The Baines Report
Before he was whisked away from our interview to moderate a conflict resolution exercise, I had a conversation with Ambassador Thomas Pickering. As a diplomat, he has served in a host of countries as well as in the United Nations. Even though he has technically retired from his career as an ambassador, he is still […]
A few weeks ago I took part in a policy simulation and learned as much about international relations in forty-two hours as I did in an entire semester of studying. Political theory is an important basis for understanding international relations, but it is incomplete without including the complex levels of diplomacy as well. During my […]
Imagine a federal policy so redundant, so archaic, and so inefficient that it fails to accomplish and even obstructs its intended objective. Now, not only is this policy an inhibition to proper governance, it frequently serves as a stage for theatrical performances from hardline politicians while threatening the historically rock solid foundation of American fiscal […]
Last year, Delfina Rossi was a first year student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She came to the program with a Masters in Economics from the European University Institute, and previous work experience in the European Parliament. After finishing her first year at the LBJ School, Delfina accepted an appointment from the President […]
Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich struck a cautiously optimistic note when he spoke at the LBJ School as part of the Liz Carpenter Lecture Series on Tuesday, September 8th. Although Reich was quick to catalogue the challenges facing the United States economy, he sketched out ways that US workers—and not just corporations—can thrive in the […]
On Wednesday September 9, Julian Castro — Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — delivered the keynote address at the 2015 Reimagining Cities Conference, hosted at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs on the UT-Austin campus. The conference, which consisted of a series of panels and speeches emphasizing the importance of urban […]
First in a series by Leo Carter (LBJ MGPS Student) covering his internship at the Wildlife Conservation Society. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), founded in 1895 in New York City, achieved its first major success when it helped to save the American Bison from extinction. Since then, aside from managing the zoos and aquariums of New York City, […]
The Eurocrisis forced Spain and Portugal, like Greece, to ask Europe for financial support. In return, by mandate from their creditors these countries implemented budget cuts and unpopular structural reforms. As a consequence of these austerity measures, one out of two young people in Spain and Greece is unemployed; in Portugal, this number is nearly […]
If, to paraphrase Justice Louis Brandeis, a little publicity is “the best of disinfectants,” then consider government auditors the cleaning people. These auditors help focus the public and their leaders’ attention on all aspects of government in order to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. By allowing the public and their elected leaders to scrutinize […]
Last Sunday November 9, the Catalan government hosted a non-binding referendum on Catalonia independence from Spain. More than 2.3 out of the 7.5 million Catalans turned out and 81% voted in favor of independence. The Spanish government refuses to recognize the poll, leaving a heavy political gridlock at stake. Catalonia is not a lone star […]