Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Roosevelt Review
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Equal Justice
Contest Winner
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Out of Sight, Out of Mind: New York City Solid Waste Disposal
By Ryan Elivo
36
40
Economic Development
11
45
13
47
16
50
19
53
55
25
Public Parking in New York City: Where the Rubber Meets the Road
with Policy and Participatory Democracy
By Brit Byrd
One Opportunity to Take One Step in the Right Direction With Iran
By Masih Babagoli
28
Education
30
33
58
60
63
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Energy and Enviroment
Publication Sta
66
68
71
73
Healthcare
The Right to Life: A liberal paternalist approach to promoting vaccination without compromising civil liberties
By Alexandra OKeefe
76
81
83
Center Directors
Alexandra O'Keefe and Leah Reiss (Co-Directors of Healthcare)
Edmund Brose (Director of Defense and Diplomacy)
Kunal Shah (Director of Education)
Nikita Mary Singareddy (Director of Equal Justice)
Simon Schwartz and Jon Kroah (Co-Directors of Economic Development)
Samuel Place (Director of Energ y and Environment)
85
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Equal Justice
This is the seventh annual Columbia Roosevelt Review published by the Columbia University chapter of the Roosevelt Institute. We are proud to present twenty-six policy proposals written by Columbia University undergraduate students. This
year, we started an exciting new policy contest entitled Modern Quagmires of the City. The parameters stipulated that
the proposal must explain a problem that affects New York, while using the City as a case study to logistically implement
solutions to that issue.
Equal Justice
From immigration to urban youth civic engagement, justice system reform to police demilitarization, EJs authors have
posed solutions to break down the complex barriers to equity and equality. The Equal Justice Center strives to address
these issues from all angles in order to develop pragmatic, actionable solutions that aim towards the core tenant of social
justicethat one persons prosperity should never come at the expense of anothers opportunity. I would like to expressly
thank all the authors for their time and commitment to the Roosevelt Review. Im pleased to present this ne collection of
policy pieces from the 2014-2015 Equal Justice Center.
-Nikita Mary Singareddy
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By Susannah Cohen
Equal Justice
http://www.justiceindex.org/ndings/attorney-access/
2
http://www.justiceindex.org/ndings/attorney-access/
3
http://www.lsc.gov/about/
lsc-numbers-2013#CLIENTDEMOGRAPHICS, http://www.lsc.gov/civil-legal-aid-ensuring-equal-access-justice
http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/get-involved/constitution-activities/sixth-amendment/right-counsel/facts-case-summary-gideon.aspx
6
http://aja.ncsc.dni.us/courtrv/
cr39_4/CR39-4Hannaford.pdf, http://www.
justiceindex.org/ndings/self-represented-litigants/
7
http://cwtfhc.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/donaldson.pdf
4
http://www.justice.gov/atj/civ- 8
http://www.nytimes.
il-legal-aid-101
com/2012/11/30/opinion/tipping-the-
cates would be able to provide administrative information, legal advice, and in-person courtroom representation, only in the
area of housing law.
Creating the training programs
for non-lawyer advocates is the first major
hurdle that must be surmounted in establishing this new profession. The American
Bar Association, a university, or some other organization could develop a training
program that culminates in certification,
allowing these professionals to practice
non-lawyer advocacy in Housing Court.
While people with expertise in Housing
Court and law education would determine
the content of the curriculum, one major
topic would be client interaction as these
cases are often extremely sensitive. As
many self-represented litigants in Housing
Court lack of information, another crucial role for non-lawyer advocates is simply to provide knowledge and guidance
throughout the legal process. Helping clients fulfill the court tasks, fact-checking,
and preparing a coherent testimony are
simple responsibilities drastically alter
the balance of power between landlord
and tenant in court. Finally, a unique aspect of Housing Court is the settlement,
referred to as hallway justice, in which
[unrepresented litigants] meet with their
adversaries attorneys in the hallways and
sign stipulations of settlement drafted by
the attorneys before meeting with a court
attorney or the judge.11 Of course, this
system puts an unrepresented litigant at a
massive disadvantage, so non-lawyer advocates must be familiar with the de facto
process and learn how to operate in the
fast-paced, pushy, and often underhanded negotiations. This sort of certification
program would ensure quality and knowledge in non-lawyer advocates without the
burden of proficiency in other areas of law.
a certificate from an official non-lawyer
advocate training program.
scales-in-housing-court.html?_r=0
This new profession would
9
http://cwtfhc.org/wp-content/up- provide a middle ground between full
loads/2009/06/NYCLA_HC_in_21st_Cent. representation and no representation.
pdf, http://www.bostonbar.org/public-pol- Non-lawyer advocates would likely make
icy/public-policy-archive/2012/03/02/
considerably less than lawyers, although
bba-news-release-study-assesses-practithis should be decided on a state-by-state
cal-impact-of-legal-representation-in-evicbasis. This field would provide an extion-cases, http://www.innercitylaw.org/
cellent option for lower-income people
homelessness-prevention/
10
http://cwtfhc.org/wp-content/up- 11
http://cwtfhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/NYCLA_HC_in_21st_Cent. loads/2009/06/NYCLA_HC_in_21st_Cent.
pdf
pdf
Equal Justice
Access to Justice: Improving Legal Representation for Public Housing Litigants using
Non-Lawyer Advocates
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12
http://www.bostonbar.org/docs/
default-document-library/bba-crtc-nal-3-1-12.pdf
13
http://www.sfbos.org/modules/
showdocument.aspx?documentid=49157
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The Problem:
So, what exactly is the issue? What is so
dangerous about arming our police officersthe men and women who risk their
lives to protect us every dayto the best
of our ability?
As stated in a recent report from the
ACLU, the militarization of American
policingencourages them to adopt a
warrior mentality and think of the people
they are supposed to serve as enemies.12
More often than we would like to believe,
this overzealous and militaristic approach
to police work can result in the physical
harm or death of innocent citizens, as in
the case of Bou Bou Phonesavanh.
However, the less apparent danger is
the exacerbation of already souring relations between the people and their police. Betty Taylor, a detective in Lincoln
County, MI, recalls a specific day on the
job that exposed her to the true costs of
militarized policing. She was asked to
come along on a SWAT raid to stay with
the children who the officers knew would
most likely be in the house. Detective Taylor was directed to the bedroom where
The Solution:
The rise of militarized policing is a
multi-faceted issue that requires a slew of
policies addressing different aspects of the
problem. I will, however, offer a few policy proposals addressing the transparency,
accountability and use of SWAT teams, in
the hopes of ensuring their efficacy as a
law enforcement tool and improving the
relationship between police and civilians.
Deployments: SWAT was created to
provide highly coordinated responses
to extraordinary, high-risk threats. They
were never intended to execute search
warrants and should not be used to do
so unless there is a compelling and proven reason to expect an unusually high
risk to officer or to uninvolved civilians
that would be best countered by SWATs
heavy-handed approach.
1033: Instead of being used as a pipeline from the Department of Defense to
our red-blooded American police officers, 1033 should be repurposed to provide appropriate quantities and types of
weapons to departments that demonstrate
a real need. Before being eligible to receive
equipment through the program, departments should have to be deemed fit by the
DoD, meaning that any officer that would
have control over the weapons use should
have to attend training that reviews when
and how it is appropriate to use the equipment and clearly outlines inappropriate
uses that would result in the equipment
being taken back. Once equipment changes hands, the Department of Defense must
then monitor its use and be held partially
responsible if use of the weapons results in
unnecessary harm to persons or property.
Recordkeeping: Departments should
be required to keep a centralized database
on SWAT activitieseasily accessible by
the publicthat clearly record the number of times SWAT is deployed, for what
purpose, how many members are deployed, any injuries sustained during the
raid (to officers, citizens, or even domestic
pets), and what resulted from the raid (arrests, seizure of contraband, etc.).
Accountability: In the event that the
wrong house is raided, or an innocent
person is harmed during a SWAT raid, any
expenses sustained by the innocent parties should fall on the police departments
that called for the raid and formal apologies should be issued to those affected. In
addition, helmet cameras should be made
standard for SWAT teams.
While these proposals do not address
many of the deeper issues affecting relations between the police and the people,
they do offer a way of introducing more
checks into the system that shouldand
generally doeskeep us safe.
Police officers put their lives in danger
every day to keep us safe, and for that we
are eternally grateful. However, the past
decades have demonstrated the danger to
the safety of our people and the health of
our society posed by police departments
reliance on excessively militant techniques. As the saying goes, when youre
holding a hammer, everything looks like
a nail. By instituting these fairly simple
policy reforms and opening local police
departments up to greater civilian and
federal oversight, we can begin to reverse
this worrisome trend.
