Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a historical bill to advance statehood for Washington, D.C., acknowledging that the capital’s 700,000 residents lack proper representation in Congress. However, the same could be said for over 3 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico, who have for decades been in a similar struggle to no … Read more
Jorge L. Vasquez, Jr. is a Fall 2020 Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. He leads initiatives out of the Advancement Project National Office concerning voting and American democracy. As a former associate counsel with LatinoJustice PRLDEF, he is particularly passionate about issues within Latinx and Black communities. Jorge is active in national conversations … Read more
Michael Nutter is a 2020 Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics and served as the 98th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. Mayor Nutter guided Philadelphia through the Great Recession and, under his leadership, the city’s credit rating was upgraded to an “A” by the three major credit agencies for the first time since … Read more
Brittany Packnett Cunningham is a Fall 2020 Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, a NBC News and MSNBC Contributor, and host of UNDISTRACTED, a news and justice podcast with an intersectional lens on the world. A lifelong activist and proud member of the Ferguson Uprising, Brittany was the former co-host of the 2019 iHeartRadio … Read more
Even in isolation, it is impossible to escape the far reaches of race-based police brutality. As I stayed home March through August, my television and phone were filled with videos of Black men and women being killed or hurt and the public outcries that ensued. In the midst of this international awakening to prevailing racial … Read more
Thomas Jefferson put it well when he noted that “government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part.” Representation in government is important at all levels, and this includes our interns. The issue of internship compensation in Washington, D.C., should fall squarely within this principle, to create an equitable avenue to build … Read more
In the chaos of what has been 2020 thus far, many aspects of day to day life look and feel significantly different. There are the obvious ‘new normal’ customs such as social distancing, wearing masks, and the never-ending Zoom meetings; however, as a first-year student on campus, there is also an unsettling feeling that comes … Read more
As 2020 continues, it has become increasingly easy to believe that the institutions of American democracy are breaking down. The president of the United States, despite having lost the presidential election, refuses to concede. Congress, which currently boasts a 21% job approval rating, has consistently demonstrated an inability to pass legislation supported by a majority … Read more
Charles Murray has been a divisive figure for decades, largely due to his 1994 book “The Bell Curve.” He and his co-author, neuroscientist Richard Hernstein, argued that general intelligence can be accurately measured by IQ scores — defining intelligence as not only heritable, but also among the most significant factors in determining socioeconomic outcomes. They … Read more
With the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in mid-September and the successful rush by Republicans to confirm solidly conservative Amy Coney Barrett as a replacement, the idea of court-packing – raising the number of Supreme Court justices from 9 – has been increasingly discussed in liberal and Democratic circles. Republicans, like Sen. Ted Cruz, … Read more