For the first time in six years, trust in American institutions among young Americans between 18 and 29 years has increased. According to the Spring 2016 Harvard Public Opinion Project poll, trust levels in six out of ten institutions tested in the survey reversed their decline, while one stayed stagnant. Among the six institutions, the … Read more
Following the New York Primary, which resulted in substantial victories for the frontrunners in both parties, it appears more likely than ever that the general election in November will be a contest between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. These two candidates are among the most widely disliked of any major presidential candidates in American history. … Read more
At least 5,000 pregnant women are currently infected with the Zika virus, which is linked to microcephaly—a birth defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and often requires lifelong parental care. Most of these mothers reside in conservative Catholic countries. They face restrictive abortion laws, inadequate access to contraception, and lack … Read more
The Zika virus epidemic struck Brazil at the worst possible time. The country, once considered one of the most promising emerging markets in the aftermath of the 2008 economic meltdown, is in complete political, economic, and institutional disarray. Labor Party president Dilma Rousseff and the Chamber of Deputies led by evangelical deputy Eduardo Cunha have … Read more
Take the largest group of Catholics in the world, add an existing dissatisfaction with the Church’s message on contraception and abortion, and finish it off with the rapid spread of the Zika virus, and you’ve got yourself the current Brazilian health crisis. First arriving in Brazil in May 2015, the Zika virus causes microcephaly in … Read more
The Zika virus, although only recently at the center of global concern, has actually been around for quite some time. First detected in Uganda in 1947, it has plagued select areas of the world, mostly in Africa, for decades. This year, Zika has broken out suddenly in at least 30 different countries and territories. In … Read more
At the third Republican Presidential Debate, the host, CNBC, pr,omised a debate about “Your Money, Your Vote”. Yet, at the night’s end, it seemed the ten candidates spoke less about “Your Money, Your Vote” and instead used the opportunity to attack the media. This strategy involved ignoring questions, fighting back at combative moderators and using … Read more
Last Wednesday night, 14 million viewers tuned in to watch the Republican debate. However, that was not the most compelling political event of the evening. While the ten Republican candidates discussed tax reforms, immigration policies, and Social Security, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders hosted a National Student Town Hall at George Mason University. More than … Read more
Republicans understand American frustration with taxes, as was more than evident in the last GOP debate: every GOP candidate believes in some combination of reforms and cuts to the tax code. However, the specificities of each candidate’s tax plan and the rhetoric they used to present their plans during the GOP debate highlight just how each … Read more
In one of his more famous essays, Politics and the English Language, George Orwell argues that politicians and political parties often employ different generalities and don different clichés, “but [parties and politicians] are all alike in that one almost never finds in them a fresh, vivid, homemade turn of speech.” Here, Orwell claims that regardless … Read more