Pros and Cons of Right-to-work Laws
Introduction Right-to-work laws are a set of regulations at the state level in the United States that allow workers to choose whether or not they want to pay labor dues as a condition of employment if their workplace is unionized. These laws protect workers’ rights from being obligated to pay dues to a labor union […]
Pros and Cons of Biden’s National Cybersecurity Strategy
Background Cyber attacks during the Biden-Harris administration pushed cybersecurity to the forefront of domestic policy. In 2021, Colonial Pipeline, a large oil pipeline that transports almost half of all fuel used on the East Coast, suffered a ransomware incident from the hacking group Darkside. After stealing 100 gigabytes of data and threatening to release it, […]
Food Security and Local Food Production
Background Generally, local food production refers to systems in which food is produced, distributed, and consumed within the same area. However, there is debate within the local food movement about this definition. For example, some call for local food systems to expand distribution—to sell food outside of the boundaries of the local community—while others fear […]
Pros and Cons of the Fair Credit Reporting Act
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates the collection, distribution, and use of consumer credit information. The FCRA defines the rights and obligations related to consumer reporting data, aiming to create a dependable and precise exchange of information that benefits lenders, landlords, and employers. It achieves this by setting up […]
Understanding the ACA in Chronic Care Debate
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the Affordable Care Act or “ACA” for short, is a healthcare reform law that was unveiled in March 2010. The primary objective of the ACA is to increase access to health insurance for a larger number of U.S. citizens. Because of this, the ACA mandates […]
Understanding the TikTok Personal Device Ban Debate
The TikTok ban debate revolves around the popular video-sharing application’s owner ByteDance. While TikTok gained popularity among U.S. users, the government banned the application on federal devices, as well as government-issued devices in some states, and a nationwide TikTok ban for non-government users is potentially imminent. What is TikTok? TikTok is a social media platform […]
Understanding the School Voucher Debate
One component of the school choice movement is the implementation of school vouchers, which allow for the use of education tax dollars for tuition at private schools. Policies including K-12 tuition tax credits and educational savings accounts (ESAs) are examples of school vouchers. School voucher programs have varied across states, and several states have added, […]
Introduction to NATO Peacekeeping in Kosovo
Kosovo is a highly contested area between Serbians and Albanians,who both view Kosovo as ancestral land. Control of Kosovo passed between the Ottoman Empire, Serbia, and Yugoslavia throughout the 1800’s to 1900’s, and Kosovo declared formal independence from Serbia in February of 2008. Key Dates Crisis and Ethnic Conflict Ethnic conflict in Kosovo largely stems […]
Pros and Cons of a Residential Tax Credit for Clean Energy
Introduction The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, contained many provisions designed to curb the impact of climate change while also addressing economic issues. The main approach to achieving this involves offering residential tax credits for clean energy. These credits enable Americans to get back up to 30% of their expenditure on clean energy upgrades […]
Successes and Failures of the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP)
Background Humanitarian efforts have evolved in the 21st century, largely driven by the goal of aid organizations to optimize their impact and reduce costs. One significant change is the rise in the use of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programs, which now constitute a larger portion of aid initiatives. CVA involves giving recipients direct cash […]