Crisis is an anti-democratic leader’s best friend. Populists in particular will often use the pretext of crisis—an ongoing and imminent threat to culture, security, or stability—in order to win …
Partisanship Trumps Morality: Roy Moore and the GOP Tax Bill by Zach Witkin @ Brown University
In the early hours of December 2nd, Senate Republicans passed a haphazardly written tax bill which, in its current form, perpetuates the rise of socioeconomic inequality and disproportionately affects …
War on the Horizon: Reflection on the The U.S. Patriot Act and Civil Liberties by Roxana Sanchez @ Brown University
With the recent political escalations between the United States and North Korea, war seems on the horizon. Political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt published an op-ed in the New York …
Entertainment in the Americas: Popular Icons and an “Incumbency Advantage” by Rachel Risoleo @ Brown University
In 2015, 2016, and 2017, three “political outsider” presidential candidates rose to prominence in the Americas: Guatemala’s Jimmy Morales, the United States’ Donald Trump, and Honduras’s Salvador …
“L’etat C’est Moi”: David Corn’s Thoughts on Donald Trump by Alexis Viera @ Brown University
David Corn, Washington Bureau Chief for Mother Jones, is candid when asked about his thoughts on our president. In line with the nature of societal thought that has become widespread in the age of …
If Polarization is Responsible for Gridlock, Then Who’s Responsible for Polarization? By Alexis Viera @ Brown University
What does polarization mean for our Congress? The factions that form within large societies are competing philosophies, in theory en route to the realization of a mutual objective, which, through …
Court-packing: A United States “Frankenstate” and Constitutional Retrogression By Rachel Risoleo @ Brown University
Many have criticized President Trump since he took office last January, claiming he threatens the state of American democracy. Pundits, politicians, activists and voters alike have attributed this …
Want to Stop Media Polarization? Think About Editorial Policy by Artur Avkhadiev @ Brown University
We talk a lot about polarization of free media in the U.S. and around the world. In doing so, we mostly focus on how we consume news — for example, through preferential viewing of cable channels or …