politics thesis advisors

Senior Thesis Advisor Selection Guide

Students should use this to identify thesis advisors who match their interests and possible thesis topics. This tool is organized by faculty issue and regional expertise.

Narrow your search for an advisor by selecting a policy area or region.

Thesis Advising

Senior Thesis

A senior or honors thesis is a wonderful way to explore politics, policy, or political theory from a novel vantage point. A thesis is a sustained, extended written work that examines a central idea or question that is developed under the guidance of a professor. Designing a research question, gathering and presenting data, and analyzing and arguing one’s own perspective offers students the opportunity to put a capstone on their experience as a Political Science major. Typically ranging from 75-150 pages in length, a thesis offers students the scope to explore questions of interest with a depth not offered in ordinary classes. Writing a thesis is of particular interest to students thinking about graduate school in Political Science, Public Policy, Law, and other professions where good writing is key. No two theses are alike. Each one is a unique reflection of the individual, researcher, critic, or thinker.

A lot of students ask whether they should spend their senior year embarking on the grueling hours it takes to plan, research, and write on a research question. Students wishing to embark on a thesis should find a thesis advisor willing to work with them one semester before planning to start the thesis.

The thesis is a two semester project. Senior thesis students enroll in PS 691 Senior Thesis in the first semester, and should plan to attend the meetings of PS 683 Honors Thesis Colloquium (unless their course schedule does not permit). In the second semester, senior thesis students enroll in PS 692 and should attend meetings of PS 684 Honors Thesis Colloquium. Honors thesis students enroll directly in PS 683 and PS 684.

Grading: PS 691 and 683 are graded “P” if the student is making adequate progress. PS 692 and 684 are graded A-F.

The short- and long-term benefits from writing a thesis are available to everyone and not just those going to law school or graduate school. The thesis requires energy, focus, determination. and discipline. The main prerequisite for a thesis is that you want to write one.

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GOOD REASONS TO WRITE A SENIOR THESIS

Intellectual Curiosity : You must be interested in your topic! The good news is that you can choose your topic. Taking on a thesis when you’re not really interested in a topic is not a good idea.  It then becomes an unbearable chore. Instead look at your senior thesis as a way to pursue something you’re curious about. This is an opportunity for you to direct your own education in a very comprehensive manner. It is an opportunity to make it more exciting and catered to your interests than almost any other project in your college career.

Developing professional skills : A thesis is a great way to cultivate some skills you might actually use after graduation so you can feel more prepared for the professional world. A thesis demonstrates your ability to work independently on a sustained project that requires complex analytical skills.

Professional Credentials : Completion of a thesis is an important credential for law school, graduate school, and employment. Admissions boards, employers, and colleagues regard a thesis with respect due to the motivation and discipline required.

Developing a relationship with faculty advisors:  This is a very unique opportunity to work with professors and other members of your department. You will work closely with both your research advisor, the thesis seminar instructor, and fellow students who are writing their own thesis.  It is a highly collaborative process and a unique opportunity to work with many interested faculty, staff, and students. Many students develop a relationship with faculty who then recommend them for admission to law school or graduate school. Some students and instructors who work closely together form lifelong professional relationships around their shared intellectual interests.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN THESIS WRITING

Originality :  What if I don’t have an original idea? This is a questions that research asks at all levels. It would be disingenuous to say that any academic work is ever entirely original. We all build upon libraries of information and resources that have come before us. An important part of academic work is acknowledging our debt to other scholars fully and clearly. We can stand on the shoulders of giants. The important question is how the thesis can add to a conversation already begun on the topic.

In order to develop your topic, spend some time reading in your area of interest. Look at your professors’ profile pages to see the research that they are working on and if it interests you.

Working with a Faculty Supervisor :  In general it is best to work with a professor who is familiar with your work and ability, but successful theses have been written under the direction of a supervisor who has never taught the student in class. The sooner you identify a faculty advisor, the better. Your advisor will help you hone your research question, assign background readings to prepare you to conduct your research, and help you identify materials and analytical techniques. You will meet regularly with your supervisor, producing drafts and revisions under their guidance.

DEVELOPING A THESIS TOPIC

Step One: Reflection and Reading – Finding a Topic :  A senior thesis should be based on something that has interested you during your pursuit of an undergraduate career. Often, a thesis topic grows from a persistent question you have studied or even written about in a course you valued. How does this question connect with other things that interest you? Often it is best to talk with a friend, professor, or advisor in your department. You must get used to talking about your ideas as soon as possible.

Step Two: Focus on a Research Question or Set of Research Questions : After you have traced several branches of your main idea, choose one of these and pare away all excess material.    This aspect may be your thesis topic. The best test to see if this idea can be made into a thesis is to prepare an abstract.

Step Three: Writing a Proposal.  A proposal is a refined synopsis of your proposed thesis topic. A well-composed proposal guides your research and writing. It also helps you engage a faculty supervisor, and it is required for research funding. The proposal is broken down into the following questions/topics.

• Thesis statement- This is one sentence—25 words or less—that makes the main idea of your argument clear to any intelligent reader.
• Method- Is there a theoretical model you will follow? What is your evidence? Are you doing field research?
• Goals- What do you hope to accomplish by writing your thesis? Are you hoping to fill a particular gap in the research of this topic, or to bring a special perspective?
• Audience- In general, the audience for a research thesis will be professionals in your discipline.
• Implications- So what? What do you hope to show that is different from what has been said before in the conversation on your topic? How do you see your project fitting into the big picture of studies in your chosen discipline? If you are writing a creative thesis, what is creative about it?

A good proposal usually goes through several drafts, and it will go on changing even while your write the thesis itself. It is essential that you get feedback from readers you respect at every stage of proposal development.

Recommended Reading:  How to Write a B.A. Thesis,  by Charles Lipson, 2005.

GRANTS AND AWARDS

• The Honors Program offers grants to conduct honors thesis research! Deadlines for the Trewartha and the Mensink Grants are in late October. Visit the  L&S Honors Program  for more information.
• Up to twenty excellent senior theses will win a  University Book Store Award  ($1000) each year. Deadlines for those are in late March.
• Our department gives out an award for the best undergraduate term paper or thesis each year, the William Jennings Bryan Award.

