Kenyamarie Mahone (PO ’23) The final Presidential debate on Thursday at Nashville’s Belmont University brought unexpected levels of professionalism from both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. After the chaos that unfolded during the first debate, it was unclear whether this one would offer any substance on either candidates’ platforms or policy goals. Fortunately, with the…
Aditya Bhalla (PO ’23) Last week’s Iowa caucus was supposed to be the emphatic beginning of a widely anticipated electoral cycle. However, as 25 candidates narrowed to a handful of legitimate contenders for the Democratic Party nomination, the caucuses went awry, as precincts had yet to report results late into the night. Final results from…
Soksamnang Lim (PO’23) The recent Iowa Caucus marks a significant milestone in America’s transition into a digital democracy, defined as the use of information and communication technology in political and electoral processes. However, the Caucus’ delayed results from the poorly tested polling app demonstrate the growing role of technology within America’s election process and the…
Christopher Tan PZ (’21) On a frosty day on January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision in Citizens United v. FEC that went onto radically reshape the business of American politics. In a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the case ruled that the 1st Amendment protected the rights of corporate…
By Lucie Abele PO ’22 Domestic economic policy is a topic that is significant to American voters, who want to see economic growth, higher real wages, and improved employment. The domestic economic policies of six potential Presidential candidates, selected from the frontrunners of the Republican and Democratic parties, are discussed here. For the Republican party,…
By Andy Liu (HMC ’23) During the ongoing 2020 Democratic primaries, many candidates have proposed varying levels of tuition-free public college, ranging from moderate proposals involving free community college, some level of student loan forgiveness, or the complete elimination of tuition and fees at all public colleges. Yet, while these plans have come under fire…
By Katya Pollock (PO ’21) On March 8th, Finland’s center-right coalition government, led by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, resigned after failing to pass a promised reform of healthcare programs. A dramatic rise in the population’s old-age dependency ratio and recession-level labor force participation rates have tightened financial pressure on the country’s healthcare, pension, child-care, and…
By Francis Northwood (PO ’21) Electability means many things to many people. With the Democratic Party’s 2020 rollout nearly finished, the task at hand for most of the candidates is to separate themselves from a packed crowd. Normally, there are not this many qualified candidates (save for the last Republican primary), but with such a…
By Francis Northwood (PO ’21) On March 15th, Governor Jared Polis of Colorado signed onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), making the state the 12th member-state of the compact, and the first “purple” member (that is, a state not solidly Democrat or Republican). Proponents of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact argue that…
By Francis Northwood (PO ’21) Thailand will be holding its first elections in four years on February 25th. Since Thailand’s last election, a military Junta led by Prayut Chan-o-cha has controlled the country. The military junta only recently lifted the ban on political activity it had set in 2014. In the years since the Absolute…