Where California goes, so goes the nation. We have all heard this statement, but the question is, is it true? In the case of the increasing politicization of the United States Supreme Court, this cert…
Censor That Sh*t
Is censorship in California school districts an issue that the public’s ignored? Do school districts have the right to ban books from their libraries or restrict student access to literary materials? …
You Are Here: How The US Is Missing The Point In Regulating And Protecting Data Privacy
I like conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and flat-earthers. I like them not because I believe in the nonsense they spout, especially when it’s particularly vulgar rhetoric like claiming the Sandy H…
Gill v. Whitford: A Case That Will Literally Map American Politics
Partisan gerrymandering has to be one of the least discussed but politically important topics in our generation. The notion that states can reapportion their districts with lines that can give the inc…
The Twisted Path of Kenyan Politics
Kenyans queueing to vote, on 8 August 2017, anticipated the standard sequence of events – some bribery and dishonesty at polling stations, aggressive police officers assaulting journalists, and heated…
Knock Knock, It’s Your Old Neighbor, White Supremacy
It’s hard to start an article that talks about Nazis. Nazis. In my short lifetime, I would hear “Nazi” in a history or government class. When I entered college, I heard it from freshmen in political s…
One Person, One Vote: Ambiguous Law of the Land
On April 4, 2016, the United States Supreme Court ruled 8 to 0 in the case of Evenwel v. Abbott that states are to draw legislative district lines on the basis of total population. This decision is c…
The Legality of Obama’s Executive Orders (And Why You Should Care)
During the recent in-the-gutter name calling of the Presidential campaign, the Republican presidential candidates repeatedly and loudly have proclaimed that the moment they step into the Oval office, …
Living in Solitude
In May 2010, a sixteen year old boy was arrested and held in solitary confinement for two years as he awaited trial. Kalief Browder allegedly stole a backpack, and paid for it by sitting alone in a d…
Internal Politics Color Gerrymandering Fight in Berkeley
After a yearlong, virulent, and expensive fight, Measure S passed in Berkeley, California–establishing a student-age supermajority city council district. Measure S was a taboo political word; it…
The Road to Indiana
Governor Mike Pence of Indiana recently signed into law a Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which shares a near identical title to twenty other states’ acts and one federal law signed in 1993 u…
The Contradictory Legacy of Eric Holder
Eric Holder announced in late September that he would be stepping down from his position as Attorney General. Holder made history as not only the first African American attorney general to serve, but …
SCOTUS Sneak Peak: A Look at the Supreme Court’s 2014-2015 Term
Though the current Supreme Court term only started on October 6, the court has already issued orders on two controversial issues and started hearing oral arguments for many other important cases. Thou…
The Hyde Amendment: Disproportionately Affecting Minority Women Since 1976
In 1976, just three years after the Supreme Court’s groundbreaking decision in Roe v. Wade, Republican congressman Henry Hyde attached a little-known amendment to a Health and Human Services appropria…
Muted By Money
The Citizens United Supreme Court case has not only revolutionized campaign finance but has also solidified the immutable power of corporate companies. The Court ultimately decided that corporations a…
24 States Now Recognize Same-Sex Marriage
Will the Supreme Court one day rule on same-sex marriage nationwide? Suddenly the answer is looking to be no. In a surprise move, the Supreme Court today announced they “let stand appeals court …
Has the Supreme Court Decision to Vote Down Section 4 Made America More Racist?
The summer of 2013 was a time of unprecedented judicial decisions. Throughout the months of June and July, the Supreme Court made headlines for its landmark decision to legalize gay marriage. However,…
The Real Effects of Filibuster Reform
Last month, for the first time in its history, the Senate changed its procedure on filibusters. Though the majority party has threatened to use the nuclear option for years, Senate Democrats finally i…