By Jacob Wang (PO ’21) The 2019 Budget of the U.S. Government released Monday on February 12, 2018, presents an uncertain picture of the future of the NASA space program. While the overall budget allocated to NASA stayed roughly in the same level as previous years, the Budget made clear US government’s decision to terminate direct financial support for the International Space Station (ISS)...
Dear Reader, Happy New Year, and welcome to the ninth print edition—Vol. 5, No. 2—of the Claremont Journal of Law and Public Policy (CJLPP)! After reviewing many highly-qualified submissions, the editorial team is delighted to feature several particularly stimulating papers and two abridged interview articles in this issue. For our digital content as well as submissions from across the U.S. and...
By Jenna Lewinstein (SC ’19) Lost among a myriad of stories revolving around the executive office and Congress, Pennsylvania is in the midst of a constitutional crisis that has major implications on all levels of government. Gerrymandering, the act of manipulating congressional district maps to a partisan advantage through means like “packing and cracking” voters of particular demographics...
By Elinor Aspegren (PZ ’20) 20th century Europe was characterized by economic, territorial and ideological conflict. As a result of these conflicts, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) were both developed. NATO, a 54-year-old collective security organization with 19 members, including the United States and Canada, guaranteed the security of Europe and...
By James Dail (CMC ’20) The 21st Century has brought an explosion of new technology unlike anything ever seen since the Industrial Revolution. Yet, while the Industrial Revolution drastically improved the well-being of the American people, the Digital Revolution promises to have mixed results. Even as new technology brings increased life expectancy and daily efficiency, the threat of...
By Bryce Wachtell (PO ’21) Last December, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—the first major piece of legislation under the Republican-controlled 115th congress. The bill will have a major impact on the lives of all Americans in a variety of ways, but—in the most general of terms—it will work to substantially lower and somewhat simplify taxes for most citizens. Consequently, the...
By Allie Carter (CMC ’19) Echoes of World War II politics are still largely present in Europe today- most recently manifested in the Polish president’s decision to sign a bill that would punish anyone that publicly insinuates collaboration by the Polish state in the Nazi atrocities of the Holocaust. What’s more is that the bill was publicly introduced on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which...
By Daisy Ni (PO ’21) In the post 9/11 world, national security has become one of the biggest concerns that governments grapple with. In Australia, this concern has manifested in the form of two new pieces of legislation currently being debated: the National Security Legislation Amendment and the Foreign Transparency Scheme. In defending state interests, however, legislators can go too far, and...
By Jenna Lewinstein (SC ’19) Voting rights activists enjoyed a small victory on February 2, 2018, when Florida District Judge Mark Walker ruled that barring former felons from voting is unconstitutional. Unlike most states, Florida’s felons do not automatically get their voting rights back when released from prison. Instead, felons must wait five years before appearing in front of a...
By Elinor Aspegren (PZ ’20) 2017 in California was characterized, among other things, by the wildfires that ravaged the state. Over 9,000 wildfires raged across California, burning down 10,000 structures and killing at least 46 civilians and firefighters. The current California wildfire policies did not aid the populus as much as they should have. Therefore, major changes to California...
