historian Edward O. Frantz challenges conventional wisdom on U.S. politics by examining the racial issues and complex political rhetoric of the period from the Civil War to the Great Depression.

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AARP’s ambiguous statements about Social Security benefit cuts have led to a public roasting of the organization for caving into public pressure, says Merton C. Bernstein, LLB, a nationally recognized expert on Social Security and the Walter D. Coles Professor Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. “Whatever stance AARP has taken, it does not provide ‘cover’ for the Obama Administration to agree to cut benefits now, soon or in the future. If AARP does not vigorously and clearly repudiate what some see as willingness to accept benefit cuts, AARP will be the loser.”

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National survey shows marked differences between those who describe themselves as Tea Party Republicans and other Republicans not part of the Tea Party movement.

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The debate over whether President Obama has the authority under the War Powers Resolution to continue U.S. military involvement in Libya has come down to interpretation of the word “hostilities.” A UH Law Center expert on international law is available to comment on the issue, which he calls "highly problematic for U.S. military personnel."

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An analysis of blogs in the 2008 presidential election finds significant differences in how Democrats and Republicans use blogs.

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Fredrik Logevall, Cornell University professor of history, is a leading historian of the Vietnam War. He is the author of several books on the Vietnam War, including “Twilight War,” to be released by Random House in early 2012. Here, he comments on the official release of the Pentagon Papers.

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While several states have recently limited the ability for teacher unions to collectively bargain for their members, teachers will continue to flex their political muscle in a way scholars of policymaking have overlooked: through their pocketbooks, says a Baylor University political scientist.

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Bill Lacy, longtime political strategist and the director of the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, is available to speak with media about tonight's Republican debate.

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Today, with threats of serious budget cuts looming, a new report demonstrates the effectiveness of the Medicaid program in addressing the health and financial needs of children and other vulnerable populations. The synthesis, entitled "Medicaid Works: A Review of How Public Insurance Protects the Health and Finances of Children and Other Vulnerable Populations" examines the program that, since its inception in 1965, has been serving as a lifeline to millions of our nation’s most seriously ill and impoverished citizens.

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Gordon Adams’s article appearing in Foreign Policy, "Unfinished Business: Ten huge challenges Bob Gates leaves behind," outlines challenges Panetta must solve as secretary of defense. Adams cautions “Panetta is going to have to get tougher, a lot tougher. . . .” to tame a bloated defense budget .

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Two Presidential Primary experts from the University of New Hampshire are available to discuss the Republican Primary candidates who are announcing their candidacies this week or indicating that they may do so soon.

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American University Professor Boaz Atzili argues President Obama's resurrected 1967 border proposal presents an historic opportunity for Israel to cement international recognition in his Huffington Post article. Atzili further asserts backing of Abbas's UN gambit by Obama and Israel.

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Findings from the first Blair-Rockefeller Poll show the substantial obstacles the Democratic Party and President Obama face among voters 65 years and older.

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Despite efforts to freeze non-security discretionary spending, the budgets of federal regulatory agencies are increasing in both 2011 and 2012.

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Richard Geddes, associate professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University and author of “The Road to Renewal: Private Investment in U.S. Transportation Infrastructure,” comments on the Department of Transportation’s recent allocation of $2 billion for high-speed rail.

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In an op-ed in today's Washington Post, Gordon Adams, a professor at American University’s School of International Service, calls for more Pentagon budget cuts. Adams is a former associate director for national security and international affairs at the Office of Management and Budget.

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People living in countries with governments that have a greater number of social services report being more satisfied with life, according to a study by a Baylor University researcher. Dr. Patrick Flavin, assistant professor of political science at Baylor, said the effect of state intervention into the economy equaled or exceeded marriage when it came to satisfaction. The study is published in the spring issue of the journal Politics & Policy.

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A High Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa sparked an uncharacteristically heated judicial retention vote, resulting in the ousting of three justices last year. With another justice up for retention in 2012, a University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll indicates that 87 percent of Iowans intend to vote on the matter – but nearly half haven't decided how they'll vote.

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Four Kansas State University members are available to talk about the following in relation to the death of Osama bin Laden: Military history/relations and handling of bodies during war, terrorism, cultural understandings.

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Social Security’s yearly cost-of living adjustments (COLA) are targeted for reduction through a proposed “chained COLA” formula, and that could be a huge problem for those dependent on Social Security income. “COLA is an invaluable feature of Social Security,” says Merton C. Bernstein, LLB, a nationally recognized expert on Social Security. According to Bernstein, Republican “reformers” propose to reduce COLA claiming that the current method of calculating it overstates inflation. “This unrealistically assumes that people have the opportunity to buy lower priced substitutes when millions of people lack access to markets that offer such choices,” he says.

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Florida State University’s nationally regarded experts in terrorism, trauma, communications and economics are ready to answer media questions and provide analysis of the historical, political, cultural and economic ramifications of the death of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.

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Dr. John C. McManus, a military historian and the author of “Grunts,” a book about the importance of ground forces in recent U.S. military history, is available to discuss the role highly trained “boots on the ground” played in Sunday’s killing of Osama Bin Laden.