PS 683-684 HONORS THESIS SEMINAR

All senior and honors thesis writers are expected to attend PS 683 and 684 in the fall and spring semesters respectively. The point of writing a thesis in conjunction with this seminar is to reap the benefits of going through the process with your peers and with the structure that the course schedule provides. You are expected to dedicate yourself to your project, but you can also expect that this will be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

All thesis writers are expected to find a faculty member to serve as your thesis advisor who specializes in their area of interest. If you have already made a connection with a faculty member who has agreed to advise your thesis—fantastic. If not, you should immediately begin seeking out a faculty member who does work in your area of interest. You will each turn in a thesis advising agreement form during the fifth week of class that will serve as a contract between you, your substantive advisor, and the Thesis Seminar Instructor, Amy Gangl. Her role in your thesis adventure is to guide you through the process of designing a research project, conducting the research, and writing the thesis. (This is slightly different than the “second reader” role described in the Lipson book recommended above.)

REQUIREMENTS

The main requirement, of course, is the 75-150 page senior thesis that due the last week of classes in May (the actual length will be agreed upon with the thesis advisor.) In the Fall semester, thesis writers are required to complete a thesis proposal, a pre-writing of research results, and a timeline for the second semester. In the spring semester, thesis writers will be required to participate in either the L&S Honors Program Senior Honors Thesis Symposium or the Undergraduate Symposium. Thesis writers will have the opportunity to receive and to provide constructive critiques of the work of other seminar participants.

2021 Theses Doctoral

No Wider War: Leaders, Advisors, and the Politics of Wartime Decision-Making

Milonopoulos, Theodoros Constantinos

Why do military interventions fought for limited aims persist beyond the point at which original objectives have been achieved, or when prospects for military victory diminish in the face of severe setbacks or sustained stalemate? Dominant explanations for the duration of limited military interventions overlook the ways divergent recommendations from civilian and military advisors – and the political implications of their dissent in the domestic arena – can drive wartime leaders away from strictly rational calculations when deciding whether to intensify military efforts or sue for peace. Existing bureaucratic politics perspectives offer descriptively rich accounts of the positions taken by inner circle advisors, but they often struggle to explain how executives aggregate advice they receive into particular wartime decision-making outcomes. To address these shortcomings, this dissertation develops and tests a bureaucratic bellwether thesis, which posits that chief executives will make wartime decisions that satisfy the preferences of “bellwether bureaucrats” within their inner circle: those politically salient military and civilian advisors whose opposition to the executive’s choices would prove especially damaging domestically should their dissent spill over into public view. Although senior military advisors command inherent bargaining advantages during early wartime deliberations, the bureaucratic bellwether thesis expects their internal leverage to dissipate as battlefield setbacks accumulate. During an intervention’s later stages, executives will forge compromises that keep on board those senior diplomatic and civilian defense officials capable of mobilizing dovish or hawkish opposition among elites within their own political party. This is especially true when these advisors offer recommendations that deviate from the perceived prerogatives of the institutions they represent, such as chief diplomats endorsing escalation or senior defense officials advocating disengagement. Such “against-type” position-taking can send salient signals to outside elites about the intervention’s prospects, particularly when these advisors reverse their prior position on escalation during earlier decision points. The efforts of executives to keep these bellwether bureaucrats on board will often result in incremental adjustments to wartime policies in ways that prolong warfighting and postpone peace. Drawing on newly available archival materials and author-led interviews with senior policy practitioners, this dissertation uses traditional case study methods and Bayesian process tracing to evaluate the bureaucratic bellwether thesis against alternative explanations for 24 wartime decision-making outcomes in the American wars in Vietnam and Iraq. By developing falsifiable propositions that eluded earlier scholarship in bureaucratic politics, this dissertation interrogates the unitary actor assumptions underpinning rationalist explanations for war duration and contributes to the ongoing renaissance in the study of leaders and their advisors in shaping foreign policy outcomes.

Geographic Areas

• United States
• Political science
• International relations
• Politics and war

This item is currently under embargo. It will be available starting 2026-09-29.

More About This Work

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Senior Theses

Students must have a cumulative 3.33 average in their regular political science courses taken at Middlebury through the end of the junior year in order to undertake an honors thesis project.

Regular political science courses include fall and spring political science courses, plus a maximum of  one  winter term political science course.

A proposal for an honors thesis must be submitted to—and approved by—a student’s thesis advisor.  No exceptions will be made to these requirements.

A thesis project normally is inspired by a research or seminar paper written during the junior or senior year, often in a 400-level seminar or 500-level independent project.  We strongly recommend  that students do the following as part of their planning:

• Begin thinking about their thesis project and speaking with potential advisors in their junior year.
• Enroll in a methods course before their senior year.
• If planning to write a philosophy thesis, take a 300-level political philosophy course before their senior year.

A political science honors thesis is a three-term project.

Normally, students register for PSCI 0500 in the first term of the thesis process, PSCI 0700 in the second term, and PSCI 0700 (again) in the final term. May graduates will normally work on theses in the fall, winter, and spring terms of their senior year, while February graduates will work on theses during the spring, fall, and winter terms.

Linda Booska, Coordinator

Munroe Hall 306

(802) 443-5310

[email protected]

Monday through Friday 8:30 - 5:00

2025 Political Science Major: American Politics Curriculum

2025 Political Science Major: American Politics Tracks

2025 Political Science Major: American Politics w/ Thesis Curriculum

2025 Political Science Major: American Politics w/ Thesis Tracks

2025 Political Science Major: American Politics w/ Thesis (Honors) Curriculum

2025 Political Science Major: American Politics w/ Thesis (Honors) Tracks

Department of Political Science

Honors thesis seminar.

High-achieving students in majors within the Department of Political Science may be eligible for academic honors recognition.

The academic honors program offers a means through which students can demonstrate their intellectual capabilities applicable to teaching political science or advancement to graduate school.

Every year the Department of Political Science runs an Honors Thesis Seminar, which spans the Fall and Winter quarters. The seminar, which enrolls only a relatively small number of students, provides undergraduates with the opportunity to conduct their own research at a much deeper level than is possible within a regular course structure. Each student develops and pursues a research project with the close and careful support of a dedicated faculty advisor, who is an expert in the student’s chosen topic area. A different faculty member runs the seminar and guides students through the various stages of developing and pursuing a research question. It is an immersive and challenging experience, but students also enjoy the camaraderie of their cohorts.

Through the process of writing a thesis, students learn how to formulate and rigorously investigate research questions, and develop their analytical, writing, and presentation skills. Writing a thesis can be an extremely rewarding intellectual experience and for many students it is the academic high point of their undergraduate degrees. It can also help students figure out whether they might be interested in pursuing research (whether within a university or beyond) after they graduate. Many students also use the finalized thesis itself as the required writing sample in their applications to postgraduate programs.

