Northern America

The UN-defined Northern America region includes the United States, Canada, as well as Greenland and a few additional nations.

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Education as a Diplomatic Tool: Bridging U.S.-China Divides for a Collaborative Future

01.17.25

“Unlike political agreements often marked by contention and short-term interests, education and research transcend borders, driven by collaboration and a shared pursuit of progress. By viewing education exchanges as strategic platforms for cultivating long-term relationships and mutual respect, the U.S. and China can foster cooperation and build deeper, more enduring bonds of trust.”

International and Global Affairs

Disrupting the Supreme Court Decision: How Universities Can Increase Diversity in a Post Affirmative Action Climate

01.16.25

“The fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban drastically decreased enrollment opportunities for Students of Color and changed the landscape of higher education… If top schools hope to promote inclusion and mitigate the effects of the affirmative action ban, they should widen the transfer pipeline by adjusting their recruitment efforts, admitting more students from two-year community colleges, as well as evaluating internal perceptions of transfer students.”   

Social and Urban Policy

Arrested Development: Law Enforcement’s Delayed Tech Policy Evolution  Leaves Citizens Susceptible to Fourth Amendment Violations

01.8.25

The growing intimacy between people’s lives and their devices is why law enforcement must be required to obtain a warrant before accessing cell phones, tablets, or laptops. Anything short of this standard leaves the public vulnerable to Fourth Amendment violations.

Democracy and Institutions

A Century of Carter: Remembering the 39th President of the United States

01.7.25

As funeral events begin in Washington, Co-Editor-in-Chief Jane Petersen pays tribute to Jimmy Carter for his actions while in office and momentous post-presidency.

Democracy and Institutions

Criminal Justice Reform: A Case Against Overly Restrictive Sentencing Laws

11.18.24

Three times per week, Colin Fitzpatrick strides into his swampy backyard in Mobile, Alabama ready for a fight. He limbers up with some yoga, tapes his forearms like a boxer, and eyes his opponent. He hefts a sword. What he lacks in training, he makes up for with passion and energy. When he’s ready, he […]

Fairness and Justice

In Guantanamo, the Harris-Walz Ticket has the Opportunity to Promise Real Change

10.3.24

A potential Harris-Walz administration must make substantive commitments to address the harms of the War on Terror, beginning with human rights abuses committed in the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.

Human Rights

America in the Age of Polarization: What does the 2024 Shake-Up Mean for America’s Divide?

08.4.24

This is the second article in the series “America in the Age of Polarization”, where Emil Bender Lassen drives 9,000 miles around the US to speak to journalists, researchers and voters on an election that threatens to further divide the country. He hopes to better understand the rising trend in polarization, how it impacts the role of journalists – and maybe even uncover ways the trend could be reversed.

Democracy and Governance

America in the Age of Polarization: Dems Scramble and Journalists Reflect after a Chaotic Debate

07.15.24

This is the first article in the series “America in the Age of Polarization”, where Emil Bender Lassen (MPP ’25) drives 9,000 miles around the US to interview journalists, researchers and voters on the election that threatens to further divide this country. He hopes to better understand the rising trend in polarization, how it impacts the role of journalists – and maybe even uncover some ways this trend could be reversed.

Democracy and Governance

Why the Environmental Movement Needs Its 1619 Project: A Case for a Human-Centered Approach to Saving the Planet

05.8.24

Proposed government solutions to mitigating the effects of climate change have systematically excluded the people it effects the most. A solution that centers climate changes’ effect on people must better acknowledge the historical harm that has been done for real restoration to occur.

Advocacy and Social Movements

Steering the AI Transition: The Case for More Employee Ownership

05.8.24

If you google “AI” in the news these days, it is hard to find a story that is not focused on existential risk of omnipotent AI fully erasing humanity. While I do not buy into the doomsayer’s worst-case scenarios, my experience as an AI advisor to business executives and policy makers tells me this time is different.

Business and Regulation

Bankrolling Change in Massachusetts Schools: A Pathway to LGBTQ+ Inclusion

04.29.24

Blue states like Massachusetts are particularly well-positioned to lead the charge in applying innovative and intensive strategies to protect, support, and nurture queer and marginalized youth.

Education, Training and Labor

Too Many Cooks in One Kitchen? The Question of US State Regulation over the Crypto Market

04.25.24

With the US Congress unable to pass crypto legislation, state regulators have been taking over the field. As a result, there are discrepancies and differences among US states, negatively impacting consumers and companies. Within a global crypto market, multiple states regulating in the absence of singular, Congressional action is hurting both consumers and businesses.

Business and Regulation

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