Experts in the News | Miller Center

America Still Needs Jimmy Carter’s Health Care Agenda—Even If It Flopped

Carter’s willingness to tackle the politically perilous task of trying to rein in health care costs offers a template for the kind of leadership and focus needed to address the health care system’s enduring flaws in 2024.

Guian McKee

Remembering Jimmy Carter

“Some consider him to be the nation’s greatest former president,” wrote Robert A. Strong of the Miller Center, a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that focuses on presidential scholarship.

Robert Strong

Jimmy Carter’s Legacy as a Champion of Peace, Public Health, and Affordable Housing

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, who tirelessly championed peacekeeping and humanitarian causes after leaving the Oval Office, died on Sunday. He was 100.

Robert Strong

What’s behind Trump’s Venezuela policy?

The Trump administration’s abrupt show of military force in the Caribbean, most notably strikes targeting alleged drug traffickers, has reignited longstanding debates over the boundaries of U.S. power abroad. In particular, the administration’s stance against Venezuela has raised pressing questions regarding the legality, strategic interests, and underlying calculus of American engagement in the hemisphere.

Cristina Lopez-Gottardi Chao

Can Taiwan Trust the United States?

Eric welcomes Michael Hunzeker, associate director of the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, to discuss his new book, "America’s Taiwan Dilemma," co-authored with Mark Christopher. They explore why a nation’s reputation for credibility matters for deterrence and alliance management, and whether U.S. treaty allies in East Asia truly want Washington to defend Taiwan at all costs. The conversation also examines Taiwan’s globally essential semiconductor industry, the fate of Hong Kong following its integration into China, and how the Trump Administration is reshaping America’s East Asian system of bilateral alliances.

Eric Edelman

The illusion that government shutdowns don't really matter

With the federal government reopened – at least until January 30 – it’s worth reflecting on why shutdowns have become an increasingly routine feature of American politics. A central reason is the practice of exempting “essential” federal services from a shutdown. On the surface, maintaining core functions like national security, air traffic control, law enforcement, veterans’ health care, and Social Security payments seems entirely justified. In practice, however, this approach makes shutdowns more likely and obscures the everyday value of government, deepening public misunderstanding and distrust.

Chris Lu