In 1953, the Ralph M. Brown Act was signed, requiring public comment at local government meetings. While necessary at the time, this legislation has become outdated and needs to be overhauled. At the time, Californian cities were enduring enormous change. Urban highway construction had been underway for decades, with President Eisenhower’s upcoming Federal Highway Act […]
Tag: Government
The Global Playbook: How Athletes Are Used to Sway Political Voters
Athletes set the tone in stadiums, not parliaments. However, in the era of political dependence on the intersection of technology and media, athletes have become unlikely but potent allies in politics. Once national icons, sports figures across the globe are now being redrafted into entirely new uniforms: those of political activists, cultural symbols, and even […]
Space Race 2.0: Profits, Power, and the Politics of the Cosmos
Capitalism is out of this world—quite literally. The commercialization of space is propelling us into a second space race, one that is fundamentally different from its Cold War predecessor. Unlike the 20th-century contest between the United States and the Soviet Union, this new race is driven by private enterprise, technological ambition, and the pursuit of […]
Echoes of Silence: How Aynaghor Exposes South Asia’s Hidden Repression
For the first time in half a decade, Michael Chakma saw the sun. He had escaped, but he could barely remember where to go or who to call. Five years prior, Chakma was abducted by Bangladeshi intelligence, and from that day on, he was subjected to torture, stuck in the darkness, and only able to […]
We Laughed Into the Void—And it Laughed Back: Understanding Gen Z Humor
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” JFK’s inaugural address is an iconic rallying cry for civic duty and national pride. Today, young people are still asking what they can do—but the answers they’re finding are increasingly unsettling. The reason? They’re turning to the internet […]
Portugal Elections Mark Europe’s Surge Toward Radical Right
In April, Portugal was supposed to celebrate its 50-year anniversary of democracy, leadership, and stability since the Carnation Revolution, which overthrew the right-wing dictatorship that had led the country for decades. However, in March, just one month before this great milestone in the country’s history, it is facing political turmoil and democratic decay. Populist right-wing […]
A “Shattered” U.S. Democracy: Understanding the Dominating Forces of the Status Quo
“Shattered, washed-up has-been”—the title given to the American government by its foreign allies in a 2021 “Summit for Democracy.” Once a respected representative model, today’s American democracy is now characterized as a “washed-up” system in which the status quo is an environment where ideologies that are conveyed by powerful leaders have established a sharp socioeconomic […]
Turmoil Before the Storm: Underlying Political Risk in Libya
Derna was a beautiful seaside town, built on the ruins of a Greek colony by Spanish Muslims in the late 15th century. It was home to Libya’s first movie theater, dozens of religious buildings, cafes, and bookstores. It was a town rich with culture and intellectual vitality. But the physical evidence of that is now […]
A More Volatile Union: The Danger of Direct Democracy
In recent years, a growing cacophony of grievance from the progressive left has targeted our unrepresentative, antidemocratic, dysfunctional Senate. Much of this frustration has materialized in calls to end the filibuster. Though, one wonders if such decided advocates will change their tune when former GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell returns to his old job […]
Energy Drinks: Does this quick fix really come without strings?
Energy drinks feel like the perfect quick fix. After drinking one can of Bang, I feel equipped with enough energy to go on a run, take two midterms, and still spare power to go to the Cal-Stanford football game. It just doesn’t seem like drinking one cup of coffee can give me the equivalent feeling […]
Basra in Flames, with No Water to Put out the Fire
Basra is a city located in the southeast of Iraq, bordering the countries of Kuwait and Iran. Basra is known as the oil capital of Iraq, yet despite the abundance of wealth, the whole country, and especially Basra, has been suffering from a stagnant economy. Government corruption, financial mishandling, and high unemployment took the Basrawis […]
“Pics or it Didn’t Happen”: California’s Millennials’ Resistance to Voting
How much would you pay for an avocado? Millennials, even if they refuse to admit it now, will fork up a relatively large amount, such as $12 for avocado toast or $5 for a side of guacamole. Driven largely by millennials, the current 18- to 35-year-olds, avocado consumption has skyrocketed from one pound per person in […]
Lebanon: Too Beautiful for its Own Good
National pride has historically been founded on biases and ignorance of a country’s flawed history. But of course, it is also founded on some merit. It takes one visit to understand why so many in Lebanon beam at the mention of their nation. Cedar trees from thousands of years ago stand tall across from ancient […]
“Eat the Rabbits”: Venezuela’s Plan to Curb its Food Crisis
Government mismanagement of oil revenues, international debt, and rampant inflation have led Venezuela into an extreme food crisis with only one plausible solution: eat the rabbits. At least that’s the plan recently proposed by President Nicolás Maduro. This is not the first instance we have seen such a simple solution to a complex national issue […]
Rwanda’s Path to Gender Equity
When Justine Uvuza returned to Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, she was shocked by the state of her country. At the time, the little remaining infrastructure and shattered political systems that resulted from the Rwandan genocide comprised the leading narrative of the country. But when she returned, what stood out most to Uvuza was […]
A Middle Ground for Snowden
Three years ago, Edward Snowden shocked the world with his revelation of NSA mass surveillance programs. Now he wants to come home. As a new wave of public debate surrounding privacy and national security takes place, now is the best time for the U.S. government and Mr. Snowden to find a common ground. The U.S. […]
An Open Letter to President-Elect Donald Trump
Dear President-Elect Trump, I’d like to start this off by offering my congratulations on a well-fought campaign. While you did not have my support before the election, I recognize that you are now my President, and I refuse to protest the will of the people. You have clearly pinpointed a strong source of anger and […]
Nobels and Whistles in Beijing
Tu Youyou was labeled with “three noes”: no medical degree, no doctorate, and no work overseas. And yet, she became not only the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize, but also the first Chinese citizen to earn a Nobel Prize in science. Tu was honored as one of 2015’s three Nobel laureates in […]