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
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
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
On Oct. 6, CNBC shared an article on Twitter stating that a “family living in a large city making 400k a year is not wealthy, but merely upper-middle-class” in response to a comment made by former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden had claimed, in a campaign speech made a day earlier, that he planned to … Read more
The illusion of nonpartisanship in the Supreme Court has, for the third time in four years, come crashing down. Traditionally, the judiciary, and the Supreme Court in particular, has stood as the exemplar of nonpartisan federal government; the branch is composed of officials who are appointed, not elected, and have studied and sworn to faithfully … Read more
For a few nights every four years, I am fascinated by the presidential debates as the candidates and their rhetoric are evaluated by millions of Americans preparing to choose the nation’s next leader. This year, the presidential debates were a reality check for most of America. Headlines described the events as “a complete disaster,” a … Read more
Over the past few decades, many nonpartisan political groups have highlighted electoral reform as a way to improve our electoral system and make it more representative of the views of the people. The nonpartisan organization FairVote has pushed for ranked-choice voting, a system in which voters rank each candidate on the ballot and a computer … Read more