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(Endnotes)
1
M. Alex Johnson, Militarized
SWAT Teams Under Scrutiny as Toddler
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Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 16-17
ational studies have shown that youth civic engagement has weakened over the past
three decades. Comparing the activities
of young Baby Boomers to present-day
Millenials, there is a noticeable downward
trend in metrics of political participation
such as voting, informal efforts to solve
community problems, affiliations with
non-political associations and religious
institutions, and volunteerism.1 This generational decline does not bode well for
the long-term health of American democracy. Dwindling civic participation clearly
means fewer opportunities for state and
local governments to understand the concerns of young constituents especially
those of urban minorities. Research exhibits that low-income youth of color are the
most disengaged, an extremely problematic finding given that group differences in
civic participation can lead to disparities
in citizen influence over legislation as well
as the unequal distribution of social benefits.2 Undoubtedly, there is a crucial need
to address, enhance, and sustain urban
youth engagement. Cities have found that
participatory budgeting (PB) efforts with
high schoolers demonstrate positive, continual impacts for historically underrepresented youth.3 PB can be instrumental in
making the allocation of public resources
more inclusive and equitable by promoting public access to revenue and expenditure information. With the institutional
and sociopolitical challenges presented by
an inner city environment, this piece presents public budgeting as a highly innovative mechanism to involve urban ethnic
youth in civic decision-making and sow
the seeds for future engagement.
Urban youth of color (16-24) are less
likely than their white middle-class counterparts to display important characteristics of citizenship. Democracy for Some:
The Civic Opportunity Gap in High
School, a study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement, measured civic engagement
idea formulating and into the formal planning stages as budget delegates. Although
the city has yet to pass participatory budgeting proposals, Greensboro became the
first city in the South with PB.12 Looking
out West, Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County,California, United States.In
2012, it had an estimated per capita income of $23,334 and 75% minority ethnic
make-up.13 That same year, the urban City
of Vallejo made history by becoming the
first U.S. municipality to approve participatory budgeting (PB) city-wide. In its
first year of PB, Vallejo residents created
and approved 12 public projects, from
community gardens to youth scholarships to park rehabilitation. Survey data
demonstrated that 9% of assembly attendees were 16 years of age or younger; additionally, 11% were 18 years or over the but
not registered to vote, suggesting that PB
engaged residents of all ages that were typically not involved in civic affairs. In terms
of voting on PB proposals, youth voters
(16-17 years of age) accounted for 18% of
the total votes cast, higher than PB youth
engagement in Chicago and New York.14
In interviews with members of the PB
Vallejo Youth Committee, they asserted PB presented itself as an effective way
to engage with the community. Jennifer
Aguiar, a Hispanic senior at Jesse Bethel
High School and PB youth delegate, came
to her first PB Vallejo assembly for the free
pizza, but stayed when she saw an opportunity to make a change. She signed up to
be a delegate on the Youth Committee.15
In collaborating and working diligently in
the PB youth committee, Aguiar was initially surprised by the enthusiasm of other youth delegates; but soon, she saw the
power of her fellow urban youth when two
of their 2012 ballot initiatives college
scholarship funds and funding improvements to the local Boys and Girls Club
facility passed with almost 1,000 votes
each.16 Reflecting on participatory budgeting in Vallejo, Aguiar thought it had
discernibly empowered the youth:
In some parts of the Vallejo community there was a stronger sense of unity
that has emerged from PB. Personally, it
just opened my eyes to what it was like to
actually do something that means something to people, if that makes sense. A lot
of the youth dont realize the power they
can possess to make a better change in
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Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 18-19
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ing-participatory-budgeting-in-schools/
4
Khane, John. Democracy for
Some: The Civic Opportunity Gap in
High School. Center for Information and
Research on Civil Learning and Engagement (2008). Web.
5
Torney-Purta, Judith. Links and
Missing Links between Education, Political
Knowledge, and Citizenship. American
Journal of Education105.4 (1997): 446.
Web.
6
Kirshner, Ben, Karen Strobel,
and Mara Fernndez. Civic Involvement
Among Urban Youth: A Qualitative Study
of Critical Engagement.John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities Stanford University (2002). Web.
7
Ibid.
8
http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/blog/learning-democracy-by-doing-participatory-budgeting-in-schools/
9
http://www.pbconference.org/
10
http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/who-we-are/mission-approach/
11
http://www.city-data.com/city/
Greensboro-North-Carolina.html
12
http://greensboropb.org/tag/dudley-high-school/
13
http://www.city-data.com/city/
Vallejo-California.html
14
http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=65237
15
http://www.timesheraldonline.
com/general-news/20130509/participatory-budgeting-vallejo-vote-aims-to-bolster-community-pride
16
http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=65237
17
http://www.timesheraldonline.
com/general-news/20130509/participatory-budgeting-vallejo-vote-aims-to-bolster-community-pride
18
Sanchez-Jankowski, Martin.
2002. Minority Youth and Civic Engagement: The Impact of Group Relations,
Applied Developmental Science, vol. 6 (4),
237.
19
Ibid.
20
Daniel Hart and Robert Atkins.
2002. Civic Competence in Urban Youth,
Applied Developmental Science, vol. 6 (4),
(Endnotes)
229.
1
Putnam, Robert D. Bowling
Khane, John. Democracy for
Alone: The Collapse and Revival of Amer- 21
Some:
The
Civic Opportunity Gap in
ican Community. New York: Simon &
High
School.
Center for Information and
Schuster, 2000. Print.
Research
on
Civil
Learning and Engage2
Judis, John B., and Ruy A. Teixeiment
(2008).
Web.
ra. The Emerging Democratic Majority.
New York: Scribner, 2002. Print.
3
http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/blog/learning-democracy-by-do-
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Table 2. Ten origin countries with highest estimates of eligible DACA applicants11
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WHERE WE NEED TO BE
The bottom line is that depending on
the nationalities of the immigrants and
the states in which they live, the resources
available greatly influence the number of
applicants to the USCIS. Other resources
that may have a hand in the low application
rate include the cost-prohibitive filing fee
of $465, inability to present acceptable evidence that prove their continued presence
in the country, lack of awareness about the
program in rural areas, and extreme fear
of deportation for themselves and family
members. For any of these problems to be
fixed, we need to focus our attention to
each of these problems in a specific and
focused way, dedicated to alleviating the
root of the problem. In the following section, two proposals are presented to tackle
some of the discussed problems namely,
low Asian DACA applications and prohibitive high application fee.
POLICY #1: Raise Asian DACA Application Rates
As stated above, Asians have been reluctant to apply for, and especially so with
the recent controversy raised by a federal
judge who put a hold on Obamas planned
expansion of the deferment program. Judy
Chu, California Democratic Representative noted that Asian immigrants are currently very wary of sharing personal information with the government and have
doubts about whether the program will
last. There is particular emphasis in the familial concern of what could occur if one
member of the family formally appears
before the government as undocumented
and the risks they pose to others.
Much work must be done to reach out
and assure the Asian undocumented population of the worth, safety, and benefits of
applying for DACAship. This effort must
take place at all levels of the program.
On the personal level, conversations on
DACA and its variations should become
a household conversation that is easy to
have with correct information flowing
mouth-to-mouth. This starts with a new
approach to the DACA campaign, which
has so far, been focused on the internet,
radio, and certain community social justice centers. What needs to happen is a direct insertion of people who know the information into the communities that have
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CONCLUSION
Whether members of our community
like it or not, undocumented immigrants
have become a crucial part of our society
and are here to stay; DACA is the first of
many steps that must be taken for us to
move forward together towards a more
productive and inclusive society. But it has
not been a perfectly executed directive. We
must work towards making this program
much more available to those already eligible and should begin to reconsider
the repercussions of dividing the undocumented population by age, education,
and other somewhat random factors. The
top five states with the highest estimates
of number of undocumented immigrants
do not match the top five states with the
highest estimates of number of DACA-eligible immigrants. This observation raises pointed questions to the effectiveness
of the relief DACA gives. The success of
DACA relies on our ability to reach out to
the entire eligible undocumented population and assuring them of the safety in
confidentiality and from deportation. But
this sort of emotional and political safety may not be felt by our immigrants by
policy changes, instead resting on a more
cultural change on the part of the American people toward immigrants. To keep
our nations core humanitarian ideals and
democratic values, we should create more
permanent and safer laws and public policies that allow these immigrants to come
out of the shadows and live the normal
lives of free human beings.
Endnotes
1
US Citizenship and Immigration
Services. (September 2014). Number of
I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals by Fiscal Year,
Quarter, Intake, Biometrics and Case Status: 2012-2014. USCIS.
2
Lenahan, K. (2015, January
20). Deferred Action Iniatives, including
DAPA and DACA: Answers to Frequently
Asked Questions. Retrieved January 22,
2015, from Avvo: http://www.avvo.com/
legal-guides/ugc/deferred-action-for-parental-accountability-dapa-answers-to-frequently-asked-questions
3
Gonzales, R., & Bautista-Chavez,
A. (2014). Two Years and Counting:
4
Batalova, J., Hooker, S., Capps,
R., & Bachmeier, J. (2014). DACA at the
Two-Year Mark. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute.
5
Immediately eligible refers to
those who fulll all the requirements and
can apply immediately
6
In May of this year, USCIS has
planned to roll out a second deferred action
program, in conjunction with DACA,
called the Deferred Action for Parent
Accountability (DAPA), aimed towards
providing parents of US citizens or lawful
permanent residents brief amnesty to care
for their children and family. This program
will have signicant effects on the livelihoods of mixed families (families with both
documented and undocumented members)
and should be interesting to study after a
few months of its release.
