Op-Eds
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I Think You Might Have Slutshamed Queen Esther
Recontextualizing the Biblical heroine means acknowledging the power of unlikely heroes in contemporary political discourse.
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On the Foundations of Hope: Is Running a Deracialized Presidency a Good Idea?
“We thought our dreams would be more visible under Obama. They’re not.” - Andrew Jackson II
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How the West Was Burnt
The United States in the West, from Manifest Destiny to Super-Fires
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Situating the GameStop Phenomenon in the Greater Context of Wealth Inequality
To end the disillusionment and financial insecurity that fueled the GameStop incident, we need Wall Street reform.
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Shifting Attitudes in Taiwan and Its Political Implications
As the Taiwanese adopt a stronger anti-China, pro-independence attitude, the Kuomintang will fall increasingly out of favor as the Democratic Progressive Party gains power and popularity.
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Breaking Down the 2000 Election
What happened and what can we learn from it?
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The Logical Fallacy of Trans-Exclusive Feminism
A pervasive fear in the eyes of many, the “bathroom predator” is based on the idea that men will pretend to be women in order to invade women’s restrooms and sexually assault or violate the women who use these gender separated spaces. It stems from a lack of understanding for trans people as well as dehumanizing rhetoric that surrounds the subject.
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The Progressive Wave
Progressive candidates experienced great success in state and Congressional Democratic primaries this year, giving supporters reasons to be hopeful for the future. Why are progressives gaining momentum, and where will it take the movement next?
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The Republican Party’s 2024 Soul Search
Even though the dust has not yet settled on the 2020 Presidential election, prospective Republican candidates have already begun jockeying for position in the 2024 primary. The party could head in any number of directions, but sticking with the politics of populism might be the most prudent decision for long-term success.
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The Tokyo Olympics and Abe's False Bravado
The 2020 Olympics scheduled to be held in Tokyo were touted as a “safe bet” compared to other recent Olympic Games given Japan’s status as an industry-leading advanced country. The city has prior experience hosting the games, and the spectacle would have been an incredible springboard to elevate Japan as a world leader in accordance with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s desire to increase Japan’s involvement in international affairs. In a career filled with large promises, here was a true chance to deliver on the world stage, a worthy keystone in the legacy of Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister.
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The Impossibility of a Three-Party System and the Future of the Two-Party System
Why a third party won’t fix America’s political system and what will
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The Greater Showman: Why the Presidential Debates Need to Change
As the partisan divide deepens with the country, the current format for the presidential debates has become increasingly obsolete. It’s time the format changed to benefit and engage with the voters.
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Political Influencers and the Alt-Right Pipeline
In the age of online influencers, online personalities are gaining more and more control over our political process. Extremists are taking advantage of a broken system to promote their dangerous ideas— and they’re using the search algorithm to do it.
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Patriotic Education: A Distortion of American History
With this announcement, the Trump administration weaponizes American history in an exclusionary and nationalistic way. Reacting to historic protests, “patriotic education” is a move to erase the story and legacy of oppression in the United States.
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Court-Packing is Not a Good Solution
The politicization of the Supreme Court is bad for the rule of law. Packing the Court would only politicize it more. Democrats should only resort to court-packing as a last resort (not solely because they come into power).
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America’s Descent into Totalitarianism: The Legacy of Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt’s insights regarding the ascent of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union foreshadows the possibility of America’s decline towards totalitarianism, as demonstrated in the Presidency of Donald Trump and the socioeconomic tensions that give rise to fringe movements in the United States.
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Conservatives are right. Joe Biden is a progressive trojan horse.
Despite his appeal to moderates and centrists, Biden’s career and policies suggest a more progressive agenda as President.
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With a Chance to Realign the Supreme Court, Republicans Must Wait
As Amy Comey Barrett’s confirmation approaches, so does the end of an effective Supreme Court. The decision to strip the public of a voice in the replacement of Justice Ginsberg will have terrible repercussions for one of our nation’s foundational institutions.
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Nat Malkus Interview
Nat Malkus is a resident scholar and the deputy director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he specializes in K–12 education. Specifically, he applies quantitative data to education policy. His work focuses on school finance, charter schools, school choice, and the future of standardized testing. Before joining AEI, Malkus was a senior researcher at the American Institutes for Research, where he led research teams analyzing national education data on topics ranging from how many college students take remedial courses, to the comparisons between charter and traditional public schools, to tracking student achievement and graduation rates in schools undergoing turnaround reforms. Previously, Malkus worked on a four-year experimental study to evaluate whether math coaches could help math teachers improve student performance. He has also taught advanced graduate statistics courses and quantitative policy analysis to graduate students. Earlier, Malkus spent four years as a middle-school teacher in Maryland. Malkus has a Ph.D. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.A. in historical studies from Covenant College.
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Climate Change Is a Human Rights Issue
Climate change may be the most pressing issue of our time. Although everyone will experience the impacts, some communities, including minorities, the poor, and women, will be more affected by climate change than others.
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How the COVID-19 pandemic impacts LGBTQ students
With the limitations imposed by social distancing, LGBTQ students face difficult decisions, stressful home situations, and need for resources.
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Silence is Betrayal
There comes a time when silence is betrayal. In response to the murder of George Floyd, as well as the state-endorsed police violence that has occurred in the U.S. over the past several decades, we find it imperative to use our privilege as a publication at an institution like UVA to stand in solidarity with those who are protesting, as well as encourage our readers to support organizations that seek to rectify these injustices.
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Justice Bill Mimms Interview
Justice Bill Mims currently serves as the hundredth justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. He is the second person to ever serve as a member of the General Assembly, attorney general, and Supreme Court justice. Justice Bill Mims received his A.B. in history from the College of William and Mary (1979), his J.D. from George Washington University (1984), and his LL.M from Georgetown University (1986).
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Let’s Universalize Credit/No Credit
In the time of coronavirus, it’s no longer business as usual for higher education. Universal Credit/No Credit will help us cope with this disaster.
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A Permanent Membership in the United Nations Security Council for the European Union
Replacing the French permanent membership with an EU one? German Finance Minister thinks it “would be a bold and smart goal.”