All in Government Current Events

America’s Horrible Record on Refugees

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.

Time for a Ban on Congress Trading

Due to the pandemic and a lack of trust in the U.S. government, the ban on trading for the members of Congress has surfaced as one of the top issues within our borders. The proposal called the Ban Conflicted Trade Act has gained a lot of traction and backing from government officials, so it is just a matter of time before it is enforced. Proposed over a year ago, the bill “prohibits a Member of Congress from (1) purchasing or selling specified investments, (2) entering into a transaction that creates a net short position in a security, or (3) serving as an officer or member of any board of a for-profit entity” (“H.R.1579 - Ban Conflicted Trading Act,” 2021). This issue entered into the spotlight due to members of Congress making trades directly before and during the pandemic. This claim is backed by the multiple cases of suspect trading activities occurring at optimal times.

Swinging Between Extremes: The Case of Peruvian Elections

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.

Election Controversies and Delayed Presidential Transitions: Then Compared to Now

Donald Trump’s presidency has been different than others and the transition has been no exception. Since Joe Biden’s victory, Trump has been adamant that the election has been rigged against him despite no evidence of fraud, leading to a contentious transition of power. Trump’s four years in office have been branded by divisive partisan politics, Twitter outbursts and personal feuds so it is unsurprising that his reelection loss has been handled without grace. Throughout American history, the period of time between Election Day and Inauguration Day has traditionally been used to coordinate a smooth transition between the incumbent and the president-elect. Instead, president Trump has spent the remainder of his time in the White House focused on spreading unfounded claims about widespread government corruption to his supporter base. While Trump’s theatrics have resulted in a notable nationwide divide, disputed election results are not new in recent American history.