Publications

By Jakob Christopherson Background A 2020 study found that 54% of surveyed rural citizens felt that climate change policy is important, as opposed to 69% of urban citizens (Diamond, Bonnie, and Rowe 2020). Yet, rural Americans stand to gain a lot from effective climate policy which in theory would lead to predictable weather conditions. Both…

By Michael Byrne Introduction In 2014, surging gang violence and deteriorating economic conditions in Central America led to what media outlets labeled a “child-migrant crisis.” (Lind). From fiscal year 2013 to 2014, apprehensions of unaccompanied minor children at the southwest U.S. border rose roughly 80 percent, as nearly 70,000 unaccompanied children were detained by U.S.…

By Mikaela Steckelis Problem Reproductive health rights, particularly abortion care access, in the United States are slowly being repealed. This has major implications for women’s rights, the health of pregnant people, and the economy. With the possibility of Roe v Wade being overturned in the summer of 2022 by the Supreme Court in Dobbs v…

By Caleb Newman Executive Summary While there have been laws preventing gambling on sports since the 1960’s, the Supreme Court disrupted the landscape in 2018 in Murphy v. NCAA when they overturned a ban on sports betting. Soon after, states adopted legislation to allow for sports gambling to be legal. However, some sports bettors suffer…

By Natalie Cruzat Abstract The use of armed drones by the US has increased substantially since 2001, and this growth has strained the ability of policy and policymakers to sufficiently police drone programs. Controversial practices have gained attention over the years, but drone strike policy still lacks the depth and cohesiveness it needs. Many have…

By Kaldan Kopp Introduction The United States historically classifies its differences, diversity, and divisions as a strength. We romanticize these differences, from sea to country, from naturalized to natural born. However, in recent years, there has been a stark shift in our views of these divisions. No longer can the identity as an American alone…

By David Nehlsen Abstract: This memo offers a summary of the findings from the author’s Honor’s Thesis in Cooperative labor, as well as a policy proposal which could put such findings into practice. Worker and Consumer Cooperatives show promise as an alternative business model, with evidence of greater worker satisfaction, productivity, and resilience, and lower…

By Jack Connors Problem Statement Declining and unstable funding for the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) has enhanced de facto segregation and worsened labor shortages in Southeast Wisconsin. Executive Summary For the majority of the 21st century, Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) has struggled financially along with Milwaukee County (Kilmer 2021). Wisconsin’s 2010-2011 biennial budget…

Weekly Seminar Liberated Intellects to Further Education for Madison’s Formerly Incarcerated  By Robert Hall Introduction In the late 20th century, digital technologies contributed to the United States’ expanding carceral state. Police departments embraced computer programs to guide predictive policing, and digital databases published collated criminal data for all to see. These programs contributed to exacerbation…

By Yi-Chen Tsai The Deteriorating Relations between Taiwan and the PRC Escalating tension and geopolitics have characterized the relations between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), generally referred to as Cross-Strait relations. PRC’s armed forces, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), have increased its aircraft incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) since…

By Haoyan “Ken” Wang Introduction From 1945 to 1991, the United States was in a position of dominance and went head-to-head with the Soviet Union. After 1991, the United States dominated world politics, but it is not true anymore. With the rise of China, the United States is losing its dominance in economics due to…

By Xaver Davey I. Abstract To democratize and continue optimal long-term growth that is positively experienced by as many people as possible, the United States of America ought to implement efficient corporate taxation policy. To ensure bipartisanship, this corporate tax structure should reflect a blend of Modern American Conservative and Modern American Liberal economic policy.…

By Samantha Givich Problem Across the country, amid a pandemic and political uprising, gun violence has risen, with 2020 and 2021 being the deadliest years in recent history. In Wisconsin, approximately 717 people die from gun violence a year (National Center for Health Statistics, 2022). In Milwaukee specifically, gun violence is a huge problem; in…

By Michael Roytman Introduction: On December 16, 2021, when asked by a reporter whether she knew about the 5 month investigation about insider trading violations, Nancy Pelosi was unknowledgeable about the proceedings of the investigation, but adamantly emphasized that, “It’s a free market economy, and everyone deserves to participate.” Unfortunately that is not the objective…