Participating in the Honors Thesis Seminar gives those students who already have the requisite GPA to earn “honors” the chance to graduate with “high honors” or “highest honors” (depending on their final grade for the thesis). That said, any student who has a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 in major courses at UC Davis can apply to the Honors Thesis Seminar.

We encourage all students who have the requisite GPA and who would like a challenging research experience under the close supervision of a faculty member to apply to the Honors Thesis Seminar. We know that the Honors Thesis Seminar can sound daunting and that the process of developing a topic and finding a faculty mentor can be intimidating, but the undergraduate advisors and the faculty member in charge of running the Honors Thesis Seminar are here to support you in navigating the application process. 

Click here to watch our info sessions online!   Our 2024 information sessions are hosted by Dr. Ethan Scheiner. Our general information session covers the value of completing a thesis and taking part in research, and our 2024-25 Application info session goes over the application process for this year's honors thesis seminar in detail. 

Application

• LINK TO THE UPDATED APPLICATION
• Stage 1 applications for the 2024-25 seminar are due on FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024 BY 12:00 PM noon.
• You should read all information provided below prior to opening/completing the Stage 1 application.
• During Fall 2024, the seminar will be held in-person (Wednesdays 12:10-2pm). For 2024-25, the course instructor will be Professor Ethan Scheiner. The seminar will continue in-person in Winter 2025 (Wednesdays 12:10-2pm). You should not fill out an application or plan to take the class if you are unavailable to attend in-person during the planned class times. 
• As students await notification from the review committee, they should create a full schedule that does not include the Honors Thesis Seminar. We recommend that, if you schedule another class during the same day/time as the Honors Thesis Seminar, it be a class that you are willing to drop if you are accepted into the Seminar.

Basic Information on the Course

• Details of the application process are provided at the end of this webpage.
• The Honors Thesis Seminar is an intense two-quarter (Fall and Winter) course requiring a large amount of work on a single research project. The class requires that students put in much more work than in a typical course at UC Davis.
• In the seminar, students narrow their research question, develop a deep understanding of the literature on the question, set up a professional research design, conduct substantial analysis, and repeatedly edit and revise, all culminating in a major research paper (“honors thesis”), which emulates research at the graduate level.
• The final paper is usually 20-30 double-spaced pages (not counting cover, tables, figures, footnotes, and bibliography) of tightly-written, carefully-edited, polished text.
• Seminar participants work closely with the course instructor and a faculty advisor on that project. Throughout the entire process, students are held to a series of strict deadlines in completing the project.
• Only students prepared to put in significant amounts of intense work and meet the regular class deadlines should consider applying. (Students who do not keep up with the work during the first quarter are asked to drop the course prior to the start of the second quarter.)

Other Research Opportunities  

For students who are interested in pursuing research, but who are unable to enroll in the Honors Thesis Seminar or who do not feel like the Honors Thesis Seminar is the right fit for them, there are a number of other research avenues available. For example:

• Murals Program
• McNair Scholars Program
• First year students (freshmen and transfer students) can participate in the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience  (CURE)
• Students already in The University Honors Program may be able to write  a thesis within that program
• Students can also pursue  policy research within the course of an internship at the UC Center Sacramento
• Finally, the  Undergraduate Research Center also provides research opportunities

More Specifics on the Honors Thesis Program

• Eligible undergraduate students majoring in Political Science, Political Science - Public Service, or International Relations may apply to take the Honors Thesis Seminar in either their junior or senior year. However, priority will usually be given to seniors.
• In order to apply, a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 in MAJOR COURSES AT UC DAVIS is required. 
• Enrolled students from all three majors (Political Science, Political Science – Public Service, and International Relations) all meet in the same class with the same instructor and receive the same general instruction. However, Political Science and Political Science – Public Service majors officially enroll in POL194HA (Fall) and POL194HB (Winter). International Relations majors officially enroll in IRE194HA (Fall) and IRE194HB (Winter).
• For the Fall, students who fulfill the course requirements receive a “grade” of “In Progress.” After completing both quarters, the students receive a single grade that gets applied to both Fall and Winter.
• Students interested in enrolling in the seminar must complete the formal application (link above and details below) during Spring term of the year leading up to the course. Refer to direct emails from your major advisor for the most up-to-date information on how to acquire the application and the application deadline.
• Please check in with your advisor to learn how the Honors Thesis Seminar may apply to your major requirements.

You Will Need a Faculty Advisor

• The seminar is taught by a faculty member from the Department of Political Science. However, you will also need a separate faculty advisor for your thesis.
• The process of acquiring a faculty advisor only begins in Stage 2 of the application (see below). However, in your application you will provide a list of possible faculty advisors you may want to work with.
• In addition, to complete Stage 1 of the application, you will need to get the support of a faculty member for your project. It is recommended that you attempt to get that support from a faculty member that you would like to have as your faculty advisor.
• Please do not feel shy about approaching faculty. Supporting undergraduate student research is a part of being a faculty member at UC Davis. If you have difficulty identifying or contacting a faculty member who has expertise in your chosen topic area, please contact the undergraduate advisor in your major for help.
• Your faculty advisor is expected to offer you guidance on each phase of your work on the thesis, as well as evaluate your final product.
• Political Science and Political Science – Public Service majors must work with an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, or Professor Emeritus from the Department of Political Science. See the  Department Faculty page  for a full list. Your faculty advisor may not be a graduate student or temporary lecturer.
• Because of the course content/expectations for the thesis, International Relations majors are encouraged to find a faculty advisor from the Department of Political Science – but that is not required. However, International Relations majors must work with a professor-track faculty member in a partner department (i.e., a department whose courses are included in the major curricula, for example: POL, HIS, SPA, or others). Again, your faculty advisor may not be a graduate student or temporary lecturer.
• Your faculty advisor should have general research/teaching expertise and/or interest in the general topic area of the project you are considering. Please read the faculty bio webpages to get a sense of who might be an appropriate advisor for your project. If there are no available faculty members with expertise/interest in an area that you are considering for your thesis, you may want to change topics to one closer to the expertise/interests of a faculty member.
• If you have questions, please reach out to your major advisor.

