All in Politics

The Supreme Court May Soon Overturn Affirmative Action

The Supreme Court May Soon Overturn Affirmative Action

Joshua Tran
Politics

On October 31st, 2022, the Supreme Court heard arguments challenging the validity of race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Two lawyers represented Students for Fair Admissions (the plaintiffs), while three lawyers represented the two universities (the defendants). Depending on the outcome, the court’s decision could drastically change college admissions soon. So, what is race-conscious affirmative action? How has the Supreme Court ruled on similar cases in the past, and what makes Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of North Carolina any different?

How Giorgia Meloni’s Election Victory Fits the Nationalist Bill

How Giorgia Meloni’s Election Victory Fits the Nationalist Bill

Keelan Jacques
Politics

Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s incoming Prime Minister, is a divisive figure in the arena of European politics. Her recent election victory in the wake of Mario Draghi’s resignation illuminated the underlying currents of frustration impacting the people of Italy. Her platform was based on a firebrand form of nationalism, espousing many of the tenets exemplified by the modern conservative nationalist. The Brothers of Italy party leader is anti-Europe, anti-abortion, anti-euthanasia, anti-same-sex marriage, anti-multiculturalism, anti-mass migration, and an outspoken opponent of contemporary gender movements. Her support for the Great Replacement theory highlights an alarming sentiment of white nationalism spreading through the ranks of the Italian polity, but why was her message so resonant?

America’s Horrible Record on Refugees

America’s Horrible Record on Refugees

Ariel Siton
Politics, Government Current Events

Those who keep up with international news on a regular basis will most likely know about the current global refugee crisis. Headlines about refugees suffering while making the journey to Europe from the Middle East and Africa, as well as within Europe, leave audiences across the world shaken to the core. People encounter stories about desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Belarus, Ukraine, and countless other countries to escape persecution, war, economic collapse, and other threats to lives and livelihoods in those countries. Many of those who are desperate are making the perilous journey to European countries, like Poland and Greece, among others. While the policies of these and other European countries, along with the European Union, do not address the underlying problems leading to the refugee crisis, it is still a significantly higher contribution than that of the United States.

President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan and Its Benefits

President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan and Its Benefits

Keri Gilligan
Politics, Public Policy

In the midst of emerging from the pandemic, it is important to look at the next steps to get the economy back on track. Within his first hundred days in office, president Joe Biden announced his lofty infrastructure plan. President Biden noted that this plan “is a one-in-a-generation investment in America” that has the potential to redefine the country (Tankersley, 2021). This extensive plan will inject money directly into the economy and could possibly be changing the United States for the foreseeable future. When considering what steps to take forward, it is crucial to analyze what the long term results are. So far, implementations like stimulus checks have provided a degree of short-term, immediate relief to some, but such policy action is not something that will help them get jobs and prosper growth. Families are able to pay for their immediate expenses to support themselves, but the checks are not providing them with secure jobs with stable income. In contrast, the infrastructure plan aims to create jobs for millions of Americans and improve the current crumbling infrastructure. According to the World Economic Forum, at its current state, the United States’ infrastructure is ranked 13th among other rich countries, with the score having gone down in recent years (Duncan). The United States is behind countries like Switzerland and Singapore, but this doesn’t have to be the case. White House correspondent for the New York Times, Jim Tankersley, stated that this plan has the potential to “create millions of jobs in the short run and strengthen American competitiveness in the long run,” demonstrating that this is a plan for the future, not just a small fix (Tankersley, 2021).

Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, recalled this plan as a “common sense investment” that will create jobs and help alleviate the budget deficit (King, 2021). Such an investment in public good will benefit everyone, not just a small group of people. President Biden notes that it will also set up the United States to be “more competitive around the world,” especially against those with fast-growing economies like China (King, 2021).

Swinging Between Extremes: The Case of Peruvian Elections

Swinging Between Extremes: The Case of Peruvian Elections

Mauricio Ramirez
Government Current Events, Politics

The history of elections in Latin America has gone through periods of varying political philosophies. Previously, there have been left-leaning governments such as Rafael Correa's in Ecuador or Evo Morales's in Bolivia. More recently, there has been a rise in right-leaning governments such as Bolsonaro's in Brazil or Pinera in Chile. A pattern seems to arise where governments of the right follow left-leaning governments. The swings from the left may have been fueled by corruption scandals (World Politics Review, 2021) or failure to activate the economy. Under these historical circumstances, presidential elections are being held in Peru. Both candidates represent extremes on political ideologies.

Immigration Under President Biden: Expectations, Reality, and Everything In Between

Immigration Under President Biden: Expectations, Reality, and Everything In Between

Naomi Buchanan
Politics, Public Policy

Joe Biden ran as an antithesis to his predecessor, but what does what mean now that he is in office for those most affected by his decisions? As a candidate, Biden promised to not only reverse the unjust immigration policies of the previous administration but to prioritize protecting immigrant families who are essential to our country. Since Inauguration Day, most of Biden’s immigration actions have been centered around reversing Trump’s policies. Biden ran on promises to go beyond rolling back Trump administration policies, but his time in office has not exactly mirrored those campaign promises.

Using Canada as a future indicator for the US

Using Canada as a future indicator for the US

Jack Geiger
Politics

Republicans and Democrats can both agree on the fact that the coronavirus is costing the US economy a substantial amount of money. Stimulus is nearly entirely funded through government issued debt, or bonds. Debt has been a gargantuan issue for the US government for the last decade, which leaves Democrats and Republicans fighting over the size of stimulus bills. Canada’s rationale and commentary behind their recent stimulus measures may prove insightful to the United States in deciding how to proceed. The stakes are rising as countries get deeper into debt and the economic horizon is still uncertain. One strategist commented, “Canada could come off as heroic if this spending is done right…If Canada fails, all the emergency spending might have been done in vain because we won’t have the capacity to power the post-vaccine recovery” (Vieira and Mackrael, 2020). As the United States legislature debates another stimulus bill, lawmakers should consider the reasons behind Canada’s recent economic actions.

The Pandemic Brings Racism in Healthcare to the Forefront

The Pandemic Brings Racism in Healthcare to the Forefront

Naomi Buchanan
Politics

As this year slowly comes to an end, we look back on the historic importance of 2020. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and too many others at the hands of the police and the national response have forced a reckoning of the role of racism within American life. As the U.S. is unable to control the spread of COVID-19, the pandemic continues to change the way we live. The Coronavirus has highlighted the failures of the American healthcare system, specifically the disproportionate negative effects for Black people of color. Racism plays a critical role in determining individual health outcomes and the healthcare system can no longer be complicit through inaction.

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