Roosevelt Review
16
Batalova J. , Hooker, Capps,
Bachmeier, & Cox, 2013
17
Semple, K. (2013, December 9).
Advocates struggle to reach immigrants
eligible for deferred action. The New York
Times.
18
Career Equity Resources Center.
(2010). Promoting Academic Success with
Undocumented Students. New Jersey:
Rutgers University.
19
Gonzales, 2009
20
21
Oakford, R. L. (2013). The
Economic Effects of Granting Legal Status
and. Center for American Progress. Washington, D.C.: Center for American Progress.
22
Lending Circles. (2014). Retrieved February 26, 2014, from Mission
Asset Fund: http://missionassetfund.org/
7
while there are some changes in
the eligible population estimates from 2012
to 2014, generally, the states have remained 23
Community Trust. (2012). Who
within the top fteen states
Are We? Retrieved February 26, 2015,
from Community Trust: https://www.
8
Batalova J. , Hooker, Capps, &
self-helpfcu.org/communitytrust/about-us/
Bachmeier, 2014
who-are-we-
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previously been left out of the conversation. For example, a hot line for Chinese
immigrants who have questions about deferred action has been implemented on a
case-by-case basis, by the zeal of too few
people educated enough on these topics
within these communities. A more generalized, money-backed systematized resource would be ideal.
On an international level, both home
and host countries should work together
(much like how Mexico and the United
States have) to create a better transition
for these immigrants and put more pressure on the United States to implement
roll-out programs that favor Asian American immigrants as they do other demographics. One of the reasons that Latinos
have had a much better turnout is because
Spanish is spoken in most of the Latin
American countries, whereas speaking to
Asians requires multiple languages and,
thus, multilingual versions of the same
resources, requiring time, knowledge, and
man power. As convincing as this reason
may sound, it is by no means an excuse.
Spending time and resource to properly
reach out the Asian American population
will help create a better implementation of
this program.
But mostly, there needs to be a special
concern taken by the United States, on a
national level, to create a more inviting
and confidential space that will dissuade
fears from immigrants, like the Chinese,
who have historically been oppressed in
and rejected from the United States.
9
Application rate here refers to
the ratio of initial applications accepted for
processing to the immediately eligible or
potentially eligible DACA populations.
10
Wong, T., Garca, A., Abrajano,
M., FitzGerald, D., & Ramakrishnan, K.
(2013). Undocumented No More. Washington, DC: Center for American Progress.
11
Batalova J. , Hooker, Capps, &
Bachmeier, 2014
12
Wong, Garca, Abrajano, FitzGerald, & Ramakrishnan, 2013
13
Wong, Garca, Abrajano, FitzGerald, & Ramakrishnan, 2013
14
Wong, Garca, Abrajano, FitzGerald, & Ramakrishnan, 2013
15
Cohn, D., & Passel, J. S. (2009).
A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in
the United States. Pew Hispanic Center.
23
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Roosevelt Review
By Katie Haller
Defense &
Diplomacy
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Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 24-25
ing states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and others can play an
important role in helping to shape state
responses to communal violence. This article will examine ways for international
actors to protect human rights and minimize casualties by taking actions to encourage states to respond effectively and
fairly to instances of communal violence.
For context, three recent cases of communal violence and the resulting state
response will be examined. Then policy
recommendations for international actors
will be enumerated.
Three Cases of Ethnic Riots
To illustrate different types of
state responses to communal violence,
three recent cases of ethnic riots around
the world will be examined. In India in
2002, in China in 2009, and in Myanmar
in 2012, violence broke out between two
communities, with a wide range of state
responses from case to case.
Defense &
Diplomacy
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Defense &
Diplomacy
and of those, 134 were Han, 10 were Uyghurs, and the others from the Hui and
Man ethnic groups12.
Media, government, and international
organizations reports of the riot all attest
to the states swift response to put down
the violence. On the first day of the protest, police were already on the scene,
and as the riot grew more violent, troops
in full riot gear and armored vehicles arrived13. The police used tear gas, fire hoses, and batons to disperse the crowd14. On
July 6, the local government announced a
curfew banning all traffic in the city until
8 P.M15, and the central government severely restricted communications in Xinjiang during and after the riot16. Human
Rights Watch and several foreign journalists claim the government sought to
tightly control the flow of information out
of the region. Human Rights Watch also
notes the extreme response by Chinese
Case 2: Urumqi, Xinjiang region, China, security forces and government to the violence, which included unlawful arrests
July 2009
In late June, 2009, in the city of and enforced disappearances of several
17
Shaoguan, China, a brawl erupted be- Uyghurs .
tween works from the ethnic Han and
Case 3: Rakhine State, Myanmar, June
Uyghur groups. On July 5, Uyghurs in the
Xinjiang provinces capital city of Urumqi 2012
In June 2012, large-scale communal
organized a street protest to demand gov9
violence
broke out in Rakhine State in
ernment investigation into the incident .
Myanmar
between the ethnic Rakhine and
At some point, the demonstration became
Rohingya
Muslim populations. The vioviolent (how this happened remains unclear), and rioters clashed with the police lence was caused by allegations circulating
by throwing stones and setting vehicles that on May 28, 2012, an ethnic Rakhine
on fire10. The riot spread throughout the woman was raped and killed, reportedly
city, with some Uyghurs attacking Han by three Muslim men. From there, escacivilians and looting shops11. The official lating attacks from both sides led to an
Xinhua News Agency reported that of 156 increasingly high death toll. Rioters from
of 197 total deaths were civilian casualties, both Rakhine and Rohingya populations
looted, torched, and destroyed homes,
5
Human Rights Watch, We Have No businesses, and places of worship and enOrders to Save You, 21; and Jaffrelot, Christophe. Communal Riots in Gujarat: The State at
Risk? Working paper no. 17. Heidelberg Papers
in South Asian and Comparative Politics,
6
7
Ibid., 157.
8
9
10
11
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
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Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 26-27
12
Innocent Civilians Make up 156 in
Urumqi Riot Death Toll. Chinaview.cn. Xinhua
News Agency, 05 Aug. 2009. Web. 17 Dec.
2014.
13
14
Civilians Die in China Riots. Al
Jazeera English. Al Jazeera, 5 July 2009. Web.
17 Dec. 2014.
15
16
17
Ibid., 5.
Roosevelt Review
Defense &
Diplomacy
18
Conclusion
The international community has
a vital role to play in helping to shape state
responses to communal violence. In order to avoid large-scale tragedies like the
2,000 deaths in Gujarat within a few weeks
in 2002, international actors must take actions to encourage states to respond effectively and fairly to instances of communal
violence.
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid., 20.
Ibid., 1.
Ibid., 2.
Ibid., 25.
Ibid., 28.
27
4/10/15 3:03 PM
By Masih Babagoli
Defense &
Diplomacy
28
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 28-29
4
Katzman, Iran Sanctions.
5
Katzman, Iran Sanctions.
6
Bahman Fozouni, e-mail message
to author, February 10, 2015.
who want to revert to imposing more American-Iranian cooperation on batsanctions on Iran will only force Irans re- tling ISIS. The opportunity is there for a
turn to its nuclear program since it priori- deal, and it needs to be taken advantage of.
tizes the program more than preserving its
economy, which is still functioning.
Who are the hardliners on both sides
that want to return to the old state of relations? In Iran, the opposition consists
partly of cleric hardliners who want do not
want the state to give in to any demands of
the West. Cleric Mohammad Reza Ashtiani says, They are going to give us part
of our own money as if we are indebted.11
On the other hand, the dissenters in
the United States are mostly made up of
right-wing Republican Congressmen. On
March 9, 47 Republican Senators sent a
letter directly to Iran stating that any deal
reached by President Obama would not
be valid without a vote by Congress and
that any future administration can potentially revoke or change the deal once
Obama leaves.12 Also, while voting on this
bill has been delayed, Republican Senators
are trying to pass a bill that would require
Congress to approve any nuclear deal
reached with Iran. In response, a new bill
was recently initiated in Iranian legislation
that nullifies the Joint Plan of Action from
Irans side if the United States imposes any
additional sanctions on Iran13. From both
ends, an agreement is absolutely essential.
Any hint of additional economic sanctions will push the United States and Iran
back again to tension-filled, and much
more antagonistic, relations like the past,
benefitting the hardliners who want that.
The obvious benefit that comes with
an American-Iranian nuclear agreement
would be that Iran would not be able to
develop a nuclear weapon, which was initially the main goal of the United States
7
Abdol Majid Cheraghali, Impacts of in imposing the sanctions. It would also
eliminate any possibility of war with Iran
international sanctions on Iranian
pharmaceutical market, DARU Journal and all of the costs that come with that.
of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2013), http://www. Additionally, while the US and Iran have
biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/2008-2231-21- been at odds on most issues, a softening
of relations with Iran could allow for more
64.pdf (accessed February 11, 2015).