Earning Honors

• Any student who attains the cumulative (i.e., for all classes at UCD) grade point average required for honors in the College of Letters and Science will receive honors at graduation.
• The  specific GPA required for honors at graduation  is calculated at the end of each Winter quarter and varies according to the number of units taken at UC Davis. For additional information, please consult the  UC Davis General Catalog  and the  College of Letters and Science .
• Only students with the requisite GPAs (both overall and in the major – both calculated upon completion of all coursework at graduation) are eligible for any form of honors. Be sure to see the Political Science or International Relations major advisor to ensure that you have the requisite GPA.
• To qualify for high honors or highest honors, students must meet specific grade point average requirements (both overall and in the major – both calculated upon completion of all coursework at graduation), must have enrolled in and completed a two-quarter sequence in POL/IRE 194HA/HB, and must produce a thesis. High honors designation is equivalent to magna cum laude. Highest honors is equivalent to summa cum laude.
• High Honors if they earn a letter grade of A- or higher on the Honors Thesis; 
• Highest Honors if their Political Science or International Relations GPA (upon completion of all coursework at graduation) is 3.85 or higher and if they earn an A on the Honors Thesis. 

General Application Process

• Access the link to the application under the “Application” heading above.
• The application process involves two stages. In Stage 1 (to be completed early in Spring quarter), students provide information on their academic background and their proposed project.
• A faculty review committee will evaluate all submitted applications.
• Because the success of the seminar relies upon a very low student-instructor ratio – so that the course instructor can give each student’s project close attention – most likely, the committee will not be able to offer all applicants admission into the seminar.
• The committee will evaluate applications according to the quality and feasibility of the research proposal, the students’ overall record, and the students’ academic trajectory (e.g., perhaps your early record was not terribly strong but you have done extremely well in the past year).
• If there are more strong applicants than slots in the class and we are unable to admit you into the seminar, the committee will strongly encourage you to investigate one of the other research opportunities linked above.
• If, after reviewing your Stage 1 application, the committee would like to consider your application further, you will be invited to submit a Stage 2 application (which will ask you to sharpen and/or possibly even substantially alter your proposal). In addition, it is in Stage 2 that you will need to find a faculty advisor.
• It is also possible, after reviewing your Stage 1 application, that the committee may decide to offer you a spot on a waitlist, whereby you might have an opportunity at a later time to submit a Stage 2 application if additional openings in the class emerge.
• ​​Friday, April 26, 2024 @ noon: Stage 1 applications due
• Friday, May 10, 2024: Notifications regarding whether students are invited to do Stage 2 application
• Friday, May 31, 2024 @ noon: Stage 2 applications due
• Friday, June 14, 2024: Final notifications

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Preparing for the Senior Thesis

Thesis questionnaire.

Politics majors should start the thesis topic selection process at the beginning of the junior year.

Step 1: Juniors will consult with their major advisors about their senior thesis in September. These meetings will be initiated by the advisors who will meet with their advisees as a group or individually.

Step 2: Juniors will fill out and submit the thesis questionnaire Form A to their major advisor two weeks before winter registration starts (The form is due no later than Monday, October 14, 2024) . At this stage students can specify one or two topics (rather than a specific question) for the thesis project. Based on student responses, advisors will help students plan for necessary future classes and sharpen a thesis question during their meetings prior to registration.

Step 3: A more specific thesis questionnaire Form B is due to the major advisor on Friday, February 14, 2025 . This time the questionnaire should include a specific research question for the thesis. During registration meetings major advisors will give feedback on the proposed question(s).

Step 4: A polished final thesis questionnaire  is due on Monday, March 17, 2025 Students will be matched with thesis advisors during the Short Term of their junior year by the department based on their final questionnaire response. Faculty’s scholarly expertise is critical in matching faculty with thesis advisees.

Important Information about Thesis

The Politics faculty reserves the right to ask a student to revise a thesis topic/question. Students should show that they have the necessary scholarly background to pursue the thesis topic of their choice. For this reason, the thesis questionnaire asks students to specify previous courses they took, research papers that they have written, and scholarly work that they have read relevant to the thesis topic. Students who fail to show that they have the adequate background to pursue their thesis topic will be asked to revisit their topic by their major advisor.

Given the high number of majors in the Politics Department, it is very difficult to change the thesis advisor assigned to a student or the semester that the student is scheduled to write the thesis. Students can ask for a change in their thesis arrangements only by petitioning the Chair. The petition should include the rationale for why an exception to the department’s thesis procedures should be considered. The Politics faculty will decide whether a student’s request can be approved.

Students cannot change their thesis topic at will without first consulting their thesis advisor.

Once a thesis advisor is assigned, it is the students’ responsibility to get in touch with their advisor before the start of the senior year. We strongly encourage students to communicate with their advisor during the summer.

Juniors who study abroad are responsible for communicating with their major advisors about thesis via email. They are responsible for submitting the thesis questionnaires on time.

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ANTI-SEMITIC ATTITUDES OF THE MASS PUBLIC: ESTIMATES AND EXPLANATIONS BASED ON A SURVEY OF THE MOSCOW OBLAST

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JAMES L. GIBSON, RAYMOND M. DUCH, ANTI-SEMITIC ATTITUDES OF THE MASS PUBLIC: ESTIMATES AND EXPLANATIONS BASED ON A SURVEY OF THE MOSCOW OBLAST, Public Opinion Quarterly , Volume 56, Issue 1, SPRING 1992, Pages 1–28, https://doi.org/10.1086/269293

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In this article we examine anti-Semitism as expressed by a sample of residents of the Moscow Oblast (Soviet Union). Based on a survey conducted in 1920, we begin by describing anti-Jewish prejudice and support for official discrimination against Jews. We discover a surprisingly low level of expressed anti-Semitism among these Soviet respondents and virtually no support for state policies that discriminate against Jews. At the same time, many of the conventional hypotheses predicting anti-Semitism are supported in the Soviet case. Anti-Semitism is concentrated among those with lower levels of education, those whose personal financial condition is deteriorating, and those who oppose further democratization of the Soviet Union. We do not take these findings as evidence that anti-Semitism is a trivial problem in the Soviet Union but, rather, suggest that efforts to combat anti-Jewish movements would likely receive considerable support from ordinary Soviet people.

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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How financial advisors navigate working with clients across the political spectrum

With the presidential election season heating up, political divisions running through the country are becoming more pronounced.

Ideological and political differences could spur some awkward conversations between clients and their financial advisors.

But instead of shying away from these potentially fraught interactions, financial advisors say it's important to face them head-on.

American Private Wealth in Bedford, Massachusetts, said that instead of avoiding political disagreements, he encourages such discussions.

How Kamala Harris may shift the crucial tax debate in this year's election

"I tell clients and prospects that my office is a place where anything and everything can be discussed, all the taboo subjects," he said. "I have clients whose politics are polar opposites of mine, and yet we relish having a debate. Sometimes they learn something from me, and sometimes I learn from them."

