UNITED STATES

Pennsylvania is one of the states that gathers enormous traction during election season - specifically during the presidential election season. Why? It’s a swing state. 

— Christina Tucholski

As March Women's History Month concludes, I spoke with Bonnie Monnie Morris, a Title IX scholar, women's historian at the University of California at Berkeley, and National Women's History Museum adviser regarding Title IX. We discussed the law's original purpose, how it differs from its modern perception, and how this contrast has impacted women over the past half-century.

— Patrick McFarland

How old is too old? As November approaches, this question circulates across America. President Biden’s age remains a central threat to his reelection, while Donald Trump, only about four years younger, does not face the same challenge.

— Elisabeth Mellen

If one were assigned the near-impossible task of listing the most influential theologians and religious leaders of the past 30 years, it would be difficult not to include the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. One of his earlier works, entitled The Politics of Hope, seems even more relevant today. The route out of our American political crisis, albeit accelerated by electing pro-democracy candidates, fundamentally rests on our ability to realize this politics of hope.

— Stephen Blinder

Recently, former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner for the upcoming 2024 election, has commented on the United States’ commitment to NATO, leaving the other allied countries questioning their safety amid the War in Ukraine.

— Christina Tucholski

Partisanship has proven not anathema to a healthy democracy but an invaluable and, indeed, a necessary constituent of our political system. Partisanship and the sincere, meaningful debate it fosters have been at the root of our democracy from the beginning.

— Stephen Blinder

There are still eight months before the first presidential debate, and while the parties have not made their platforms official, people are already scrutinizing the differences between the two candidates: Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Despite the apparent differences, there is one area where Biden and Trump have something in common.

— Patrick McFarland

Populism remains perilously open to forgery. If Donald Trump is a populist, he is one in performance only – the marriage of the two ends there. Defeating Trump in November is necessary but not sufficient. We need to reclaim the word “populism” before its imposters reclaim our country.

— Stephen Blinder

With key players like Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley making huge moves in the 2024 primary elections, it seems like the Republican Party is ushering in a new era that embraces South Asian voters. Yet, Haley, who is still in the race, fails to connect to her Indian identity and campaign towards South Asian voters.

— Maya Mohosin

In late January, sexually explicit images of Taylor Swift went viral on X. The images, likely made on Microsoft Designer, prompted X to suspend the ability to search Swift’s name on the app temporarily 

— Catherine Hughes

Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson has gone viral on TikTok for his fireside-like chats that give viewers a simple explanation of political happenings in the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, he is being gerrymandered out of North Carolina’s 14th district. Now, he plans to run for Attorney General.

— Christiana Tucholski

As young jobseekers graduate from college and enter the workforce, they face a daunting challenge: finding affordable housing in a tight rental market. With increases in housing prices outpacing wage growth, many of the lowest-earners in our society fear being left on the street.

— Kenneth Jackson

The presence of automation has increased exponentially in the United States in regards to jobs, experiments, etc. Is there no solution? Is AI fated to overrun humanity, creating widespread economic misery?

— Antonin Grosclaude-Evans

 Almost nine months after Kevin McCarthy was narrowly elected as Speaker of the House, eight GOP members and the entirety of the Democratic Party ousted him from the speakership. 

— Alessia Coluccio

 As America closes in on the 2024 election cycle, there is an important political development that the nation should keep in mind: we are witnessing the Republican party’s ideological shift toward extremism. The shift is not a result of changing attitudes toward policy stances, but is a reaction to the adoption of strong identity politics.

— Emily Beaman

Turning back on campaign promises, the Biden administration announced plans to continue construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall on Oct. 4, 2023. The move has elicited criticism from immigrant rights groups and environmental activists across the country, who consider the move a betrayal from the administration.

— Ophelia Bentley

With Biden’s election promises on ending fossil fuel and focusing on climate change, many communities feel he has fallen short of such goals. The approval of the Willow Project and failure to receive the invitation required for the recent UN Climate Ambition Summit will affect voters. Simply put, a viable 2024 Joe Biden re-election campaign requires the very votes that are currently being alienated by an administration in bed with the fossil fuel industry.

— Liv Schroeder

The most recent Republican presidential debate could not help but stir up conversation about the party’s policy changes over the years. In response to the question regarding Reagan’s amnesty policy for illegal immigrants, many candidates struggled to balance the party’s unceasing admiration for Reagan with a strong “moral” stance on immigration.

— Catherine Hughes

Rising Republican candidate Nikki Haley is gaining popularity with youth voters across the country, and some Georgetown University students are even supporting her. Following the GOP debate Aug. 23, 2023, she was rated the highest of all other contenders. Haley’s status as the most tolerant Republican candidate may be the secret to her success.

— Ana Tucholski

On Sept. 26, President Biden addressed UAW strikers outside of a Michigan GM facility, making him the first U.S. president to visit a picket line. Unions, such as the UAW, tend to back Democratic candidates. However, the UAW has yet to endorse Biden in the 2024 presidential race. Furthermore, blue collar workers, who make up the bulk of the strikers, have increasingly voted Republican. 

— Zoe Sommer

On Tuesday afternoon, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from his leadership position after a vote that marked an inglorious first in the House of Representatives’ 234-year history. Naturally, the focus has turned squarely to his possible successors. Late Tuesday, Rep. Troy Nehls announced that he would nominate former President Donald Trump as the next Speaker, an unheralded combination in an unprecedented situation. Could it happen?

— Stephen Blinder

According to a recent NBC News poll, nearly 15% of registered voters would support a third-party candidate next year over President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. The allure of third-party presidential candidates is a familiar tale. The problem? Their potential is a captivating and catastrophic illusion – it was in 1992 and even more so in 2000. In 2024, it would be the most tragic yet.

— Stephen Blinder

On February 18, 2023, President Jimmy Carter announced his intention to formally retire from public life and enter hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia. Among the longest-living former heads of state, the 98-year-old’s decades of service are a testament to a life well-lived. A soldier, peanut farmer, politician, and humanitarian, Carter wore many hats and made his mark on the world in more ways than one. 

— Zachary Fotiadis

We do not need Ron DeSantis to run our country like he runs the Florida education system. DeSantis is basing his case to be president on his ability to stoke the fear and anger of the Republican base. Rather than elevate the national discourse, he has chosen to cater to the worst instincts in our society. 

— Sam Smulyan

The bottom line is that it is imperative for publications to be mindful when covering candidates with disabilities. While fairly analyzing the potential impact of their performances through interviews with voters is acceptable, the side effects of their disabilities should not be used as a reason to question their ability to serve their constituents.

— Sneha Puri

When New York passed its landmark climate legislation in 2019, environmental groups celebrated the clean energy revolution that would come and private companies drew up grand plans for investments in solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources.

— Asher Maxwell

Monday, November 28 marked the beginning of this year's final Supreme Court session. Nine cases are being heard, with issues ranging from district court immigration authority, first amendment rights, and election regulation.

— Meriam Ahmad

Dr. Oz. Stacey Abrams. Tim Ryan. Lee Zeldin. If you had to take a bet today, you’d probably guess that those four individuals won’t win their races in the upcoming midterm elections.

— Noah Vinogradov

Staff writer Asher Maxwell created his own election forecast for the upcoming 2022 U.S. midterm elections. On November 8, 2022, millions of Americans will be voting, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for grabs.

When Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited Georgetown on Oct. 11, he acknowledged the herculean task the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act presents to him and his colleagues, while emphasizing the generational opportunity it provides to revitalize American infrastructure.

— Asher Maxwell