Partisan news sources of all political stripes would have us believe that there’s a war raging on in American society. Increasingly prevalent is the notion that America is in the grips of what some despairing analysts (and gleeful news anchors) have…
ince its beginnings in 1971, the war on drugs has been largely unsuccessful in reducing drug use. Instead, it has had many unintended consequences, one of which is a huge increase in the federal prison population over the past 40 years. Despite…
Finding a place for objective science within the realm of American politics has become increasingly difficult because the effective use of rhetoric can often obscure facts. Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of pushing scientific…
The U.S.’s stance towards Cuba has historically used rhetoric about the lack of civil liberties, dictatorship, and security to defend the embargo put in place during the 1960s. Politicians of the era viewed communism in Cuba as an immediate threat…
Although few principles of law are as widely lauded and universally accepted as the presumption of innocence, this principle is violated daily by a practice that has become standard in our justice system, exceptional only in how unexceptional it…
The 2012 primary season has been one of the most volatile in recent memory, with the Republican Party struggling to settle on a candidate. The campaign has also vaulted some previously obscure politicians to national prominence, only to relegate them…
Over the last five years, the field of economics has undergone a reconsideration of its role in society. With the exception of a select few (Rajan, 2005), most economists were blindsided by the housing crash in 2007 and subsequent financial…
According to to Yuengling: the History of America’s Oldest Brewery, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) was designed to, in the words of then-Governor Gifford Pinchot, make liquor sales “as inconvenient and expensive as possible.” The PLCB…
We live in an age where stories of war, disease, hatred and celebrity wardrobe decisions spread at the speed of light. Some activists see waste and ignorance that needs to be toppled — others among us see an opportunity to widely disseminate a story…