Ahmed said he does not screen clients for their political views, as he does not "want to be in an echo chamber."

"If a client does not wish to discuss politics, that's fine, too," he said. "But I will say, most if not all of my clients reach out to discuss politics because they know I am well-versed and like to explain the context behind headlines."

Remind clients of long-term goals

in Lenoir City, Tennessee, said he views his job as advising clients on what they think might happen and how the markets will react, "not what I personally want to happen."

Retirement confidence keeps falling as political instability rises

Be rational when they are emotional ," he said. "Passion is fine; it's only dangerous when it causes them to take destructive action."

Farrar said sometimes he will have calls with different clients on the same day who both say if one candidate or another becomes president, the market will crash.

"They are both talking about the other [candidate]," he said. "Politicians can make policy and add headwinds or tailwinds to sectors, but any CEO worthy of his salt will try and manage their company regardless of who is currently in office. I remind clients about that when they get too extreme."

Building customized and flexible estate plans in a changing political landscape

Power Plans in Walpole, Massachusetts, said he does not take potential clients' political beliefs into account before deciding whether or not to work with them.

"I consider financial planning to be apolitical, based on facts," he said.

When politics does enter into the conversation, Power said he tries to steer clients back to a shared reality while attempting to accommodate their concerns when possible.

'fired' a client for their politics and that would be unlikely. I am more apt to 'fire' a client because they aren't following recommendations and are therefore wasting my valuable time and their money."

Find common ground

Scientific Financial in Pearland, Texas, said he tries to remind clients that whoever occupies The White House tends to make little impact on the stock market, especially when other factors are much more consequential.

What to say to fearful clients as the presidential election nears

"The market is much more impacted by major events such as 9/11, [market] bubbles, COVID-19 and the emergence of the internet, AI and other technologies," he said. "We even have graphics to reinforce these points and steer the conversation away from divisive political issues."

CovingtonAlsina in Annapolis, Maryland, said she believes she has more in common with her clients than not, even those who she might be opposed to politically.

"I think we all agree much more than we realize," she said. "Most Americans want the same things like good schools, safe roads, clear air and equal justice under the law. The big difference is how we look to accomplish those goals. When appropriate, I educate on policy implications. How does a specific proposed bill, regulation or legislation impact them or the greater economy? Otherwise, I look for areas where we agree."

Though she welcomes clients with differing political views, Covington said she did have one instance where a potential client worked for an organization she deeply disagreed with. But even that didn't stop her from working with them.

"Rather than reject the client, I donated their planning fee to another nonprofit," she said. "I could not morally accept what I felt was blood money. Without open dialogue, though, we can't ever expect change or a civil society, which is why I still worked with the client."

The program allows candidates to complete the certification program online, asynchronously and in half the time it takes to complete the standard program.

Ameriprise Financial reported higher second-quarter earnings driven by its wealth groups.

Net revenue for the Private Client Group reached a new height of $2.42 billion, an 11% jump from the same quarter last year.

CFO Jim Marischen commented on the company's cash sweep policies, following industry concerns about the practice.

Powder launched last year as a generative AI-powered document reader for advisors. Now the growing fintech has released an AI-chatbot assistant on the heels of a $5 million cap raise.

While generalists may worry they're leaving money on the table by sharpening their focuses so drastically, those who serve narrow client bases say they would never go back.

• Grand Rapids/Muskegon
• Saginaw/Bay City
• All Michigan

Longtime county employee faces financial advisor for Ottawa County treasurer position

• Published: Jul. 24, 2024, 9:20 a.m.

Cheryl Clark (left), appointed Ottawa County treasurer in December, 2023, is running against Ben Genser in the Republican primary to be the treasurer for the next four years. (Contributed photos) Ben Genser and Cheryl Clark

• John Tunison | [email protected]

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- A longtime county employee named Ottawa County treasurer in December is running to retain the position against a financial advisor.

Cheryl Clark will face Ben Genser in the Aug. 6 primary election for the Republican slot in the November election.

• Clark, who served as Ottawa County’s deputy treasurer for 15 years , was appointed the county treasurer in December after former treasurer Amanda Price retired before her term ended on Dec. 31, 2024. She has a degree in business administration from Cornerstone University.
• Genser, a financial advisor and a vice president for investments at J.P. Morgan , has a masters in business administration from the University of Michigan.

MLive has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund this year to provide voters with a Vote411 election guide . Candidates filled out general information about their campaigns and answered a list of questions from the League of Women Voters.

RELATED : Michigan voter guide now live for August primary

All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters or MLive, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

Information on other state, county and local primary races can be found at Vote411.org .

What is your background and how will it help you to serve as county treasurer?

Clark: I am the current Ottawa County Treasurer. I have 32+ years of Treasurer’s Office experience, 15+ years as Ottawa County Chief Deputy Treasurer, 8 years in other roles in the Ottawa County Treasurer’s Office, and 9 years as Robinson Township Treasurer. I’ve worked with 4 different Ottawa County Treasurers. I am an Advanced Certified Public Funds Manager and have managed Ottawa County’s $200+ million portfolio. I’ve assisted Ottawa County residents in keeping their property from going into tax foreclosure, processed and managed multiple budgets for the Ottawa County Treasurer’s Office, and written Deposit and Investment notes to the annual financial statements. This has given me extensive knowledge of the statutory requirements of this role.

Genser: As a proven wealth management professional, I provide comprehensive financial planning, asset management, and investment advisory services to families and businesses across West Michigan. With a Bachelor’s and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan combined with 18 years of private sector leadership experience across financial services, management consulting, and advisory, I believe now is the right time to use my distinct skill set to help our county. Leadership, communication, critical thinking, and negotiation are skills I bring to the table alongside a proven track record in strategic planning, project management, process improvement, tax planning, and audit.

What are the most important challenges facing your county and how do you propose to address them?

Clark: 1) Affordable housing, I serve on the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and will encourage developers to utilize the financial tools that the authority can offer them, including Tax Increment Financing, which will help create affordable housing. 2) Access to broadband, I will continue to invest the county funds following the law and investment policy and maximize the county’s return on surplus funds, thereby providing funds to help with the cost of expanding broadband. 3) Property foreclosure, I will continue to help Ottawa County residents keep their property from going into tax foreclosure through all means of communication, including visiting them at their home, providing payment plans, and partnering with agencies who can help them.

