The CNBC Republican debate brought its fair share of controversy. HPR writers analyze the night’s happenings, from the strained relationship between moderators and candidates to the policies they discussed. Image credits: Flickr/Peter Stevens
The global divide between rich and poor is startlingly large and has only increased in recent decades. Currently, the poorest 50 percent of the world’s population holds less than 1 percent of global assets. These high levels of wealth inequality are most obvious in one of the poorest regions in the world: sub-Saharan Africa. 45 … Read more
During the last Republican primary debate, the focus took a strange turn when Senator Ted Cruz was asked about his position that the Democrats’ efforts to equalize wages between men and women are just “political show votes.” Senator Cruz responded first with describing his mother, sister, and aunts—all of whom were single mothers—to show his … Read more
If he has nothing else going for him in the presidential race, Donald Trump has charisma. His provocative comments and trademark mannerisms grant him the power to elicit extreme reactions in the American people. According to polling since the beginning of the race, Trump’s primary basis of support has been coming from the far right of the … Read more
While tensions were certainly high between the GOP candidates during the third Republican Debate, in an unexpected twist, the GOP candidates launched most of their attacks on the CNBC moderators. What started out as a cordial affair gradually broke down as candidates began by accusing the moderators of asking malicious questions, and then eventually took the … Read more
Chris Christie entered Wednesday night’s debate with more on the line than any other Republican candidate. According to RealClearPolitics, Christie has fallen in the polls from a high of 20% in December 2013 to a paltry 2% average in the four most recent national polls. In fact, it’s easy to forget that less than a … Read more
Falsehoods, missteps, and exaggerations are endemic to all political debates, especially presidential ones. An informed viewer often times feels frustrated by the end of these discussions, annoyed especially by the candidate’s ability to say anything unchallenged. In the last Republican Debate, though, the moderators exhibited that same frustration and were able to press the candidates … Read more
When Alfred Guzzetti began his career as an artist in the 1960s, he was motivated in part by the war in Vietnam. Although he had never seriously considered a career in the arts previously, the pursuit of graduate school and a fellowship in England presented tempting options for avoiding the war. Even so, art school did … Read more
America’s schools have begun to fall behind the international competition, with American students ranking 24th in the world in reading, 28th in science, and an especially disappointing 36th in math according to the most recent data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). In recent years, education reformers and political leaders from both political … Read more
Aralkum “The color of the water was shocking blue, really blue. Like the sky,” an aged Kazakh man reminisces, mentally replenishing the waters of the Aral Sea as his eyes scour the desolation. Once the fourth largest inland body of fresh water on the planet, the Aral Sea was resplendent with natural beauty, endemic species, … Read more