Should the government change a system that might not be broken? While we are frequently reminded of the strong Republican opposition in Congress to Obama’s Jobs Bill, health care reform, and a wealth of other Democrat-proposed legislation, we are only recently hearing much about the issue of net neutrality. Net neutrality is the tenant that … Read more
HPR: Given that your work was at one point banned in Iran, how would you characterize your experience as a writer in a politically repressive country? Shariar Mandanipour: I’m not a political man. I studied Political Science, and maybe because I know something about politics, I hate politics. I’m a writer, but, unfortunately, in a country … Read more
A young teenager sits in a cell with hands clasped and head down. His face suddenly brightens when three visitors enter and say that they are from his home country of Canada. They chat, give the teenager a Subway sandwich, and copiously use his first name, Omar. However, despite Omar’s enthusiasm in welcoming his potential … Read more
The recent partial legalization of women’s suffrage in Saudi Arabia has sparked debate over the progress of feminist groups throughout the Middle East. In the wake of such news, however, advances in women’s rights in arguably the freest Middle Eastern state, Iran, have been overlooked. The feminist movement in Iran builds upon a long history … Read more
As President Obama’s Affordable Care Act works its way through the federal courts, and public figures label numerous federal agencies unlawful, the Constitution has never been more relevant to modern political discourse. Though the highest law of the land has historically been a fulcrum for debates over controversial legislation, three crucial factors have increased the … Read more
This summer, a powerful, organic, and populist movement emerged to combat the systemic political corruption that has plagued India for decades. The front of the movement, Anna Hazare, spearheaded an effort to pressure the Indian Parliament to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. This proposal would establish an intermediary organization between the people and the government … Read more
In 2010, Democratic majorities became minorities in eleven state legislatures. While states like Alabama to North Carolina had long voted Republican for president and Congress, Democrats had historically maintained control over the statehouses. In 2010, all that changed. The result parallels a larger trend. State-level Republicans’ campaigns against President Obama and liberal Democrats in Congress … Read more
The economic stagnation in America over the last four years has led many to question the effectiveness of democratic systems of government. Sluggish to respond, paralyzed by gridlock, and torn apart by partisanship, the Western democracies have shown their flaws in spades. By contrast, the past several years have seen China continue its staggering economic … Read more
Poet and philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal, once said, “Avoid the democratic system of government, because the combined thinking of two hundred donkeys cannot produce the wisdom of one man.” Iqbal’s criticisms of popular Western democracies and arguments in favor of Islam in public life hold sway even today. In 1930, he proposed the creation of … Read more
This summer, a powerful, organic, and populist movement emerged to combat the systemic political corruption that has plagued India for decades. The front of the movement, Anna Hazare, spearheaded an effort to pressure the Indian Parliament to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. This proposal would establish an intermediary organization between the people and the government … Read more