Defense &
Diplomacy
Roosevelt Review
10
Febru-
13
29
4/10/15 3:03 PM
3
4
5
6
7
8
Defense &
Diplomacy
issile defense systems (MDS) ought to receive more attention than they do. Rogue
nations development of nuclear weapons
dominates the armament conversation,
while their gaining access to MDS could
prove dangerous in more subtle but perhaps more long-lasting ways. However,
given the current state of the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)
the US must continue to research and develop MDS carefully to protect its shores,
while it should discourage the proliferation of MDS in other nations. Because the
US already has several poorly functioning
missile defense systemscurrent systems
are unreliable at bestit should shift its
programs to research more and develop
only when the new MDS is believed to be
able to work soundly and to be a substantial improvement off of the current MDS.
II: Definitions and Background
The Council on Foreign Relations defines missile defense systems as
missiles that can be launched more than
5500 km from many platforms, including silos, trucks, trains, submarines, and
warships.1 That missile is launched when
the system detects that there is an incoming missile. The missile from the defense
system hitsand destroysthe incoming missile before impact, defending the
home nation from a missile attack. To do
so, the system first detects the incoming
missile. Second, it discriminates or separates the target from its surroundings.
Third, it undergoes fire control, during
which it determines where to intercept the
missile, and fourth it destroys the missile,
hitting it with some type of interceptor.2
Missile defense systems have had mixed
30
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 30-31
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
security and limit threats. Steven Quackenbush of the University of Utah writes
that, according to classical deterrence
theory, because of how high the costs of a
military engagement would be when both
states have MDS, nations will be deterred
from attacking each other.12
Thus any US policy regarding
MDS and BMD technology must address
the facts that with and without American
assistance, other parties are developing
MDS, and that development lessens US
comparative power and could cause nations to enter into defense or offensive
arms races with each other.
IV: Recommended US Policy
The US governmentand the
US government aloneought to keep
researching and developing MDS and
discourage other nations from doing the
same. This is a crude policy recommendation with consequences that may seriously
impede US and international security in
the long-term. It is, however, the best policy to keep the US and its allies safe given
current international affairs.
MDS presents a potentially effective means through which to protect the
US from missiles, and the US must do so.
Even though current MDS are not without flaws, a successful MDS would protect
a nation from incoming missiles. The US
has the potential to develop successful
MDS. The policy option that protects the
US most fullyeven if it is in the shorttermis having MDS to combat Iranian
or North Korean missiles.
Only the US government should
work on that development, not the private sector. There are a handful of private
sector American defense corporations
that have worked on various armament
projects in recent history. If the companys equipment proves vital to MDS production, the government should buy it.
If the companys personal proves vital to
MDS production, the government should
hire them and privately set severe restrictions on what information they can dis9
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA2010-02.html#mozTocId243268; http://itar-tass. close outside of the government. The risk
com/en/russia/765705
that this technologys proliferation poses
should lead policymakers to try to keep it
10
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA2010-02.html#mozTocId243268
as unbeknownst to others as possible. Re-
11
http://www.news.com.au/world/
middle-east/isis-acquires-air-defence-missile-system-capable-of-shooting-downpassenger-airlines-qatar-blamed/story-fnh81ifq-1227105184672
Defense &
Diplomacy
Roosevelt Review
12
31
4/10/15 3:03 PM
13
14
Ibid.
David Willman, $40-billion Missile Defense System Proves Unreliable,
Los Angeles Times (June 15, 2014.) http://
www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-missile-defense-20140615-story.html#page=1.
32
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 32-33
Undocumented immigration is an
issue that affects the U.S. economically, politically, and morally. The solution
presented is the best one right now due
to the partisan political climate at the
federal level and would benefit undocumented immigrants and naturalized citizens alike. There are currently about 11.7
million undocumented immigrants living
in the U.S., according to the Pew Research
Center Hispanic Trends Project.1 About
three-quarters (76%) of the nations unauthorized immigrant population are
Hispanics; the majority of the group overall (59%) are from Mexico, numbering 7
million.2 The main motivation for such
immigration is overwhelmingly for work,
often laboring in industries that pay poorly and exploit their labor. Even if successful in gaining entry, which has become a
much more treacherous process due to
enhanced border security, many live in
deplorable conditions. Unauthorized immigrants are unable to safely report labor
violations and discriminatory housing
practices for fear of deportation. For the
millions of undocumented living in this
country, basic human rights are not upheld like housing, fair wages, and social
Defense &
Diplomacy
Defense &
Diplomacy
Roosevelt Review
In large part, due to the polarizing rhetoric of the GOP and the Tea Party interests
represented in Congress, the immigration
reform bill, S.B. 744, has not passed the
House. Moreover, President Obamas recent executive order holding deportations
of families is an encouraging temporary
enactment, but is only a short-term, impermanent measure; his plan allows families with undocumented individuals who
have lived in the U.S. 5+ years a stay of
deportation, but it does not grant full citizenship7. Thus, the time is right for a comprehensive and permanent solution to the
33
4/10/15 3:03 PM
Defense &
Diplomacy
34
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 34-35
Policy Analysis:
Unauthorized people and families live
in constant fear of deportation; furthermore, most undocumented immigrants
pay significant amounts of taxes but cannot
claim all their benefits to which their taxpaying entitles them. The largest example
of such payment without access to benefits is in the Social Security infrastructure;
since the money is often automatically
taken out of the paycheck of an individual
as a payroll tax, and because noncitizens
cannot claim benefit of a federal program,
they account for a major portion of the
program, estimated at $520 billion in October 2005.8 Moreover, this community is
often discriminated against when they are
trying to secure housing a basic human
right.9 It is unfeasible and immoral to
deport undocumented people en masse
as some pundits and anti-reform activists
suggest; instead, the U.S. must focus on
integration, rather than discrimination,
in order to train, educate, and maximize
the productive potential of these new
Americans. Many studies, including one
conducted under President George W.
Bushs administration, have shown that
immigrants not only help fuel the Na-
17
The Facts on Immigration Today,
Center for American Progress, Accessed Dec
1 2014, https://www.americanprogress.org/
issues/immigration/report/2014/10/23/59040/
the-facts-on-immigration-today-3/
7
Fixing the System: President Obama
is Taking Action on Immigration, Accessed
January 18th, 2015 http://www.whitehouse.gov/
issues/immigration/immigration-action
8
Immigration Myths and Facts,
American Civil Liberties Union, Accessed
Nov 18 2014, https://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/immigration-myths-and-facts
9
Hostility, Southern Poverty Law
Center, Accessed Nov 18, 2014, http://www.
splcenter.org/publications/under-siege-life-lowincome-latinos-south/5-hostility
10
Immigrations Economic Impact,
Council of Economic Advisers, Executive
Ofce of the President, Accessed January 18,
2015, http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html
11
The economic Impact of S. 744, the
Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and
Immigration Modernization Act, Congressional
Budget Ofce, Accessed Dec 1 2014, http://
www.cbo.gov/sites/default/les/44346-Immigration.pdf.
Defense &
Diplomacy
Roosevelt Review
16
12
The Facts on Immigration Today,
Center for American Progress, Accessed Dec
1 2014, https://www.americanprogress.org/
issues/immigration/report/2014/10/23/59040/
the-facts-on-immigration-today-3/
13
Edward P. Lazear, Immigrations
Economic Impact, Council of Economic
Advisors, Accessed Nov 28 2014, whitehouse.
archives.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html
14
Edward P. Lazear, Immigrations
Economic Impact, Council of Economic
Advisors, Accessed Nov 28 2014, whitehouse.
archives.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html
15
Facts About Immigrants Low Use
of Health Services and Public Benets National Immigration Law Center, Accessed January
4
Edward P. Lazear, Immigrations
20, 2015, http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/
Economic Impact, Council of Economic
sites/default/les/docs/publicservices09-2006.
Advisors, Accessed Nov 28 2014, whitehouse.
archives.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html pdf
5
Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Undocumented Immigrants in Texas: Financial Analysis
of the Impact to the State Budget and Economy, Texas Ofce of the Comptroller, Accessed
16
Immigration Myths and Facts,
American Civil Liberties Union, Accessed
January 20 2015, https://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/immigration-myths-and-facts
35
4/10/15 3:03 PM
CONTEST WINNER
Roosevelt Review
OUT OF SIGHT,
OUT OF MIND:
NEW YORK CITY
SOLID WASTE
DISPOSAL
BY RYAN ELIVO
36
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 36-37
37
4/10/15 3:03 PM
Roosevelt Review
Recommended Action
In 2007, Mayor Michael Bloomberg publicly rolled out PlaNYC, a citywide initiative intended to prepare New York City
for a projected influx of one million new
residents by the year 2030. This initiative
was the product of collaboration between
27 agencies and environmental, business,
and labor interest groups. The initiative
addresses issues pertaining to areas such
as Land, including Housing, Open Space,
and Brownfields; Climate Change; and
EnergySolid Waste was notably absent
from the 2007 version. While New York
City had released its Solid Waste Management Plan in 2006, which sought to
increase New York Citys residential diversion rate to 25% by the year 2007 as well
as the citys whole diversion rate to 70%
by 2015, it encountered many issues. For
example, the essence of the proposal was
to redistribute the citys solid waste infrastructure to account for borough equity
and reduce collection truck mileage by
raising the share of garbage that is exported by barge and train.
The plan was lauded as a victory for environmental justice80% of the citys
waste is treated in South Bronx, Southeast
Queens, and North Brooklyn, which are
principally poorer communities of color.
