Categories
Health & Social Policy

Popping the Pill: Why Birth Control Should Be Available Over-the-Counter

By Shelby Frye In 2020, the birth control pill celebrated the 60th anniversary of its approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Six decades after this stamp of  approval, the pill remains one of the most popular contraceptive options in the United States. There are two types of birth control pills- the combined oral contraceptive […]

Corporate Rights Are Human Rights

A work of satire by Ardian Shaholli  In recent years, corporate profits have soared to record highs – much to the chagrin of Big Worker. However, these fortuitous economic trends are a form of overdue reparations. A reassuring sign that our republic still works.  It wasn’t until 1886 in Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific […]

Categories
Global Global Policy Studies & International Security

Global Development is the key to Global Security

By Abdullah Dowaihy Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres started the general assembly debate by telling leaders that “the world must wake up,” because it is “on the edge of an abyss.” The Secretary General also warned world leaders are “moving in the wrong direction” given that human rights are backsliding, there is […]

Categories
Politics and Governance University of Texas at Austin

What Does UT Mean to Austin?

Introducing Community-Anchor Engagement By Ryan Cramer Much like the character arc of the T-800 from “Terminator 1” to “Terminator 2”, the mission of universities as anchor institutions has evolved over time for the better. While anchor institutions are traditionally universities and hospitals, that definition has expanded to include non-profit and for-profit institutions, which have a […]

Categories
Education Policy Politics and Governance

Assessing the Fallout of Democrats’ Failed Plans to Subsidize Community College

By Brittany Head The ongoing partisan squeeze of the American Families Plan has pushed reform of the community college and public university system out of discussion in Congress. Democratic policy makers eliminated a provision to subsidize and support access to community college in the United States along with several other major policy proposals in the […]

Categories
Global Global Policy Studies & International Security

Biden and America’s Allies

A Rocky Start to Repairing Relationships By Kate Munro During a July 11, 2019 speech in New York City, candidate Joe Biden promised “as president, I will do more than just restore the historic partnerships, I will lead an effort to reimagine them to better meet the challenges we’re grappling with today in the next […]

Categories
Global Policy Studies & International Security

South Korea’s Human Rights Activists Under Pressure

An Uncertain Future for North Korean Human Rights Activism in South Korea By Kenneth Nienhuser The Korean Peninsula has struggled to foster peace and communication since the end of the Korean War and the South Korean government’s latest attempts to reconcile differences have left human rights organizations on the peninsula questioning their future. Human rights […]

Categories
Global Global Policy Studies & International Security

Imminent Iranian Nuclear Capability Is Not Itself A Redline

By Kathleen Hillery Experts project Iran may cross the nuclear threshold this month, meaning Iran would have the technology and enough weapons-grade uranium to build a nuclear weapon—without actually having built one. Recently elected Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has delayed negotiations to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), possibly to allow his […]

Trump Was Right About the SALT Cap

Democrats are at loggerheads over a progressive Trump-era revision to the tax code. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 slashed taxes for the rich and corporations — with 83 percent of the benefits trickling up to the top 1 percent. However, it also instituted a $10,000 deduction cap on state and local taxes […]

Categories
Energy & Environmental Policy Global Global Policy Studies & International Security

Clearing Up Expectations

What does it really mean to stop climate change? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently made headlines around the world with the release of its Sixth Assessment Report on the state of the global climate. The report presents a variety of potential scenarios for the future based on how much the planet warms […]