Genser: As one of Michigan’s fastest growing counties, we must consider how population growth will affect land use planning, infrastructure needs, workforce development, government services, housing, and economic opportunity. County government is an important sponsor of local economic development initiatives, and it must involve a collaborative process between public, private, and non-governmental sectors to stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities. Although local government does play a key role in development initiatives, it’s also important to consider the limited role of government and how that limited role should support a free market economy, deregulation, reduced taxation, and the protection of individual liberties.

How do you propose maintaining or improving the current bond rating for the county?

Clark: The bond rating is an assessment of creditworthiness and is evaluated on the county’s ability to generate revenue, manage expenses, and repay debt obligations. To maintain/improve the current bond rating, I will continue to invest the county’s funds following the law and the investment policy; maintain procedures to control risk and diversify investments; keep the portfolio sufficiently liquid to meet operating, capital expenditure, and debt needs; and maximize the county’s return on surplus funds. I will also do my part to help manage expenses by continuing to keep the expenses of the Treasurer Office down.

Genser: As Treasurer, it is important to encourage an investment policy that supports the liquidity needs and budgetary requirements of the county. I aim to promote conservative budgeting practices and adherence to formal fiscal and debt management policies key to maintaining a AAA bond rating. Additionally, I will promote communication and collaboration between various key county departments to ensure strategic planning efforts are in line with financial resources dedicated to infrastructure planning, development, maintenance, and repair. Lastly, the Treasurer must communicate the correlation between infrastructure health, economic opportunity, and the county’s credit rating as part of the budgetary planning process.

MLive, separate from the League of Women Voters, sought to offer voters further insight into the candidates and asked additional questions. Those can be found here:

Do you plan to sign the Ottawa Impact “Contract with Ottawa”? Why or why not?

Clark: I will not be signing the “Contract with Ottawa” drafted by Ottawa Impact. When I took the oath of office as the Ottawa County Treasurer, I made a solemn commitment to uphold the United States and Michigan State Constitutions and to faithfully discharge my duties.

Genser: I am not affiliated with or endorsed by Ottawa Impact (OI). OI is a Political Action Committee (PAC) running a slate of candidates for County Commissioner. The Treasurer serves as the chief banker and custodian of all county funds; thus, I believe it would be inappropriate to sign a contract with or accept endorsement from Ottawa Impact. To manage the balance sheet in an effective and transparent manner, the Treasurer must maintain some autonomy from the Board of Commissioners to ensure fiscal responsibility and the best interest of the public are maintained as top priorities. Personally, I support candidates who maintain conservative values and believe in leading with traditional republican principles. I don’t necessarily weight a candidate’s affiliation with a PAC as heavily as I would with what they have achieved, or lack thereof, and whether or not they have followed through with the campaign promises made to those they represent. I will be working with all the commissioners regardless of their affiliation to OI. As a county wide candidate, I owe it to those I hope to represent to maintain working relationships with the commissioners representing all 11 districts.

What are the most important issues facing Ottawa County in terms of the treasurer’s office?

Clark: 1. Preventing foreclosures: I am committed to preventing foreclosures by engaging with property owners, equipping them with resources to settle their taxes, arranging payment plans, and offering hardship exemptions to provide them with the necessary extra time get their taxes paid.

2. Lawsuits concerning the recovery of sale proceeds: The counties in Michigan are currently facing numerous lawsuits regarding the recovery of sale proceeds on foreclosed properties with delinquent tax debts. However, we are making significant progress in resolving these legal issues. Thanks to the amendments to the Michigan General Property Tax Act, which were diligently crafted by county treasurers, a clear and fair process has been established to ensure that property owners receive the sale proceeds they are owed. This proactive step will help us avoid any further legal disputes on this matter.

Genser: Although property tax forfeiture and foreclosures are under the purview of the Treasurer’s Office, which is statutorily defined, I believe the Treasurer should play a leading role in educating homeowners on how to manage increasing living costs and fluctuations in housing values, both of which are highly correlated to foreclosure rates. Ensuring the Treasurer’s office has the tools in place to reduce foreclosure rates during times of economic contraction is challenging, but not impossible. For many, their family home will be the largest investment made throughout their lifetime. I pledge to protect property rights and work diligently to reduce foreclosure rates, by enhancing and improving access to financial literacy tools and educational programs. I will also work to promote communication and collaboration with community stakeholders to remove barriers preventing sustainable business models and encourage an entrepreneurial philosophy which provides a protective layer from financial uncertainty. Lastly, I believe it must be a priority to evaluate, plan, and implement process improvement initiatives and technology enhancements across the county to meet the growing needs of the community.

What do you view as the role of county treasurer?

Clark: The county treasurer, as authorized by the Michigan Constitution and State law, serves as the county’s banker and investment officer. The treasurer’s primary responsibilities include safeguarding public funds in accordance with Public Act 20 and the Ottawa County Investment Policy (which I helped write), collecting and accounting for revenue used to operate programs for county residents, collecting delinquent real property taxes, acting as the agent of the delinquent tax revolving fund, and managing the dog and kennel license program. As an elected official of Ottawa County, I believe the Treasurer is accountable to the Ottawa County residents.

Genser: As per the Michigan Constitution, the County Treasurer serves as the chief banker responsible for the receipt and recording of all revenues and the management of assets on the balance sheet to include overall investment strategy implementation to meet the investment objective and budgetary needs of the county. As the custodian of all county funds, it is imperative the Treasurer take a strategic and tactical approach to managing the county’s balance sheet to fortify financial resilience and expand economic opportunity. Property tax forfeiture and foreclosures are also under the purview of the Treasurer’s Office and the Treasurer serves as the agent of the delinquent tax revolving fund. In addition, the County Treasurer manages the dog and kennel license program. Lastly, the Treasurer is a member of the County Elections Commission, County Plat Board, County Tax Allocation Board, County Brownfield Authority, County Insurance Authority, County Building Authority, and serves as chair of the Ottawa County Land Bank Authority.

Should faith play a role in county government?

Clark: As Ottawa County Treasurer, my faith guides me to treat others with the same dignity and respect that I would expect for myself. This principle, rooted in my upbringing and church teachings will be how I serve the community.

