Why Washington Won’t Pass a Policy to Prevent Genocide
The Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 (S.1158) not only condemns genocide and acknowledges its threat to national and international security, but also establishes the United States’ responsibility for intervention and strengthens the “government’s capacity to prevent, mitigate, and respond to such crises.” The original proposal established a response to genocide, but […]
4/20(20): Marijuana and Criminal Justice Reform’s Role in the 2020 Election
At first glance, marijuana legalization doesn’t seem like it should be a priority for voters in the upcoming election, especially when compared to issues such as the lack of accessible health care, the climate crisis, and rising gun violence. However, the legalization of marijuana directly relates to criminal justice reform. The War on Drugs—an initiative […]
On Guns and Liberty
“And I cannot see, why arms should be denied to any man who is not a slave, since the are the only true badges of liberty.” –Andrew Fletcher In my previous piece, I denounced the idea that gun ownership should be a right. Here, I discuss why firearms are antithetical to freedom. On Tyranny of […]
From Extreme to Mainstream: Behind the Scenes of the Alt-Right
Thinkpieces on Donald Trump’s election and its underlying forces are like hard liquor. On November 8, 2016, as Trump’s victory shifted from implausible to unlikely to possible to probable to inevitable, Twitter responded in real time. It doesn’t take many words or much thought to tweet, so the takes were as close to instant as […]
Moderate New Hampshire Voters Hope For Unity, Fear Extremism
New Hampshire, like Iowa, has always been a key state and area of hyper-focus for presidential contenders. It holds the first primary, resulting in a disproportionate influx of rallies and campaigns in the small state and, in-turn, a politically engaged electorate. At a town hall event in Concord on November 9, Joe Biden served chili […]
Inside the Squad: Managing One of the Best-Known Offices on Capitol Hill
Two years ago, Sarah Groh was taken out of the Senate building in handcuffs. She had been arrested for protesting proposed new restrictions on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She was fighting for her mother, who had recently been diagnosed with leukemia and was relying on the ACA to afford treatment. Today, Groh works in […]
The Rise of The Independent Gen Z Voter
There is a generational rift paralyzing both major parties in the United States—a rift that is hindering legislative progress across the nation. Young people are more likely to identify as liberals but less likely to identify as Democrats, according to a Brookings Institute study from November 2016. Of the sampled demographic, 35 percent of youths […]
Youth Activism in the Age of Social Media
Social media is revolutionizing how youth-led activism gains momentum. Young adults, once in the shadow of their parents, possess a powerful voice, constantly active through mobile technology. The power of that voice was evident around the world, when four million young people—many under the age of twenty-five—protested across 150 countries in September to demand urgent […]
Is Enough Enough?—Farmers’ Dilemma Heading Into 2020
As America heads into another presidential election, trade relations with China continue to be a complicated issue. Just recently, Chinese officials canceled planned visits with US farmers in Montana and Nebraska. This was a surprise, as the White House had announced hours prior that they would temporarily spare more than 400 Chinese products from tariffs. […]
Why Americans Don’t Vote
Though the United States has a slight obsession with installing democratic governments across the globe, American democracy is consistently one of the least active among developed countries. In the 2016 presidential election, only 55.6 percent of citizens in the voting-age population cast a ballot. Turnout has been between fifty-two and sixty-three percent in every presidential […]