Approaching Tyranny in the Age of Trump

Tyler Raciti

The question of whether or not U.S. President Donald Trump is a fascist has been a popular debate amongst sects of the liberal base. However, the question of fascism has recently reached the frontline of academic political thought and headline in media circulation. It is fair to ponder the question: does a fascist ideology linger in the executive branch? If so, will this lead to the weakening of democracy and upsoar of tyranny?   “Post-truth is pre-fascism,” according to Timothy Synder, author of On Tyranny. Academics have labeled the phenomenon…

Northern Ireland and the Implications of Brexit

Allyson Ryan

Discussions revolving around Brexit and what it will actually mean for the United Kingdom have been in the works since before 2016. Originally set for March 29, 2019 the day the UK will officially leave the European Union has been postponed to April 12, 2019. The date has been pushed back due to disagreements between the British parliament and the prime minister. An important discussion revolves around Northern Ireland. The importance of Northern Ireland in Brexit discussions cannot be overlooked; Brexit has strong implications for everyone in the UK but…

Is Ilhan Omar Wrong?

David Andreas

On Sunday, February 10th, freshman Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district sparked a major controversy with tweets about AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Kevin McCarthy was fiercely defending U.S. support for Israel, and Rep. Omar tweeted that “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” suggesting that his vehement support for Israel was a result of campaign donations. Connecting Israeli money and U.S. policy referenced a long-running facet of anti-Semitism, suggesting that Jewish money is the driving force behind the strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance. Democrats and Republicans…

Paul Ryan’s House

Christopher Boccia

The Speaker was a public ally – and a private adversary – to the president.   After a month of the government in shutdown and a declaration of national emergency, Paul D. Ryan, the oft-considered inconsequential Speaker of the House, feels like a distant memory. Politics in the nation’s capital has trudged along, rendering Ryan dust in the wind of history’s heartless march forward. As the government returns to regular business, though, and the political tumult simmers temporarily, a legacy conversation is in order for the 20-year old congressional veteran…

Trump’s Withdrawal From International Agreements Makes the Nation Worse Off

Olivia Martinez

Since his inauguration in January 2016, President Donald Trump has repeatedly withdrawn the United States from international, multilateral agreements. He claims withdrawal from such agreements is to the benefit of the United States; he is wrong. Withdrawal from such agreements is to the detriment of the United States’ standing as an international leader. According to the international relations theory of liberalism, international order is produced and maintained through processes of repetitive interdependent relationships among global participants. This school of thought asserts that an international balance of power is needed to…

The Pipe Dream of Donald Trump as “Uniter-in-Chief”

Kyle Chin

With approximately two years of the Trump presidency having already elapsed, most have, by this point, become more than familiar with the pattern of the new, Trump-driven news cycle.  Every few weeks, some kind of tragedy, controversy, or other drama will unfold, the president will inevitably make a tone-deaf or divisive remark which will briefly set the mainstream media in an uproar, and then the next scandal begins.  So the cycle goes on and on like a Mobius strip.  Every time such a situation makes the headlines, discussion regularly turns…

Sustainable Development No Longer a Focus as Trump Administration Battles Multilateralism at the United Nations

Rosalyn Kutsch

2018 marks the third year since the United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The agenda set forth 17 goals for the international community to reach by the year 2030. Among these are the ambitious objectives to end hunger and poverty. With total buy-in from world leaders, many of the goals and their respective “indicators” (smaller, more targeted goals) could be achieved in the remaining years of the commitment. Unfortunately, progress on achieving the SDGs is hindered by the ongoing struggle of the Trump Administration to define the role of the…

The Problem with Public Schools: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go

Julia Hammond

Of all government-funded projects and services, the public education system is one of the most important – and not just for individual students. Access to a robust public education gives students lifelong skills, increased job prospects, and a greater likelihood of future family stability and financial independence. In the aggregate, a more educated population (on the local, city, state, and national levels) leads to improved public health, civic engagement, and economic prosperity, as well as reduced crime and unemployment.  Undeniably, public education has the power to help everyone.  For many…