By Lilly Gullickson Summary of Memo Problem Statement There is a lack of diverse representation in America’s current K-12 curriculum. Implementing a culturally relevant curriculum will expose all children to different cultural perspectives, aid the identity development of children of color, and allow children of color to identify with the material. Identifying with the material…

By Sam Goldstein Summary of Memo The criminal justice system in Wisconsin is marked by recidivism: an individual commits a crime, is incarcerated, released on supervision, repeats a crime/commits a new one, and that individual is then reincarcerated. Based on the most recent data collected by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC), 31.3% of individuals…

By Emma Heinrich As an increasingly threatening problem, climate change action is more important now than ever. One of the biggest drivers in modern climate change is the increasing concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Carbon sequestration, the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide into carbon sinks such as vegetation,…

By Aaditya Varma Ruddarraju and Karan Reddy Goguri Background A  problem the current generations have explicitly worked towards improving and implicitly worked towards depleting is climate change. With the sudden change of production dynamics during the industrial revolution hazardous emissions, toxic waste, and the depletion of the ozone layer are some of the numerous detrimental…

By Laura Morales Introduction  In 2017, an article published by the Guardian titled “America’s dirty little secret’: the Texas town that has been without running water for decades” highlighted a historical Freedman1 settlement, Sandbranch, which is located 15 miles from downtown Dallas, Texas. Sandbranch, an unincorporated community, does not have any municipal services which include…

By Alli Burgdorf Executive Summary In the United States, the leading cause of accidental death is accidental drug overdose (LaSalle, 2017). Overdose deaths are often preventable yet continue to increase in our current opioid epidemic. One way both federal and state governments have attempted to reduce overdose deaths is through Drug-induced Homicide (DIH) laws. DIH…

By Hassan Khokhar Doctors constitute an essential profession and are necessary for the provision of healthcare to communities across the United States. However, over 80 percent have experienced mental health issues as a result of the burdens of their profession. Barriers and stigma have continually impeded receiving mental health outreach. We see this in the…

By Yaakov Segal Introduction U.S. and international law broadly define sex trafficking as the recruitment and obtainment of people for a commercial sex act induced by force. (Deer 2010). Sex trafficking plagues the United States, but disproportiantely affects Native Americans. A significant proportion of research on sex trafficking finds Native communities suffering at higher rates…

By Samuel T. Wudi Background In the United States, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds State programs that provide low-income children healthcare. While CHIP provides a critical service, its decentralization undermines its effectiveness: each state operates its own program. Currently the federal government provides grants to CHIP programs and matches state contributions (“Children’s Health Insurance…

By Kaylin Hewitt Food insecurity is a “household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food,” and has been recognized as a problem in the U.S. since the 1980s (USDA 2021; Fraser et al. 2021). Among U.S. households with children, those headed by a single mother remain more likely to experience…

By Zayna Tubeishat Introduction The Middle East has long served as the political playground of economic superpowers and though this has wreaked havoc on the lives of people in the region, an irresponsible turn from intervention could lead to further destabilization. The United States’ sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan has raised concerns among theorists over the…

By Chamia Chatman Problem Statement To create a more stimulating and diverse science community, there must be a push for greater access to STEM education and resources.  The term STEM refers to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  Unfortunately, many students from underrepresented and/or lower income backgrounds will lack interest and exposure to STEM…

by Lauryn Dominick It is common knowledge that everything is interlinked, meaning that circumstances are created by chain reactions. When an oil spill occurs, not only does this affect the fish in the ocean and the fishing industry, but it affects the amount of food that can be put on your table, which could ultimately…

By Sam Haessly Problem Statement America is heavily contributing to the global warming crisis due to its heavy amounts of fossil fuel emissions. Currently the United States contributes to 17% of the world’s emissions. With transportation being the economic sector in the United States with the largest contribution to greenhouse gases. It has become apparent…

