In July of 2022, women took to the streets of Sri Lanka in protest of the burden disproportionately placed on them by decisions made by their government leadership. Due to the corruption and economic crisis caused, many women were left to carry an even larger share of the domestic work which sparked protests all across […]
Tag: reform
How to Make Recall Elections Fair
Welp. That was over quickly. Within an hour of the polls closing at 8 PM PT on September 14, the recall race was already called for Governor Newsom. Governor Gavin Newsom’s victory was basically the same as his 2018 landslide (both 61.9%). The recall race has been estimated by Sonoma State University Professor David McCuan […]
The Continued Struggle for Open Access
Even at a young age, he had this sense of “American optimism.” He’d see something he didn’t like, take note of it and do everything in his power to change it. Aaron Swartz was one of the country’s fiercest “hacktivists,” and still remains so nine years after his death. On January 11, 2011, Swartz, a […]
The Case for Military Justice Reform
For eight years, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has introduced the same bill in the Senate: the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA). Despite the fact that this bill has failed year after year, Gillibrand’s bill has time and time again been cosponsored by the most unlikely of allies – Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Thus, […]
Revolutionizing Sex Work? The Growth of OnlyFans Within a Hostile Working Environment
In early August of 2020, actress and child-star Bella Thorne’s OnlyFans account captured the attention of many young adults when she posted a highly edited Instagram video, in which she revealed that she would be selling her nude photos for roughly $200 each. While she received thousands of orders, buyers never acquired the promised photos. […]
Whither Vietnam? A Q&A with Professor T.J. Pempel
In light of Donald Trump’s recent Hanoi summit with Kim Jong Un, Caleb Groen asks Professor T.J. Pempel how the Vietnamese communist party liberalized the economy while retaining its hold on power.
Lights, Camera, Deregulation! Big Banks Get Their Big Break
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tackling one of America’s most dire, pressing issues, Congress turned its attention in March away from passé, low-stakes issues like gun control and immigration to — you guessed it — banking reform. By May 22, the House passed the duplicitously-named Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCPA), a law that will roll back aspects of the […]
Did California Just Cash Out?
On August 28th, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 10 to eliminate cash bail in in the state. After advocating for the removal of cash bail since the late 1970s, the new legislation will go into effect starting October 2019. Today, cash bail is seen as a predatory institution that has directly targeted and predominantly […]
Make Education Great Again
How politics and campaign funding affects the future of school reform “If confirmed, will you insist upon that equal accountability in any K-12 school or educational program that receives federal funding whether public, public charter, or private?” asked Senator Tim Kaine. “I support accountability,” replied Education Secretary nominee Betsy Devos. “Equal accountability for all schools […]
Detention or Detox: Deconstructing America’s New Face of Heroin
Austin, Indiana, in many ways, is remarkably unremarkable. A small, mostly white, non-Hispanic population nestled in the center of the state, Austin may be your quintessential small-midwestern town. Family-owned ranches interspersed with mobile homes and yard signs that read, “”No Trespassing,” “Private Property,” “Keep Out.” A lackluster main street and struggling small businesses typify the […]
The Reformation Conundrum
Why Ayaan Hirsi Ali is wrong. Islam does not need a reformation. The rise of ISIS has created a number of question about the nature of Islam, ranging from the state of the religion today to fundamental theological questions that arise from the justification given by individuals or groups who use the religion of Islam to […]
After Every Winter Comes Spring: Tunisia’s Democratic Flowering
On December 17th, 2010, a 26 year-old vegetable-seller named Mohamed Bouazizi had his unlicensed cart and products confiscated by a policewoman in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid. Not only did the police officer demand a large fine from Bouazizi, but she also insulted his dead father and slapped him. Aggrieved, Bouazizi headed to the […]
Three Decades Late: U.S.-Cuba Relations
Fifty-four years after diplomatic fallout, the United States and Cuba are finally ready to let bygones be bygones. In his State of the Union address on January 20, 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama called for Congress to reestablish diplomatic relations and to end the trade embargo with Cuba, “ending a policy that was long past its […]