Genser: As a candidate for Ottawa County Treasurer, I believe that faith can and should play a significant role in the decision-making process of a leader. Although the Treasurer is not a policy maker, as a leader and gatekeeper of sorts, the Treasurer will be regularly presented with unique challenges and I believe faith can be used as a guide to find the right path forward. That being said, leaders must ensure that their faith does not encroach on the differentiating beliefs of others. Faith can serve as a road map to high emotional intelligence, but the implementation of a faith based social value system in any workplace setting must respect that not all are of the same faith. Although I believe we should leverage faith as a guide, we must also ensure that others are not forced down that path unwillingly. As a Republican, I believe that it is the duty of our elected leaders to uphold conservative social values and ethical principles in our county and my faith will help lead me to the the best way forward.

How do you plan on communicating and being transparent with your constituents?

Clark: I have made it a priority to be fully transparent with Ottawa County residents by consistently providing monthly financial reports, annual reports, and the Ottawa County Land Bank Authority meeting agenda and minutes on the county’s website for public access. Additionally, since assuming office in January 2024, I have been actively engaging with township board meetings and city council meetings to ensure that pertinent updates from the Treasurer’s Office are communicated. This practice will be an ongoing commitment, with plans to provide these updates at least once, if not twice, a year.

Genser: It is essential proven leaders who value honesty, integrity, and transparency above all else are elected to office. I pride myself as a highly ethical financial professional with a strong moral compass dedicated to the financial success of those I represents. As an experienced manager, I have learned to maintain a system which promotes bottom-up communication at the organizational level, which is key to understanding the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and threats tied to an organizations workforce. As you next Treasurer, I pledge to maintain an open-door policy with my constituency, as I believe broader public access opens the door to wider transparency supported by multiple channels of communication. As Treasurer, I will dedicate myself to promoting a culture that exemplifies these core values and will work to achieve financial security and economic freedom.

Why are you running for treasurer?

Clark: When I learned that our former treasurer, Amanda Price, was retiring, I knew that we needed a leader who would carry on Ottawa County’s legacy of sound fiscal responsibility, integrity, accountability, and preventing foreclosures. I am confident that I am that leader. With over 32 years of experience in public financial management and holding the title of Advanced Certified Public Funds Investment Manager, I am well-equipped for the role. Having dedicated over 28 years to Ottawa County, including 15 years as Chief Deputy Treasurer and later being appointed as the Ottawa County Treasurer, I am deeply rooted in public service. My 9-year tenure as Treasurer for Robinson Township has further prepared me for this role. Being born and raised in Grand Haven and a long-time resident of Ottawa County, I have a genuine passion for the well-being of this community and its residents, and I am committed to serving them to the best of my abilities.

Genser: As a proven wealth management professional, I provide comprehensive financial planning, asset management, and investment advisory services to families and businesses across West Michigan. With a BS and MBA from the University of Michigan combined with 18 years of leadership experience in financial services, management consulting, and advisory, I believe now is the right time to use my distinct skill set to help our county. Leadership, communication, critical thinking, and negotiation are skills I bring to the table alongside a proven track record in strategic planning, project management, process improvement, tax planning, and audit. In the midst of litigation against and deficiencies within the Treasurer’s Office, I believe Ottawa County is in need of a reliable and experienced financial professional who aims to rebuild public confidence through integrity and transparency with full accountability to the residents of Ottawa County. I am a conservative Republican who brings a unique combination of private sector and public service experience. Regardless of whom holds the majority on our Board of Commissioners, as Treasurer, I aim to manage the county’s balance sheet through a conservative lens, and will work to ensure the residents of Ottawa County have every opportunity to realize the American dream with financial security and economic freedom.

Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free “ 3@3 Grand Rapids ” daily newsletter.

Read more stories about Ottawa Impact

• Four candidates vying for open northern Ottawa County commission seat
• Former county commissioner faces Ottawa Impact incumbent in Ottawa County District 9 race
• Recently recalled commissioner faces legislative director in Ottawa County District 2 primary
• Ottawa County Republican candidates reject far-right calls to exit race
• Legislative aide competes against attorney for District 7 Ottawa County board seat

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Morning Rundown: Arson attacks hit French rail ahead of opening ceremony, Obama endorses Kamala Harris, and Sinaloa cartel kingpins arrested in Texas

How Kamala Harris is going about finding a VP pick in just 2 weeks

Vice President Kamala Harris has looked at the vetting process from both sides now. But she doesn't have much time to spare.

It was only on Sunday that President Joe Biden abandoned his campaign and effectively handed it to her , leaving two weeks for Democrats to nominate her and a running mate if they hope to beat an Aug. 7 deadline to ensure their ticket appears on ballots in every state. Modern candidates usually have months to decide, as Biden did when he dragged his feet in picking her in 2020, and as Republican nominee Donald Trump did while holding a virtual public pageant this year before putting Sen. JD Vance of Ohio on his ticket.

Harris doesn't have that luxury.

She is winnowing her list quickly — in part because of the compressed timeline and in part because several potential candidates, including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, have taken themselves out of the running. In interviews with more than a half-dozen Democratic insiders, the names of a handful of hopefuls have emerged as leading contenders: Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are also in the mix, these people said.

All of them are white men, though one source said a name that has been floated is Cedric Richmond, a Black man who is a senior Biden adviser and former congressman from Louisiana.

"You need someone who’s moderate, obviously, a white male, and I would say she needs someone from a border state,” said Ashley Etienne, who formerly worked as the vice president’s communications director. “I think her choosing a white male counterbalances her race and her gender in a way that could open her up to peeling off many of those Nikki Haley voters, those disaffected Republicans. Independents. And I think it rounds off the ticket in a way that I think feels fresh, feels also forward, but also feels fully aware of where we are as a nation.”

Etienne added a prediction: "I think it's Mark Kelly if I had to bet."

The Arizona senator, a military veteran and former astronaut, is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who survived being shot in the head during a 2011 attack in Tucson. Advocates for him say that he not only checks important political boxes but has a backstory that will appeal to many voters and gives him credibility on key issues such as gun control, national security and border issues.

A major Democratic Party donor who had pushed to keep Biden in the race, but is now "happy as a clam" with Harris about to be atop the ticket, said other big donors are talking mostly about Kelly, Shapiro, Beshear and Cooper.

This person called Shapiro "an Obama-level political talent" who has "a brand in Pennsylvania that's worth it."

The campaign is particularly interested in someone who will appeal to the demographics and the voters that Biden would have brought to the table, including older white voters and suburban women, according to a source familiar with the campaign’s thinking. That source said Harris’ team also would like the running mate to appeal specifically to white men who don’t like Trump but who may question whether they want to vote for a Black and South Asian woman.

“Let’s just face it. There’s a lot of sexist, racist white dudes out there in America who don’t like Trump, but just need a little extra validation,” one person familiar with the campaign's thinking said. “And, bringing one of the people mentioned onto the ticket helps validate her among those constituents.”