By Samuel Shih Introduction In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s exemplary response, the global profile and knowledge about Taiwan, formally the Republic of China, has been higher than ever. With a growing Taiwanese nationalist movement present in the political and social fabric of Taiwanese society and domestic desires in the PRC…

By Kelly MacGarrigle Problem Statement President Kagame, a former soldier in the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), is a favorite among Western leaders who have praised the advances made by his administration. Despite the significant advances made by Rwadanda post-genocide, the country still faces significant issues regarding human rights abuses and its role in perpetuating violence…

By Victor Hinardi Background  China and the US have witnessed an escalating tension since President Trump took office in 2016. The tension resulted in a trade war which was essentially a series of tariffs on imported goods from China to the US, and vice versa. This trade war was sparked by China not purchasing American…

By Zach Dyar Historical Context & Current U.S. Policy  Despite the media’s recent portrayal of Venezuela as a country rife with human suffering and political instability, the nation was once one of the richest in South America. For nearly a century, Venezuela was one of the world’s top producers of oil— an industry that supported…

By Sam Basa Background In June of 2020, a court in Manila convicted journalist Maria Ressa and fellow reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr. of cyber libel for a corruption exposé they had produced. The law that the government prosecuted Ressa and Santos under passed through the legislature months after the corruption exposé was published back in…

By Cayden Kirkpatrick The United States government’s relationship with the Republic of China (Taiwan) has been complex since the establishment of Taiwan’s government in Taipei in 1949 (Harrison 10). One of the main difficulties in these relations stems from Taiwan lacking the official status of an independent country in United States foreign policy. This memo…

By Jacob Laufgraben Problem – America’s Protectionism Does More Harm Than Good  In recent history, the United States has adopted protectionist trade and immigration policies with the goal of safeguarding the jobs and wages of native-born Americans. However, these policies, and the reasoning behind them are founded on distortions of sound economic thinking, peddled by…

By Grey Bayliss & Leah Pascarelli Problem Statement Approximately 33,188,398 Americans use sunscreen everyday causing 14,000 tons of harmful chemicals to enter the ocean. These chemicals pose imminent threats to marine life and especially coral reefs, requiring stricter regulations to protect these ecosystems. Removing Octocrylene, Oxybenxone, Avobenzone, Ecamsule, Octinoxate, homosalate & Zinc Oxide from sunscreen…

By Harsimran S. Kalsi, Satvir S. Kalsi Executive Summary:          When Wisconsin spearheads rejuvenation biotechnology research and development (R&D), support for the state’s rapidly increasing elderly population will be greatly enhanced and efforts to improve the state’s economy, quality of life, and national image will be accelerated. Wisconsin can accomplish this by leveraging its robust…

By Lena Simon Executive SummaryNative communities in Alaska face specific vulnerabilities to climate change. In particular, they face risks to their traditional food systems of hunting, fishing, and gathering. Inflexible government regulations surrounding hunting and other subsistence activities harm more than help the ability of indigenous Alaskans to adapt to changing migration patterns and other…

by Sarah Cheney Introduction In this written work there will be a discussion of the magnitude and harmful effects of child marriage on youth, especially girls, in the United States. There will be a discussion of the lasting effects child marriage can have on the mental, physical, and socioeconomic wellbeing of girls in the United…

by Sam Myszka A few summers ago, I began working at a grocery store near my old high school and I asked the managers for 30 hours a week of work. Eventually, the produce manger replied to me that he could not give me 30 hours a week, but he could give me 29.5 instead.…

by Sara Kleinman Introduction At the United States border today, people seeking asylum face extreme violations to human rights as they are forced into overcrowded detainment centers to endure the complicated asylum process and await their hearings. However, other countries such as Germany, allow much simpler processes without enforcing inhumane conditions on asylum seekers. This…

by Sara Kleinman Stereotypes exist in the world today that exclude women from parts of society and contribute to a clear gender gap in access to education. Social exclusion and male preference are means that elucidate the realities of this female stereotyped society. Despite a recent surge in the female empowerment movement in recent years,…

by Julia Kessel Comprehensive sex education is a necessary aspect of public schools. It is the responsibility of public schools and districts to ensure that their students leave the school as informed and self-sufficient individuals. The goal of sex education within schools is to teach students about their bodies, their sexualities, relationships, safe sex and…

by Dev DasaiNote from the writer: As a preface to this paper, I would like to note that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) occurs against all genders – while the scope of this essay specifically focuses on GBV against women, in no way is discrimination against genders other than women less important.“ The alleged kidnapping and murder…