However, the plan has been delayed from
permitting delays and lawsuits from the
not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) phenomenon, in which residents would rather
not have these facilities near their homes.
These issues have persisted as late as August 2014, when a federal judge ruled that
Upper East Side residents could not hamper the construction of a controversial
marine waste transfer station; Manhattan houses no solid waste facilities. As of
2014, the residential diversion rate was a
paltry 15.4%, well below the original 2006
goal of 25% by 2007 and the updated 2013
PlaNYC goal of 30% by 2017the 2013
goal also includes a citywide 75% diversion rate by the year 2030.
38
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 38-39
Barriers to recycling include the effort involved, forgetfulness and also unclear requirements. The city should thus enact the
pay-as-you-throw program to provide a
reliable incentive, and should commission
a team of educators to go door-to-door to
educate residents on how to recycle and to
ensure that city information is transmitted
effectively. Given the disparities between
neighborhood recycling rates, with poorer communities showing lower rates, this
would allow New York City to achieve significant gains.
For the third initiative, the city should
construct three waste-to-energy facilities
by the year 2030 to provide an additional
destination for the citys garbage and food
scraps. An anaerobic digester facility, for
example, could generate electricity using organic waste. Processing this waste
within the city would generate value and
jobs for inhabitants. This may be the most
difficult initiative to enact because of the
aforementioned NIMBY phenomenon.
When considering siting, New York City
must reach out to public and community stakeholders and keep them involved
in the process from day one. Modern
39
4/10/15 3:03 PM
Roosevelt Review
HONORABLE MENTION
MUNICIPAL GREEN
BONDS: UNITING
THE PRIVATE AND
PUBLIC SECTOR
TO FIGHT CLIMATE
CHANGE
BY SAMUEL PLACE
40
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 40-41
41
4/10/15 3:03 PM
56 years old
The notion of a green bond was established by the World Bank in 2008. Through
the Strategic Framework for Development and Climate Change, the World
Bank planned to tie together private sector growth and sustainable development
practices, and wanted to do so through
green bonds. According to the framework,
green bonds are like most other bonds an
economic sensehowever, they must be
used toward something green. Since the
birth of the program, the World Bank and
the IFC have issued a combined $10.7 billion in green bonds. While this number
may seem impressive, it pales in comparison to the overall bond market, which
tops out at around $90 trillion.iii
According to projections outlined by
Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the
market for green bonds increased to $14
billion in 2013, with the potential to grow
up to $40 billion in 2014. However, there
have been little to no developments within
the US thus far. One of the main reasons
for this is due to the predominantly federal role in which green bond distribution
takes place. As of right now, there are very
few municipalities with an official green
bond program; Washington D.C. established a pilot program which sold $350
million in bonds, and Massachusetts has
included a limited green aspect into their
state bond market.
Since the program is still relatively new,
there are no objective standards that determine whether or not the bond is truly
green. While the World Bank and IFC
attempted to lead by example, their standards are not mandatory. The Climate
Bonds Initiative estimated that nearly 40%
of green bonds sold since 2013 lacked an
independent review of how green they
were, displaying a major gap in the program.
Moving forward, there is room for several improvements to be made upon the
green bond market, and New York City
has the opportunity to set precedent.
.ii
42
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 42-43
Roosevelt Review
Storm Surge Zones:
Figure
1 display
New
York
City the
storm surge zones in
New York City, relative to the total land
mass. Nearly 40%
of the entire land
mass is susceptible
to extreme hurricane storm surge.
I created this map
using ArcGIS.
43
4/10/15 3:03 PM
Roosevelt Review
By Alicia Schleifman
Economic
Development
Economic Development
Economic development is the quest for a productive and just economy: how do we balance the interests of consumers and rms? How do we nd stability in an increasingly global economy? Roosevelts
2014-2015 Economic Development Center approached these questions from a variety of angles--from
municipal parking policies, to oshoring IT jobs, to smart growth in urban centers. Our policies take us
from solving zoning issues in Northern Virginia all the way out to Silicon Valley, where we look at how
to responsibly harness new data-driven economies. All together, they make up a policy brief that not only
tackles todays economic problems, but actively predicts the future economic policy landscape. All that is
missing is the policy piece that you have yet to write.
-Jon Kroah, Simon Schwartz
44
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 44-45
American consumers because outsourcing IT jobs is more efficient, the overarching damage to the IT workforce domestically indicates both its vulnerability and
its skill set inflexibility: workers laid off in
IT in the United States often have difficulty getting rehired elsewhere because they
are often trained for one specific vocation.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation estimates that businesses may
achieve 39% cost savings by moving noncore parts of their operations, namely, IT,
abroad. Corporations often receive large
tax cuts for moving jobs abroad through
loopholes in the corporate tax code for
moving expenses. The mass relocation of
millions of IT jobs in recent years to other countries speaks to this trend; Hackett
Group models predict that 1.5 million
jobs in IT will be eliminated by 2017 if
outsourcing continues at its current pace.
So far, the federal government has largely
failed to take any decisive action on outsourcing; most related legislation is passed
by individual states and thus has little impact, particularly in the IT sector. Further,
because so many workers within the IT
industry in the United States are trained
for one specific vocation, those who are
laid off often have difficulty finding skilled
work because of the specialization of skill.
Because of the lack of national-level outsourcing regulation and the clear financial incentive to move jobs outside of the
United states, the clear first step to reducing outsourcing is to establish legislation
that restricts outsourcing and encourages
investment in American workers; cooperation between legislators on both the state
and federal levels is key.
Economic
Development
45
4/10/15 3:03 PM
Potential Problems
Congress has blocked most proposals for any outsourcing legislation in the
past due to nearly-universal conservative
opposition; one notable example is President Obamas recent Bring Jobs Home
Act, which was deflected by Senate Republicans. For any bill on outsourcing
regulation to be politically feasible, it must
outline several measures against outsourcing yet keep the scale of each of its components in check. Trying to effectively end
46
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 46-47
ersonal data collection by private companies has been a relatively uncontroversial practice in years past. In the most
recent decades, however, this practice is a
cause of concern to many individuals due
to the advent of technologies that allow
for a more comprehensive compilation
of personal data. Because the data collection and aggregation industry lacks comprehensive oversight, pro-privacy groups
have called for government regulation of
such data broker companies. This policy
piece will explore the economic implications of such regulation in four parts.
The first part will discuss data broker
companies and their potential problems,
the second part will discuss the economic incentives to data mine, the third part
will discuss some possible regulations and
their economic impact, and the final part
will discuss potential policy solutions.
Ultimately, the data broker industry will
need to implement some reforms to stay
economically viable for everyone. However, the more difficult question to answer is
which policies will protect consumer privacy with as little damage to the multi-billion dollar Big Data industry as possible.
Part I: Brief Overview of the Data Broker Industry
Economic
Development
Economic
Development
Roosevelt Review
Ibid.
47
4/10/15 3:03 PM
lion in revenue to the United States economy and more than 675,000 jobs.6 This
figure has risen in more recent years. Additionally, online advertising revenue generated $42.8 billion in the United States
and $117.2 billion globally in 2013.7 Many
data broker companies make staggering
revenues. For example, Acxioms 2014
revenues totaled $1.1 billion8 and contains
32 billion data records. Experian, a credit bureau specializing in marketing and
fraud protection services, generated $4.84
billion in 2014.9
Data collection and aggregation
is a booming industry that contributes
greatly, in monetary terms, to the American and global economy. Data broker
companies have an enormous incentive to
continue their practices, even if it s not in
the best interest of many American consumers. In addition to generating their
own revenue, private internet companies
become profitable by selling users personal data, which affects the viability of
the internet as a whole. Although further
regulations are greatly needed in this particular sector, it is important to consider
the economic implications of the regulations before their implementation.
Part III: Potential Regulations and their
Economic Impact
48
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 48-49
6
Katy Bachman, Big Data Added
$150 Billion in Revenue to the Economy Last
Year, Adweek, October 14, 2013, accessed
February 20, 2015, http://www.adweek.com/
news/technology/big-data-added-156-billionrevenue-economy-last-year-153107.
7
8
Bloomberg Business, Acxiom Corporation, http://www.bloomberg.com/research/
stocks/earnings/earnings.asp?ticker=ACXM,
accessed February 18, 2015.
9
Experian, Key Financial Data,
https://www.experianplc.com/investors/key-nancial-data/, accessed February 18, 2015.
10
11
12
James Peltier, George Milne,
and Joseph Phelps, Information Privacy Research: Framework for Integrating
Multiple Publics, Information Channels,
and Responses, Journal of Interactive
13
Economic
Development
Economic
Development
Roosevelt Review
15
49
4/10/15 3:03 PM
By Jonathan Kroah
Economic
Development
7
8
Ibid., 501.
no. 2
(2012): 489-90.
9
Joseph Glauber, The Growth of the
50
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 50-51
Graph generated with STATA. Price data hosted at: "Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook Tables." USDA Economic Research Service. January 5, 2015.
For US prices, see Table 4U.S. raw sugar price, duty-fee paid, New York,
monthly, quarterly, and by calendar and fiscal year (original data from the
Intercontinental Exchange, Contract No. 14/16, duty fee paid New York. Average of nearest futures month for which an entire month of prices will be
available).
