Kevin McCarthy's problems may only be beginning

+ talking across the political aisle can ease polarization US Edition - Today's top story: Speaker of the House faces political peril from member deaths and resignations – especially with a narrow majority [View in browser]( US Edition | 5 January 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( The biggest political story of the week, bar none, is Kevin McCarthy’s humiliating bid to become speaker of the House. Over several days and numerous roll call votes, a far-right segment of House Republicans repeatedly denied the party’s leader in the previous House the votes necessary for any Republican, the chamber’s majority party, to lead the current Congress. McCarthy’s very public struggle revealed one of the realities of a slim House majority. But the spectacle of the speaker fight aside, that narrow majority guarantees more legislative difficulty ahead. Charles R. Hunt, an assistant professor of political science at Boise State University, explains not only why the GOP’s narrow majority is problematic, but also the [additional ways such a razor-thin margin could get smaller]( and cause more problems over the next two years. And, on the eve of the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, poet and classics scholar Rachel Hadas, from Rutgers University-Newark, writes about how an [ancient Greek historian’s insights on civil unrest and democracy explain our present moment](. Also this week: - [How the West flipped to Democratic]( - [International elections to watch this year]( - [Slow gains for women in Congress]( Lorna Grisby Senior Politics & Society Editor GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy wants to be speaker of the House. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images [Speaker of the House faces political peril from member deaths and resignations – especially with a narrow majority]( Charles R. Hunt, Boise State University The Congress that ended on Jan. 3, 2023, had 15 vacancies, a rate unmatched since the 1950s. If that rate continues, whoever leads the now-closely divided House will face trouble. Rioters break windows and breach the Capitol building in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Lev Radin/LightRocket via Getty Images [Ancient Greece had extreme polarization and civil strife too – how Thucydides can help us understand Jan. 6 and its aftermath]( Rachel Hadas, Rutgers University - Newark The insights of an ancient historian show that the causes of civil unrest are often the same over time and across societies. Donald Trump supporters take over the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images [Not all insurrections are equal – for enslaved Americans, it was the only option]( Deion Scott Hawkins, Emerson College The events of Jan. 6, 2021, have been called an insurrection. The same word has often been used to describe the mostly forgotten rebellions against plantation owners by enslaved people. [Talking across the political aisle isn’t a cure-all - but it does help reduce hostility]( Dominik Stecuła, Colorado State University; Matthew Levendusky, University of Pennsylvania In-person conversations between Republicans and Democrats lasting just 15 minutes were found to lessen political animus, research shows. [Beyond Section 230: A pair of social media experts describes how to bring transparency and accountability to the industry]( Robert Kozinets, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; Jon Pfeiffer, Pepperdine University A key piece of federal law, Section 230, has been credited with fostering the internet and allowing misinformation and hate speech to flourish. Here’s how it could be reformed. [Just over 1 in 4 members of Congress in 2023 will be women – at this rate, it will take 118 years until there is gender parity]( Laurel Elder, Hartwick College For decades, there were growing numbers of Democratic and Republican women in Congress, but the number of Republican women has stalled. [A record-breaking number of women were elected governor in 2022 – here are 7 things to know about how that happened]( William R. Wilkerson, State University of New York at Oneonta; Alana Jeydel, Fresno City College Many factors contributed to a record number of women winning the governor’s office in 2022. Among them: It helps to have political experience. - [Jan. 6 committee tackled unprecedented attack with time-tested inquiry]( Claire Leavitt, Smith College The House Jan. 6 committee’s final report is the latest in a long series of congressional studies that have tried to answer hard questions about government failures and suggest ways to avoid them. - [Teddy Roosevelt’s failed Bull Moose campaign may portend the future of the GOP and Donald Trump]( Jerald Podair, Lawrence University If Donald Trump decides to leave the Republican Party and start his own, Teddy Roosevelt and the presidential election of 1912 offer the GOP an ominous warning. Hint: The Democrats win. - [How Democrats won the West]( John A. Tures, LaGrange College Democrats have ridden the West to presidential electoral success since 1992, reversing their poor performances from the 1950s through the 1980s. - [5 elections to watch in 2023 – what’s at stake as millions head to the ballot box around the globe]( Blessing-Miles Tendi, University of Oxford; Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University; Ayesha Jalal, Tufts University; Carl LeVan, American University School of International Service; Eduardo Gamarra, Florida International University Zimbabwe, Turkey, Argentina, Pakistan and Nigeria all have presidential or general elections in 2023. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](