By Sarah Alexander Problem Statement Floods are the most costly, deadly and frequent natural disaster. Development of flood-prone land, human modifications to river and coastal ecosystems, and declining natural infrastructure all raise the cost of floods. And, the impacts to people, livelihoods, industry, and the economy will only worsen as our climate changes. The burden…

By Danielle Field Problem Statement: The Clogged Antibiotic PipelineThis past year, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that current development of antibiotics is insufficient (WHO). Essentially, the lack in investment return lies at the root of the problem. Due to a lack of potential revenue, the investments being made by pharmaceutical companies have substantially declined…

By Mingxin Zhang and Unni Kurumbail Problem Statement: Petrochemicals is a linear economy Current chemicals production stems primarily from fossil fuel feedstocks. While a breathtaking wealth of value-added chemical transformations have enabled the modern economy, the linear nature of this industry (take-make-dispose) is not sustainable in the long run. It is critical to develop circular…

by Julia Kessel Introduction Classrooms are intended to be a safe space for students where they are able to learn efficiently, successfully and comfortably. Schools have the responsibility of ensuring that their students learn as much as possible during the school year in the most efficient and comfortable way. In the classroom, teachers have the…

by Julia Kessel Introducing the Problem Over the past few years, the amount of hate against minority groups in Wisconsin has been rising significantly. These incidents, that are anywhere from microaggressions to violent crimes, have been plaguing the country and do not seem to be slowing down. In Wisconsin, much of these crimes tend to…

by Sam Myszka Dr. Francis Boyle is one of the world’s top bioterrorism experts and the Illinois law professor who drafted the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989. In 2015, he stated that America was in violation of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention; within this last year, he has publicly advocated for a nationwide shutdown…

by Stella D’Acquisto The first time many Americans heard the term Antifa was in the words of former President Trump.  In the past year, this word has been utilized more and more as a representation of the radical left, portrayed as a violent and chaos-loving organization set on the pillaging of working neighborhoods, ostensibly with…

by Rianna Mukherjee The passage The Equality Act is a proposed bill that prioritizes mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals by prohibiting discrimination in health care and employment. This bill also addresses youth by updating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to desegregate public school education based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This provision…

by Lindsey Felner Introduction Producing a federal budget has proven time and time again to be one of the most grueling and polarizing tasks of public service. Determining how best to allocate funds between defense and non-defense programs is one of the major considerations on which liberals and conservatives are fiercely divided, frequently leading to…

by Ryan Thiele As a component of their ‘remote control’ mode of oversight, American Occupation forces depended upon traditional Japanese institutions to bring about reform in the post-World War II era; specifically, the disbanding of the Japanese military placed police in a vital role for maintaining social stability in a time of incredible political, social,…

by Jacob Laufgraben Problem: America’s Protectionism Does More Harm Than Good In recent history, the United States has adopted protectionist trade and immigration policies with the goal of safeguarding the jobs and wages of native-born Americans. However, these policies, and the reasoning behind them are founded on distortions of sound economic thinking, peddled by special…

By Amanda Peterson Problem Sex education is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, and other aspects regarding human sexual behavior. According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a comprehensive sex education is “developmentally and culturally responsive, science-based and medically accurate information…

By Ziyang Wang and Longqing Chen Summary The events that unfolded in 2020 rang an alarm bell for humanity: as of now, Covid-19 has claimed 2.8 million lives worldwide (“Covid-19 Dashboard”). Major businesses across the globe found themselves in deep financial trouble: already under the great distress of debt before the pandemic, the American rental…