Perhaps more important than a white male hopeful's appeal to his own demographic is how he is received by suburban women of all races.

“They are feeling like you need somebody who can go in and talk to these suburban women,” a second person familiar with the campaign's thinking said. “The internal polling is showing that’s who you’re targeting. You’re targeting them on reproductive rights. You’re targeting them on democracy. You’re targeting them on law and order. You’re not really trying to sell them on governing or on record or any of that, but these are sort of softer issues.” 

Related coverage

• 'Dumb' and a 'DEI' candidate: Trump and allies attack Kamala Harris based on her race, gender
• Harris campaign requests vetting materials from several possible running mates
• How Kamala Harris' presidential campaign is rapidly taking shape
• With Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Democrats eye a VP pick who can win over blue-collar voters

The choice of a running mate is one of the few major decisions a vice president running for the top job can use to signal to voters that they have the judgment to be president. So while Harris could always make an outside-the-box pick, people close to her expect that she will put a high premium on those kinds of traditional criteria — campaign experience, ticket balance and personal relationship — that helped her land the job four years ago.

Harris will want "someone that she can trust," said Karen Finney, a veteran Democratic operative who is close to Harris' camp. "One of the things she's probably learned as VP is that you need that. You need to have those voices, who are those people that you trust to tell you what you don't want to hear."

Or, as another longtime Democratic operative and donor said: "She doesn't want to get stuck with someone because it's advantageous politically."

And yet the first order of business for Harris, and the party that has placed its trust in her, is beating Trump.

Harris campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz played down "any reporting on developments" in the process as "premature and speculative" in a statement issued Tuesday.

"Vice President Harris is considering a large pool of qualified candidates, and will choose a partner that shares her commitment to fighting for the middle class, protecting Americans' freedoms, and protecting our democracy," Munoz said. "And when that candidate is chosen, together they will handedly defeat the Trump-Vance ticket in November."

As she looks to make her decision, Harris has surrounded herself with a tight circle of aides and advisers. The vetting process is being led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, and Harris has been traveling with Tony West, a former Holder lieutenant at the Justice Department who is also her brother-in-law. Her chief of staff, Lorraine Voles; her campaign chief of staff, Sheila Nix; and spokesman Brian Fallon — another Justice Department alumnus — are among those sources say she is consulting with.

Michael Blake, a finance committee member for the Harris campaign and founder and CEO of Kairos Democracy Project, said Harris has to find a running mate with a particular mix of attributes.

"It has to be someone she trusts and someone who actually is going to be a bulldog against this JD Vance nonsense," Blake said.

If Harris is elected, she will be the first woman, first Black woman and first Asian American person to serve as president. That means the background of the person she puts on the ticket — and their ability to talk about hers — will be important, several people who spoke to NBC News for this story said.

“Race, absolutely, is paramount,” Blake said. “You have to pick someone who can go into spaces and be direct that this Black woman is ready to be president. And, I tie it in a lot of ways to Biden. I was with them in 2008 in Michigan when Sen. Biden went to Macomb County and gave a speech and he said, ‘I was with Barack Obama at the convention. He’s a good man. He’s a good father.’”

In other words, now that she's about to take Biden's place on the ticket, she may need a Biden of her own.

Yamiche Alcindor is an NBC News Washington correspondent.

Jonathan Allen is a senior national politics reporter for NBC News.

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Trump-Vance Administration Could Herald New Era for Dollar

Both candidates on the Republican ticket have argued that the U.S. currency should be weaker to support American exports.

• Share full article

By Alan Rappeport

Reporting from Washington

Donald J. Trump’s selection of Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio to be his vice-presidential nominee pairs him with a kindred spirit on trade, taxes and a tough stance on China. But it is their shared affinity for a weak dollar that could have the most sweeping implications for the United States and the global economy.

In most cases, Mr. Trump likes his policies to be “strong,” but when it comes to the value of the dollar, he has long expressed a different view. Its strength, he has argued, has made it harder for American manufacturers to sell their products abroad to buyers that use weaker currencies. That’s because their money is worth so much less than the dollars that they need to make those purchases.

“As your president, one would think that I would be thrilled with our very strong dollar,” Mr. Trump said in 2019 , explaining that U.S. companies like Caterpillar and Boeing were struggling to compete. “I am not!”

The dollar has been the world’s dominant currency since World War II, and central banks hold about 60 percent of their foreign exchange reserves in dollars, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The United States has maintained a “strong dollar” policy since the 1990s, when Robert E. Rubin, the Treasury secretary at the time, declared that he did not view it as a threat to the ability of American business to compete abroad. The United States avoids taking measures to steer the strength of the dollar, and Treasury secretaries tend to argue that currency values should be determined by market forces. When countries, such as China, have acted to weaken their currencies, the U.S. has shamed them as currency manipulators.

It is not clear how Mr. Trump would go about weakening the dollar. His Treasury Department could try to sell dollars to buy foreign currency or try to persuade the Federal Reserve to just print more dollars.

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Trump campaign advisor and lawyer Alina Habba delivers emotional speech at 2024 RNC: Watch

Alina Habba took the podium at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday to share what former President Donald Trump is like as a person to her children, her and his supporters.

Habba, 39, is a lawyer who represented former president Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit from writer E. Jean Carroll in which the jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million . Since, she has become a senior advisor to Trump's campaign.

The Republican National Convention is in Milwaukee through Thursday where Trump on Thursday will formally accept the party’s nomination for the 2024 Election .

USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network have more than 60 journalists on the ground in Milwaukee and you can follow along with our live blog for updates throughout the day .

RNC 2024 live updates: When is Donald Trump's speech? Can I livestream the RNC?

What to know about Alina Habba

• Who she is: Lawyer and senior Trump campaign advisor
• What role she plays: Habba represented Trump in recent civil fraud and defamation trials. She also makes frequent TV appearances defending Trump.
• Key quote: "The left has tried to demolish President Trump, but there is no bulldozer big enough or strong enough to remove the legacy that he has built or the future he is creating."

When and where is the Republican National Convention?

The Republicans' convention will take place over four days, from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The  Fiserv Forum ,  home of the Milwaukee Bucks , will be the  main venue  for the RNC.

There  also will be events  at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.

How can you watch the event and stay up-to-date on convention news?

USA TODAY is streaming the RNC from start to finish, and you can watch it here starting Monday, July 15:

Updates from the RNC will be available at  gopconvention2024.com .