For world prices, see Table 3bWorld raw sugar price, ICE Contract 11
nearby futures price, monthly, quarterly, and by calendar and fiscal year
(original data from the New York Board of Trade, Contract no. 11 nearby).
1996 USDA loan rate for raw sugar from GAO (2000), 13.
Economic
Development
Roosevelt Review
18
51
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Roosevelt Review
Economic
Development
combined, it conferred a $1.8 billion benefit to farmers and sugar processors (firms
that convert sugarcane or sugar beets into
raw sugar), but that higher prices inflicted $3.4 billion in costs on sugar users in
the U.S. (i.e., sugar refiners like Domino,
bakers and confectioners, and the Cookie Monster). Moreover, in response to
higher prices, many farmers grew surplus
sugar crops instead of other commodities.22 Thus, the GAO concluded that the
program was a net drag on the economy.
Given the clear distortions created by this
policy, Congress should make one of two
changes: the sugar program should be dissolved entirelywhich, according to the
GAO, would have benefited consumers
by between $1.4 and $3.3 billion in the
period they examined23or the loan rate
for sugar should be dropped below world
prices. In the latter case, sugar producers
could borrow at low rates, but the domestic sugar market would no longer suffer
from a distortive price floor.
19
20
21
52
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 52-53
Bibliography
22
23
Economic
Development
times larger than all crop insurance liabilities in 2011 combined.19 In other words,
without government support, Jane would
still have substantial insurance opportunities.
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
what-is-smart-growth
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
issues/business/smart-growth-boosts-foot-trafc/
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~gpi-
53
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5
Primary Acts passed by U.S. Congress. Loislaw.
6
Metros Orange Line Begins Service
Today. The Washington Post. November 20,
1978. p. C1.
vo/Walkability%20Paper%20February%2010.pdf
7
Ladson, Bill (December 18, 2007).
4
Reston Master Plan (PDF). Reston All Eyes on Nationals to Open Season. MLB
Museum. May 1962. Retrieved October 12,
2007.
54
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 54-55
By Brit Byrd
even more insidious and damaging problem for New York City than suggested by
the traffic casualty figures highlighted by
the Mayors office. In a 2006 report, The
Partnership for New York City identified
a series of serious financial losses for the
metropolitan area due to traffic congestion, including:
$1.9 billion due to logistical, inventory, and personnel costs;
$4.6 billion due to unrealized business revenue;
$2 billion in wasted fuel and vehicle
costs;
37,000 to 52,000 fewer jobs due to lost
revenues and productivity.
Economic
Development
Economic
Development
Roosevelt Review
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56
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 56-57
Education
Economic
Development
Roosevelt Review
Education
In todays political climate, while there are a wide range of topics that have received national attention, education policy issues have been some of the most high prole and hotly debated. This years Education section
of the Roosevelt Review has covered some of the most important. First, we hear from Andrew Judson Stoughton
CC16, who exposes the injustices that adjunct professors face in terms of salary and workload, and the need
for government intervention. Next, Nicki Felmus CC18 boldly advocates for the repeal of the Common Core
standards in favor of less standardized teacher evaluations of students. Finally, Kunal Shah CC17 analyzes
President Obamas Americas College Promise Proposal, and proposes a better way to promote community college enrollment while improving the quality of education that students receive. We hope not just to convince, but
provoke thought in our community on these issues that will aect generations of students to come.
-Kunal Shah
57
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By AJ Stoughton
Education
58
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 58-59
untenable for many professors, and is degrading the quality of our academic institutions in the near term and long term.
The Numbers:
Including graduate students, approximately 76% of teaching positions in institutions of higher learning are adjunct1.
A majority of these professors are paid
in piece, meaning, usually, per credit
or some other equivalent unit of measurement. On average, adjunct professors in the United States across all fields
receive approximately $2,100 dollars per
three-credit course or its equivalent2. In
turn, the median income for an adjunct
professor is about $22,000, while the median salary for a full time professor settles in at about $47,000 dollars a year, an
increase of about 113%3. These numbers
also ignore the discrepancies in benefits,
as an overwhelming majority of full time
professors receive healthcare coverage as
well as other benefits like dental insurance
and 401 Ks, depending on the institution
and position. No such benefits extend to
adjunct positions. While $22,000 is well
over the federal poverty line for an individual, it is barely above the line for a family of three ($19,530), and is below the line
for a family of four ($23,350)4. Adjunct
professors who have families are often especially hard pressed.
A vast majority of adjunct professors
teach at more than one institution, with
the average number being two5. As a result, adjuncts spend a significant number
of hours and resources commuting, thus
digging into their earned incomes, their
earning potential, and the hours that they
can devote to their students. This makes
the quality of the education they provide
In short, the proliferation of adjunct worse, and promotes waste within the
positions is making life economically economy.
Conclusion:
Roosevelt Review
(Endnotes)
1
The Just in Time Professor.
Democratic Staff of the House Committee
on Education and the Workforce. January
2014. http://democrats.edworkforce.house.
gov/sites/democrats.edworkforce.house.
gov/les/documents/1.24.14-AdjunctEforumReport.pdf
2
ibid
ibid
4
Federal Poverty Guidelines
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. 2015. http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/15poverty.cfm
5
Segran, Elizabeth. The Adjunct
Revolt: How Poor Professors Are Fighting
Back. The Atlantic. 28 April 2014.
Education
The Solution:
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By Kunal Shah
Education
60
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Education
62
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2
Goldrick-Rab, S. (2015) Frequently Asked Questions About President
Obamas Free Community College Proposal. Wisconsin Hope Lab
3
Goldrick-Rab, S. & Kendall, N.
(2014). College Board data on net price
shows similar but inappropriately counts
tax credits as equivalent to grants in computations, understating the net price
4
Hout, M. (2012). Social and Economic Returns to College Education in the
United States. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 38: 379-400.
5
http://www.washingtonpost.
com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/23/
how-our-community-colleges-are-falling-behind/
6
http://www.npr.
org/2014/02/12/275796877/can-underfunded-community-colleges-provide-more-job-training
Roosevelt Review
Education
In the midst of discussing the difficul- not only increase the appeal of going to proposal-tuitio
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Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 64-65
that have adopted the standards. Tennessee, a state that abides by the Common
Core standards, has looked into repealing
Common Core and instituting their own
standards; the estimated price tag for the
Volunteer State Standards, Tennessees
proposed standards, is $4.2 million. Concurrently, Oklahomas estimate to replace
the Common Core standards was approximately $1.24 million. Assuming Common Core standards affect 44.55 million
students in 45 states, then revisiting the
Common Core would cost $3 per student,
a small fraction of the $11,000 the United
States spends on a singly student already.10
Therefore, a new set of standards is not
only suggested, but also mandatory in order to create a better-educated public. A
new set of standards with make students
more prepared for college or the jobs they
enter after they graduate from high school.
The United States has the ability to avoid
the expected plummeting of high school
graduation rates if it takes action quickly. By creating a program that is easier
for teachers, they will be better equipped
to teach in their classroom for the benefit
of their students. Under new legislation,
children will not be discouraged if they
are not at the grade level ready and they
will be encouraged to succeedno longer
will over half of students be considered
failing. Teachers jobs will not rely on
the scores their students obtain, as this is
not an objective way to grade a teacher. It
is possible to fix our education system, but
it must start with the termination of the
Common Core standards.
(Endnotes)
1
Emma, C. (2014, August 29).
Common Core repeal costs Oklahoma
its NCLB waiver. Retrieved January 31,
2015, from http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/oklahoma-common-core-nochild-left-behind-waiver-110421.html
2
Turner, C. (2014, December 30).
Common Core Repeal, The Day After. Retrieved January 31, 2015, from http://www.
npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/12/30/371654882/
common-core-repeal-the-day-after
3
Are the Common Core Standards
a Good Idea? (n.d.). Retrieved January 31,
2015, from http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/are-the-common-core-standardsa-good-idea
4
Are the Common Core Standards
a Good Idea? (n.d.). Retrieved January 31,
2015, from http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/are-the-common-core-standardsa-good-idea
5
Debate: Should Schools Embrace
The Common Core? (2014, September 19).
Retrieved January 31, 2015, from http://
www.npr.org/2014/09/19/347145921/debate-should-schools-embrace-the-commoncore
6
Debate: Should Schools Embrace
The Common Core? (2014, September 19).
Retrieved January 31, 2015, from http://
www.npr.org/2014/09/19/347145921/debate-should-schools-embrace-the-commoncore
7
Turner, C. (2014, December 30).
Common Core Repeal, The Day After. Retrieved January 31, 2015, from http://www.
npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/12/30/371654882/
common-core-repeal-the-day-after
8
Meador, Derrick. Impact of the
Common Core Standards. About Education. About.com, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
9
Seman, Sarah J. The Case
Against Common Core. Townhall.com.
Townhall.com, 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Mar.
2015.
10
Tatter, Grace. Cost of Implementing New Standards Would Be High,
Say Experts and Educators. Chalkbeat
Tennessee. Chalkbeat, 05 Mar. 2015. Web.