By Emma Garrison Context and Background  Debates around poverty have long dominated public policy debates; in his seminal piece “The New American Poverty,” Harrington (1985) addressed the rising threat of poverty among working-class Americans and argued that the United States still faced the same fundamental economic issues that plagued the early 1980s. Notably, he discussed…

By Skylar Shafer Problem and Background: This paper seeks to address two separate circumstances simultaneously. First, U.S military spending is distinctively higher than NATO averages. Second, impending economic damage from well-documented climate change and a lack of infrastructural investment. The U.S spent 3.42% of its GDP in 2019 on defense, according to the World Bank.(2020)…

By Julide Sengil and Tatiana Dittus Problem Statement The United States donates a lower percentage of GDP to foreign aid compared to the majority of other developed nations, yet they undeniably gain from global trade. As a major exporter of services – finance, pharmaceuticals, business administration – US consumers rely on imports from the developing…

By TJ Kennedy Problem Statement The United States spends enormous amounts of taxpayer money to accomplish its goals. However, only some programs which government creates are accountable to determine if they’re actually fulfilling their purpose. Part of this is due to the nature of the Government Accountability Agency (GAO) and part of it is due…

By Anika Horowitz Problem Statement In 2019, progressive congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez claimed that, unless we implement drastic climate change policies, “the world would end in 12 years.” Every day, the media bombards us with alarming messages of how rising sea levels will flood our shores, while wildfires burn our cities. As a result, tens…

By William Hegelmeyer Problem Statement There is no challenging problem in public policy quite like healthcare due to how extensively it impacts human life, as well as the complexity of the systems that exist to support it.  Health policy in the United Statesis often considered enormously complex, and for good reason.  Our system is arguably…

By Xaver Davey I. Problem Statement This paper aims to bring attention to an impending economic problem and propose preliminary solutions. What remains uncertain, however, is the size and scale of the incoming predicament. The problem at hand is the vast displacing potential of advanced artificial intelligence (AI), which will dramatically change the economic landscape,…

By Beth Allen and Sofia Miller Executive Summary: The use of various forms of identification as Voter identification (Voter ID) has been hotly debated in recent years. With increasing restrictions on what makes up a valid ID, many younger adults are struggling to keep up with changing rules and regulations. Many students are voting for…

By Yiren Lu Problem Statement People like being with others who are like them, especially when it comes to immigrants or those who cannot speak English fluently. Language plays a major role in everyday life and by living in a community where others speak their native tongue, life as a whole becomes easier. Restaurants have…

By Sara Kleinman Problem Statement In Wisconsin public schools today, students are struggling with mental health at increasing rates, yet due to stigma, are deterred from seeking help. Background Data reveals that students are battling difficulties with mental health at alarming and increasing rates. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recently published the 2019 Wisconsin…

By Luc Gudmundson Problem Statement Madison, Wisconsin is home to over 250,000, with approximately half living in some form of rental housing (Equitable Development). However, rent prices have been increasing at a rate that vastly outpaces both inflation and net worth increases. With the city’s own government predicting a population growth of 70,000 people by…

By Jill Goldwasser Problem statement Americans have had a rocky past when it comes to election confidence. In the 19th century, machine party politics bought voters and stuffed ballot boxes (Matlin 92). The election of 2000 between George Bush and Al Gore shook voter trust in the electoral process (Gronke et al.). With the 2016…

By Christopher Dade Problem Statement The state of Wisconsin faces two distinct but interwoven challenges: a decades-long “brain drain” of the state’s highly educated population and growing political polarization that mirrors the geographic sorting of Wisconsinites based on educational attainment. While the brightest Wisconsonites who stay often have obtained their education from the state’s flagship…

By Michael Alter Executive Summary Extreme polarization is not a new phenomenon, but accompanied by interlocking systems of voter enfranchisement, mass media and internet connectivity, and profit maximization, extreme polarization now exists in uniquely pernicious forms. This polarization filters itself through our electoral institutions, and unfortunately, they are ill equipped to handle these stresses. Failure…

