Blog

foreign policy, Human Rights

Reconsidering Refugee Camps

The ongoing refugee crisis has left more refugees than ever living in host communities and refugee camps for long periods of time. While host communities and refugee camps are supposed to be temporary situations ending in either resettlement or repatriation, nationalistic rhetoric and expanding crises have made refugee camps especially more permanent places. However, for … Continue reading Reconsidering Refugee Camps

economics

Starving the Beast

Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on Roosevelt's national blog under the title "Roosevelt@: Starving the Beast: How the SALT Deduction Exposes Conservatives’ Economic Strategy." During last year’s tax debate, one particularly contentious issue involved the state and local tax deduction, commonly known as the SALT deduction. A mainstay of federal tax policy for decades, … Continue reading Starving the Beast

environment

Endangering the Ecosystem and Lying Lawmakers

Wolf hunting has become a hot topic in recent years. Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are all going through this controversy together and at different rates. Legislation began after wolves nearly disappeared from the region in the 1970s, which is when the Endangered Species Act was introduced to protect and rehabilitate the populations. However, wolf hunting … Continue reading Endangering the Ecosystem and Lying Lawmakers

Human Rights

Stateless in the States: Addressing US Statelessness

The right to a nationality seems trivial as compared to the many rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, nationality, belonging to a country, is crucial for an individual’s access to resources and security. For the estimated 2 million stateless persons worldwide, lacking a nationality has left them without a legal home … Continue reading Stateless in the States: Addressing US Statelessness

Education

As We Stand: Solutions for Michigan Education Today

Editor's Note: These three posts come to us from three students at the University of Michigan who have been working with our own Manon Steel on her charter school project. We're presenting them on our blog, and hope you find them informative. House Bill 5288 By James Stinnett In November of last year, Representative Sherry Gay-Dagnogo introduced Bill … Continue reading As We Stand: Solutions for Michigan Education Today

Education, Human Rights

Residential and Hospitality Services: A Stagnant Spot in MSU’s “Culture of Learning and Collaboration”

MSU is known for its sprawling campus, cold winters, and quagmire of transportation. First year students are not allowed to buy a parking pass, and the public bus system (CATA) only runs effectively on weekdays. Students who choose to bike must often navigate through large crowds, sometimes with freezing brakes, or though icy roads and … Continue reading Residential and Hospitality Services: A Stagnant Spot in MSU’s “Culture of Learning and Collaboration”

foreign policy, technology

Section 702: The Debate is Not Going Away

Late in 2017, Congress was trying to conclude a process that has, in recent years, become a fixture of national politics and a symbol of Washington gridlock: annual budget negotiations. More accurately, this process, which results in government funding for two-to-three-month increments, should be described as a dangerous brinkmanship which has the potential to seriously … Continue reading Section 702: The Debate is Not Going Away