20 Mar. 2015.
Energy &
Environment:
Education
Roosevelt Review
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By Charles Harper
Energy &
Environment:
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Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 66-67
Currently, American
companies are allowed
to produce as much of
a banned, unregistered
pesticide as they like,
as long as it is for
export.
Energy &
Environment:
Roosevelt Review
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4/10/15 3:03 PM
Energy &
Environment:
6. "Import and Export Trade Requirements." EPA.gov. March 25, 2013. Accessed February 2, 2015.
7. Albers, Nancy, and Betsy Gelb. "Hazardous Exports: An Update and a Framework for Policy." Journal of Public Policy
& Marketing 10, no. 2 (1991): 130-44.
Accessed February 2, 2015. JStor.
8. "EPA06: Stop the Export of Banned
Pesticides." National Partnership for Reinventing Government. Accessed February 2,
2015.
9. Pesticides: Children's Health and the
Environment." World Health Organization.
July 1, 2008. Accessed February 2, 2015.
10. Albers, Nancy, and Betsy Gelb. "Hazardous Exports: An Update and a Framework for Policy." Journal of Public Policy
& Marketing 10, no. 2 (1991): 130-44.
Accessed February 2, 2015. JStor.
11. "EPA06: Stop the Export of Banned
Pesticides." National Partnership for Reinventing Government. Accessed February 2,
2015.
12. Ibid.
13. Helsel, Zane. "Energy and Alternatives
for Fertilizer and Pesticide Use." In Energy
in Farm Production, edited by R.C. Fluck,
177-201. Vol. 6. Amsterdam: Elsevier,
68
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 68-69
Roosevelt Review
Energy &
Environment:
Endnotes
2012.
69
4/10/15 3:03 PM
9
United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee. Backgrounder on the
Three Mile Island Accident. Washington: US
Government Publishing Ofce, 2014.
10
70
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 70-71
their subsidy to sell at prices nuclear power producers cannot compete with11. At
the end of 2013, Congress allowed these
subsidies to expire, although they will remain at least partially in effect for another decade. Wind energy production has
increased twentyfold since 2000, but this
growth has oftentimes been at the expense
of nuclear power. This cannot be the case
moving forward. Increasing the profitability of one carbon clean source of energy
so that it can simply take up the market
shares of another accomplishes nothing.
Its important to remember that combined
wind and nuclear electricity output contributed only 992 TWh compared to 2,867
TWh produced by fossil fuels12. This is the
market share we need nuclear power to
start controlling. A $15 per kWh subsidy
to nuclear power would put it on an even
footing with the artificially reduced wind
prices and would ensure profitability of
nuclear reactors immediately upon completion.
But the viability of nuclear energy cannot be ensured by subsides alone.
The massive transaction costs associated
with building new reactors need to be
addressed if nuclear power is to become
the central component of the USs energy strategy, and these transaction costs
are not entirely momentary. The process
of obtaining site permits and design certifications from the NRC has taken more
than a dozen years for some potential nuclear investors13. And of course there are
quite a lot of monetary transaction costs.
Startup costs of plants routinely increase
by factors of 2 to 5 from the planning
phase to completion of nuclear facilities,
and the initial cost projections are in the
hundreds of millions to begin with14.
These costs make nuclear extremely unattractive to the private sector, and the failure of the 2005 Energy Policy Act to produce any new reactors makes clear the fact
that loan guarantees and production tax
credits will not be enough to stimulate our
nuclear industry15. If nuclear is to have a
chance of succeeding in the US, the NRC,
in cooperation with the private sector,
needs to create a single standardized reactor design and create a fast track approval
process for potential investors who adopt
it. The Federal government would also
need take responsibility for constructing
the first few prototype reactors or at the
very least provide strong financial support to the initial private sector groups.
The first few reactors will need this support because of the construction pitfalls a
new design inevitably must face, but as the
industry gains experience with each new
reactor completed, construction costs will
decrease.
Wind, solar, and thermal energy production are seen as the future of the
USs electrical grid. Nuclear energy, on the
other hand, is a technology already proven to be an effective source of clean electricity, and it would therefore be a huge
mistake to push it aside in favor of the
aforementioned three. The smart choice
going forward is a grid at least primarily
composed of nuclear energy supplemented by the other carbon clean sources of
energy. Uranium may be a nonrenewable
resource, but investment in the fission reactors of today can only bring us closer to
the fusion reactors of tomorrow the true
solution to humanitys energy problem.
11
Philips, Matthew. Wind Energy
Companies Prepare for Tax Credits End.
Bloomberg Buisnessweek 9 Jan. 2014, Energy
sec. Bloomberg L.P. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
12
Nuclear Power in the USA.
World-Nuclear. World Nuclear Association, 1
Jan. 2015. Web. 26 Jan. 2015. <http://www.
world-nuclear.org/info/country-proles/countries-T-Z/USA--Nuclear-Power/>.
By Samuel Place
15
the Greater New York region. In California, solar panels are oftentimes included
in development designs when constructing houses, thus the cost is included in the
price of the house. Another -- and arguably the most crucial -- method is through
property assessed clean energy (PACE)
financing.
PACE financing allows users to pay
for solar panels through an assessment
on their property taxes. By spreading out
payments for up to 20 years, it provides
the most reasonable option for those who
want to own their solar panels without
upfront costs3. Since the payments are
included in an assessment on the owners property taxes, the cost can easily be
transferred to a new owner of the property.
This option can be applied to residential,
industrial and commercial property, thus
its a major staple in the aforementioned
net-metered photovoltaic sector. Right
now, we are seeing major expansions on
the state level for industrial and commercial PACE financing. States like California
and Connecticut have started programs
like c-PACE that focus entirely on commercial properties, with great successes4.
However, the Federal Housing Finance
Authority halted the residential aspect of
the program.
In 2010, the FHFA cited concerns
over the senior lien status of residential
PACE, and declared that it would prohibit
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from purchasing mortgages from properties that
enacted PACE5. Lien status is a legal term
that defines the explicit right for a creditor to sell collateral property of a debtor if
they violate loan contract obligations. So,
for example, assume that a homeowner
files bankruptcy. Since there are outstanding debts that have not been paid, lien status is enforced. Lien status forms a hierar-
http://www.pacenow.org/about-pace/
4
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/16/green-tea-coalition-strange-bed- pace
fellows-ght-for-solar-power-in-sunshine-state/ 5
1
13
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/04/24/
us-solar-energy-capacity-grew-an-astounding-418-from-2010-2014/
Energy &
Environment:
Energy &
Environment:
Roosevelt Review
http://www.cpace.com/about-c-
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Papers/2012/11/13%20
federalism/13%20housing%20energy%20
eciency.pdf
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By Daniela Lapidous
Energy &
Environment:
72
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 72-73
act productively and effectively, especially when other aspects of the government
have failed to do so.
If we want to truly developed renewables in this country, it needs to become
a bi-partisan issue that can be seriously
debated on the national level. With movements like the Green Tea Coalition, it has
become clear that residential rooftop solar is a key area where both conservatives
and progressives can come together. Thus
all financial mechanisms to enact residential solar must be utilized in order to both
preserve this coalition, and promote clean
energy. Liberalizing residential PACE financing can do this.
014 was the hottest year ever recorded, according to the World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations. There is
no time to waste in formulating a binding
global accord for fossil fuel emissions reductions, and all eyes will be on the parties negotiating for a deal in Paris at the
end of 2015 during the 21st Conference of
the Parties. However, no agreement will
be effective without legal and financial enforcement mechanisms. Before a wave of
implementation legislation hits in the
United States, it is worth posing the question: can and should the law constitute the
basis of the major changes that American
society needs to address climate change?
So far in US history, the majority
of environmental protections have indeed
been legislated by Congress and overseen
by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), as opposed to being spurred by behavioral changes inspired by business,
non-profits, or individuals. One major example is the Clean Air Act, which will be
used to limit GHGs emitted by factories
after a reinterpretation issued in 2009 and
underlies the Corporate Average Fuel
Economy (CAF) standards that have
been regulating vehicle emissions since
1975. A study conducted at the University
of Leeds in 2014 shows that, globally, it is
government attitudes that lead businesses
to concern themselves with environmental changes rather than the other way
around.1
How accessible of a tool is the law
to the average citizen who cares about the
environment? Paths to influence include
directly voting for politicians or propositions, collecting signatures and presenting
ballot referenda, using social movements
to pressure legislatures, or strategically
breaking laws. Finally, one can use a lawsuit to try to enforce a law. The Clean Air
Act was the first American environmental
law that had a citizen suit clause that
permits individuals to sue for enforcement purposes. A lawsuit can also attempt
http://www.theguardian.com/
sustainable-business/2014/dec/02/toughergovernment-attitudes-on-climate-changekey-to-business-action
to give a new sense to a law or legal concept. For example, Alec Loorz sued the
government at the age of 16 in 2011, in an
(ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to apply
public trust doctrine to the protection of
the atmosphere. In another example, since
November 2014 at Harvard, a group of law
students in the national fossil fuel divestment movement is in the process of suing
the university for mismanagement of
charitable funds because the endowment
is invested in the fossil fuel industry.2
There is a specific conceptual obstacle when it comes to suing in the name
of the environment: the concept of standing. Standing refers to a set of three conditions necessary to fulfill a lawsuits intention of resolving a controversy and
administering recourse: injury-in-fact,
causation, and redressability. These elements essentially require that the party
seeking to sue must personally have suffered some actual or threatened injury
that can fairly be traced to the challenged
action of the defendant and that the injury
is likely to be redressed by a favorable decision.3 The goal is to separate judicial
and legislative powers, and each element
presents its challenges for environmental
cases. The harm has to be actual or imminent rather than conjectural or hypothetical; meanwhile, the impacts of
GHGs on the environment and society are
often conceptualized as being at least a decade into the future. Moreover, the harm
has to directly affect the human defendant, a rather bizarre standard to maintain
when considering a law that concerns the
protection of nature. As Harvard Constitutional Law scholar Laurence Tribe
writes, By articulating environmental
goals wholly in terms of human needs and
preferences, [the environmentalist] may
be helping to legitimate a system of discourse which so structures human thought
and feeling as to erode, over the long run,
Energy &
Environment:
http://www.nytimes.