By Christian Quilon Problem Statement Congress has effectively eliminated the legally-mandated congressional summer recess through cancellations or pro forma sessions in order to subvert executive power and to diminish the campaigning power of their political opponents. Background Every year, both the Senate and the House of Representatives are mandated to take a scheduled recess during…

By Lucie Kneip and Patrick Aimone Executive Summary: Undocumented residents in twenty-eight states are ineligible for in-state tuition to attend public institutions of higher education. This is a significant roadblock to undocumented residents pursuing their desired career, educational, and life plans. Additionally, it causes severe economic inefficiency by arbitrarily restricting human capital investment among undocumented…

By Hope Karnopp Problem Statement As states pass restrictive voting laws in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Wisconsin’s divided government faces two policy proposals: either to tighten restrictions on absentee voting and ID requirements, or to implement automatic voter registration (AVR). State policymakers who wish to decrease administrative burden and pursue equitable voter…

By Makayla Harris Background ﹣ How prevalent is this issue? In America, the quality of living based on income varies from state to state. Most of this can be contributed to the fact that aside from federal government aid, states and municipalities enact their own legislation in order to dictate how aid from public welfare…

By Rachel Hale Background: Antisemitism is on the rise Sometimes referred to as “the world’s oldest hate,” antisemitism, hostility toward Jews, is a form of discrimination present in America’s political right and left wings, manifesting in the form of physical attacks and vandalization, dangerous Holocaust erasure, the conflation of Jews and the Israeli government, and…

By Alanna Goldstein Problem  Hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community in the United States continue to be an ongoing problem. Even after the Matthew Shephard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed by Congress in 2009, a gap exists specifically for “gay panic defense” and “trans panic defense” hate crime legislation to be…

By Sarah Cheney Background Hate Crimes against the LGBTQ+ community have continued to be a serious problem in the United States. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has done monumental work to fight for equality for all. However, there are issues the HRC has yet to tackle which could change the way the United States combats…

By Carly Silver Problem Statement and Background Wisconsin’s sexual education system has regressed over the past decade. Since education is controlled by states, there is no clear way to implement a sexual education curriculum for the country. However, Wisconsin can take the correct steps to ensure that they are moving forward efficiently and effectively.  Wisconsin…

By Parker Jorenby Problem Statement: Wisconsin youth offenders recidivate at a significantly higher rate than the national average with over half of offenders returning to the Juvenile Justice System after three years. A change in the institution can help reduce this severe recidivism rate and the racial disparities experienced with the Wisconsin JJS. I advocate…

By Ethan Johnson BACKGROUND Distrust in Democratic Institutions: History has told us that no regime is invincible. Only two years after the end of the First World War, the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), also known as the Nazi Party, was created. Slowly, the leaders of NSDAP created distrust in the democratic institutions that governed their…

Gabby Henshue PROBLEM STATEMENT Adverse Childhood Experiences are situations or conditions during formative years resulting in toxic stress and are also referred to as ACEs. Up to 60% of adults in Wisconsin report having experienced at least one ACE while growing up. (Resilient Wisconsin: Adverse Childhood Experiences). Examples of ACEs include witnessing domestic violence, physical…

By Brennan Gallagher Problem Statement Over the past 40 years the United States jail population has exploded.  From 1970 to 2016, the number of people jailed after an arrest grew from 70 for every 100 to 99 for every 100 (Reducing the Use of Jails).  Today, jails admit almost 20 times more people than prisons…

By Ananda Deacon While many major cities experience a shortage of resources and funding for infrastructure, transportation, education, and other societal necessities, police budgets across the board remain fully funded. On the surface, this does not strike one as an issue, as investing into police and investing into public safety have become synonymous in public…

By Dana Craig Background: Defining Civil Asset Forfeiture Civil asset forfeiture is a law enforcement practice that allows officers to seize money and property suspected of having ties to crime. Unlike its counterpart criminal forfeiture, civil forfeiture is an in rem proceeding against the property instead of its owner (“In rem”). Therefore, it does not…

