SnoQap

Jul 26

Jul 26 The Gilded Age Heretic

The Gilded Age is not known for its presidents. The chief executives from 1876 to 1896 saw themselves not as active leaders but as checks against, or in some cases enablers of, a corrupt Congress; this “light touch” leadership condemned most of them to obscurity beyond political history nerds. One exception is Grover Cleveland, America’s first nonconsecutive president. Gilded Age Democrats loved Cleveland during his first term for his fiscal responsibility; they also turned against him during his second term for the same reason. This culminated in the Democrats backing a presidential candidate who was the opposite of Cleveland. If we are to understand the party’s turning on Cleveland, we must examine his life.

Jul 14

Jul 14 How Do Personality Traits Influence Political Beliefs?

Matthew Xiao

Politics

Have you ever wondered whether our personality traits play a significant role in shaping our political beliefs? Could it be that conservatives are more organized and reliable, while liberals are more intellectually curious and receptive to new experiences? And when it comes to sociability, empathy, or emotional stability, which side of the political spectrum tends to score higher? These intriguing questions invite us to explore the fascinating relationship between personality traits and political orientation.

May 24

May 24 The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act and Age Verification

Cristina Ortiz

Politics, Public Policy

In an era of political polarization, a group of senators has joined forces in an effort to protect children online. As technology continues to advance and the digital world becomes increasingly pervasive in our lives, protecting our youngest users has become a priority for lawmakers. In response to increasing concerns over the influence social media has on children, four senators have proposed the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act of 2023. If this bill is passed, children under the age of 13 would be prohibited from using social media platforms unless their guardian provides consent. However, the efficacy of age verification is still a significant problem. The efficacy of age verification, or lack thereof, leads to questions from the opposition over the bill’s ability to protect our younger users from the dangers of social media.

Mar 24

Mar 24 Diamonds and Mining are NOT a girl’s best friend!

Giulianna Maselli

Politics

Engaging in a dialogue about gender and economics is not intuitive. Especially, when the main understanding of the economy is based on the global free market, production, and the idea of meritocracy, which leads us to think that this dialogue would be limited to subjects such as equal opportunities between women and men and/or parity; and would leave aside other gendered and economic relationships of domination that are more discrete, normalized, and violent, such as gendered socialization and imposed gender roles. However, the recent resurgence of socio-economic and gender inequalities, and how they are interwoven, has made a deeper exchange necessary. We observe the emergence of an intersectional reflection in both economic and gender terms, which challenges the unequal distribution of wealth, natural resources, and the sexual division of labor.

Nov 28

Nov 28 A Seat at the Table

Cerine Benayoune

Politics

If someone were to walk up to you today and tell you that electric shocks are being used on the disabled, you would perhaps think you had accidentally teleported back to the 1500s. Yet that is the reality we are living in currently. The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is a behavioral school for children and adults with severe disabilities. It has been under scrutiny for decades due to its questionable methods, namely for its blatant and severe abuse of its students. The rap sheet is a mile long, with some cases even resulting in death. There was a 12-year-old who had the skin on his feet completely removed, a 22-year-old who died from a seizure after having his head locked between the legs of a staff member and being forced to put on a white noise helmet, children who were strapped down and shocked repeatedly for ‘offenses’ like stimming, crying, not waking up fast enough – the list goes on.

Nov 11

Nov 11 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?

Oct 24

Oct 24 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?

Jul 29

Jul 29 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.

Jun 16

Jun 16 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).

Jun 6

Jun 6 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.