Hazel Behling and Hannah Sohn Problem Statement As a nation created in the image of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the United States was founded on the principles of “liberty and justice for all.” While these ideals intend to transcend beyond parchment, the promises are meant to embody the life prospects for all…

By Will Aldana Problem Statement – Prison Overpopulation’s Many Ramifications Prison overpopulation, in the history of the United States, is a relatively new issue. With the recent explosion in convictions that lead to incarcerations, the number of new prisoners and detainees far exceeds the possible capacity of the existing prisons. Because of this, the federal…

By Jesse Shufro-Zletz Executive Summary: Russia has a long history of exploiting disinformation and subversion in service to its geopolitical goals. As it did during the Cold War, the Kremlin has developed a cohesive strategy for undermining Western interests and bolstering Russia’s power regionally and beyond through the use of nefarious actions, sometimes in concert…

By Nils Peterson Problem and Background In the late 1980s and early 1990s cyber hacking gained prominence in policy circles as a wide-ranging phenomenon including teenage and state sponsored hackers (Cavelty and Mauer, 181). In the early 2000s it became clear that every cyberattack did not constitute an act of war, analogous to how every…

By Peter Mitchell Problem Statement For much of the 20th century the United States was considered to be a giant of world-security. Unmatched military technology along with strong tenets of discipline created a very effective fighting machine. What this machine failed to account for was the rise of the World Wide Web in the 1990s.…

By Michel Justen & Lennart Justen The Problem In the U.S., the authority to launch nuclear weapons is delegated to the president alone. The president has no obligation to consult with his or her advisors or follow their advice when making one the most consequential decisions possible. This power, known as presidential sole authority, is…

By Macie Daley The Issue: The United States has historically taken a hard-handed, no-concessions strategy when dealing with international terrorism when it has occurred.  The same cannot be said for domestic terrorism. Take, for example, the most infamous transnational terrorist attack on U.S. soil, the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. …

By Pablo Cook Problem Statement In the Post 9/11 Era, terrorism has been at the forefront of the American consciousness. However, much of the perceptions of who is committing terrorism seem to be misplaced, with polling showing that Americans are far more likelier to call an act “terrorism” if it is committed by someone who…

By John Klym Problem Statement The U.S. is in decline. It currently suffers from partisan gridlock, crumbling infrastructure, a pandemic, racial injustice, economic inequality, and more. In fact, by some economic measures, China has even replaced the U.S. as the world’s premier economic power. Yet, all hope is not lost. Historical research suggests that 40%…

by Sydney Schwantes Civil disobedience can be defined as “a public, non-violent and conscientious breach of law undertaken with the aim of bringing about a change in laws or government policies” (Brownlee). Throughout American history, the practice of civil disobedience is largely (but not entirely) attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. and his leadership of…

by Sarah Cheney Introduction Academic works about incarcerated women and additional education (education including and beyond the GED) in prison have made massive advances in the last two decades. However, there is still much work to be done in understanding how the marriage of the two: incarcerated women’s experience with additional education, can truly better…

by Benjamin Keeler Since its inception, Nigeria has seen insurgencies by non-state political actors. Beginning with the Maitatsine crisis in 1980-1982 and moving into the 21st century with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Ombatse cult group. Beginning in 2009, a new insurgent group appeared, Boko Haram, threatening the…

by Valerie Soley In November of 1991, Argentina became the first country in the world to put into law a mandatory quota regarding women in politics (Craske Chapter 4). This law, named Ley de Cupos (translation: quota law), states that women must represent 30 percent of the candidates on each party’s ballot in legislative elections…

by Parker Jorenby The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded struggles for children with incarcerated parents, leading to even greater suffering within these families. Children with incarcerated parents tend to live in marginalized communities facing poverty, severe mental disorders, and stigmatization by their society. Despite the relationship strain that results from a parent’s incarceration, children previously have…

by Emmy Pagel Abstract The following research demonstrates the effects of a personal interest in politics and the value of tolerance on left-right political affiliation in American individuals. The relevance of this question lies in the increased party polarization and moral division between ideologies in the United States. While determining the effects of the value…