com/2014/11/20/us/harvard-studentsmove-fossil-fuel-divestment-ght-to-court.
html?_r=0
3
http://www.law.cornell.edu/
anncon/html/art3frag17_user.html
73
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Roosevelt Review
http://foavc.org/le.php/1/
Articles/The%20Doctrine%20of%20
Standing.htm
74
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 74-75
http://www.ejnet.org/ej/nlj.pdf
Healthcare
Energy &
Environment:
the very sense of obligation which provided the impetus for his own protective efforts (Benzoni 350). In terms of causation,
it is difficult to blame a single company or
government for the problem of global climate change. In the same way, an end to
certain unsustainable practices by a business or country will not solve the entire
problem, which puts the possibility for redress in a precarious position.
This conception of standing can
be retraced to an important case heard by
the Supreme Court in 1992: Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, in which the court
ruled that a group of conservation organizations did not have standing to contest
certain regulations under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973. Judge Antonin Scalia
described his interpretation of standing
principles in the majority opinion, which
set a precedent for the rejection of several
environmental cases that followed. Essentially, standing doctrine can only be revised by court decisions.4 In Massachusetts v. EPA in 2007, the Supreme Court
judged that the state of Massachusetts had
standing to contest the (lack of) GHG regulation by the federal government, despite
the diffuse nature of the problem, because
a state has special solicitude in our analysis of standing (Mank 871). Thus, the reinterpretation of the doctrine seems
somewhat arbitrary, and it is a process that
is neither quick nor accessible to the public.
More generally, there is a body of
work that interrogates the role of the law
as a tool for social change. In an essay in
the NYU Law Review at the end of his career as a public interest lawyer, Professor
Thomas Stoddard underlines the difference between a new law that is rule-shifting versus one that is culture-shifting.
When he references the Civil Rights Act of
1964, a culture-shifting law, he says that
it was the decade of debate at school, at
home, and in the community on the subject of race that gave moral power to the
law. In the same way, the decades of debate
since the conception of the term sustainable development in the 1980s and 1990s
will hopefully give moral legitimacy to a
global accord for GHG reduction and will
make our societies responsive to the needs
Healthcare
Healthcare may not be the most widely appealing aspect of policy to consider, but how laws and leaders respond
to the health needs of citizens is one of the most vital concerns of any nation. Due to the forces of technology and
globalization, as well as a growing emphasis on civil rights and liberties, the relationships between people and government have radically shifted when it comes to decisions about health. From national care demands in Qatar to decriminalization to a growing pushback against mandatory vaccinations, our writers have sought to improve this relationship
through policy. A nations success depends on the health of its citizens, and Healthcare has suggestions for healthier,
happier lives for all.
-Alexandra OKeefe and Leah Reiss
http://environment.yale.edu/
climate-communication/files/ClimateBeliefs-November-2013.pdf
75
4/10/15 3:03 PM
By Alexandra OKeefe
Healthcare
76
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 76-77
movement boycott the MMR vaccine because of a perceived link between this vaccine and autism. In 1998 a study conducted by British surgeon David Wakefield
linking the MMR vaccine to increased
rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
was published in The Lancet, a prestigious
medical journal.10 This study has since
been discredited due to ethical violations,
including financial conflicts-of-interest,
and procedural errors, and Wakefield has
had his medical license revoked.11 Several
other major studies have been unable to
find a link between vaccination and ASD.12
Inactive ingredients in vaccines have also
been studied as potentially harmful, especially thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used to prevent contamination of
multidose vials of vaccines.13 Yet a study
by the Institute of Medicine was unable to
find a connection between thimerosal and
ASD.14
Some anti-vaxxers also contend
that commonly vaccinated-against diseases are not serious and that not vaccinating
is allowing ones child to develop a healthy
immune system.15 This, too, has been refuted by health professionals. One possible explanation of how concepts such as
these have proliferated is that few people
alive, including doctors, have encountered
many of these reemerging diseases, such
as measles, and lack a memory of how de-
5
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
(MMR) Vaccine. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
6
7
8
Ibid
Ibid
Healthcare
Roosevelt Review
11
12
Ibid
DeStefano F, Chen RT. Negative association between MMR and autism. [Commentary] Lancet1999;353(9169):19871988.
13
Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17
Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
McCormick, Marie. Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism
14
15
77
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Healthcare
Proposed Solution
My strategy is grounded in liberal paternalism, a philosophy that seeks not to
eliminate choice, but to structure the system in such a way as to make the desirable
choice easier or more obvious to choosers.19 In this scenario, the desirable choice
is protecting ones child from preventable
diseases by administering the MMR vaccination, and it would be more widely
chosen if it became more difficult to opt
out of than it is today. In the United States,
the CDC issues a recommended vaccination schedule for children to all states, but
implementation of these schedules in the
form of law is up to the discretion of the
16
17
Ibid
18
19
Ibid
state, and thus varies across America. Although they specific vaccines and number
of doses vary state to state, all require at
least one dose of the MMR before entering
kindergarten (with the exception of Iowa,
which requires immunization against
measles and rubella but not mumps).21
However, parents can seek exemptions
for their children that come from three
different classes: medical, religious, and
philosophical or personal belief. All states
grant medical exemptions, which are acquired when a child is physically unable
to receive a vaccine and require a doctors
note, but 46 states and the District of Columbia also allow religious exemptions,
and nineteen states allow philosophical
exemptions as well.22 Requirements for religious and philosophical exemptions vary
by state but often require no more than a
signed statement from a parent or guardian attesting to their religious or personal
objection to one or more vaccines.23
This simple process does not create a
substantial barrier against opting out of
vaccinations, making it easy for those unsure about vaccinating to forgo this lifesaving medical treatment. In order to ensure that the requisite number of children
is vaccinated, I propose that states should
instead construct administrational labyrinths to restrict these exemptions. For
religious exemptions, this could include a
signed affidavit from an individuals pastor
or spiritual leader affirming their sincere
religious opposition to vaccination and an
explanation of how this belief is sourced
in the founding documents of the individuals faith, which some states already
require.24 Individuals seeking both kinds
of exemptions would have to provide a
detailed explanation for their decision to
20
20
21
22
23
NVIC Vaccine Law Information.
Sunstein, Cass, and Richard Thaler.
National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC).
Libertarian Paternalism Is Not An Oxymoron.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
University of Chicago Law Review (n.d.): n.
24
Ibid
pag. Web. 9 May 2003.
78
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 78-79
Roosevelt Review
exempt and proof that they understood
the risks and dangers of not vaccinating
their child, including documentation that
they had spoken with their childs pediatrician about vaccination or participation
in a class on vaccination and basic immunology sponsored by the state. Partially in
response to recent outbreaks, many states
have proposed legislation to limit religious
and philosophical exemptions in February
2015.25 Minnesotas proposed House Bill
393 and State Bill 380 create barriers of entry by requiring parents to submit a signed
certificate of exemption containing specification of the exempted vaccine(s) and
explanation, a statement from physician
that they have discussed risks and benefits
with parent and an acknowledgment that
the child may be prohibited from school
during an outbreak.26 These measures
make it more likely that only those with
extreme beliefs and dedication will opt
out of vaccination. Others have proposed
to outlaw exemptions entirely, including
California SB 277, which would eliminate
the personal belief exemption, and Vermont H 212, which would remove both
religious and philosophical exemptions.27
For the sake of preserving individual liberty and religious freedom, I do not
endorse a flat elimination of non-medical
exemptions. I do believe, however, that
states should reserve the right to vaccinate
at-risk children against the wishes of their
parents or guardians during outbreaks in
order to preserve herd immunity in unprotected populations, as might result
among isolated religious communities.
This precedent was set during a measles
outbreak Philadelphia in 1991, when public health officials obtained permission
to temporarily make the children of attendees of two fundamentalist Christian
churches, Faith Tabernacle Congregation
and First Century Gospel Church, wards
of the state in order to vaccinate them and
return them to their parents.28 Despite a
Healthcare
25
26
27
28
Ibid
Ibid
Mar. 2015.
29
Ibid
79
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Roosevelt Review
"Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
Vaccine." Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 20
Mar. 2015.
Barlow WE, Davis RL, Glasser JW,
Rhodes PH, Thompson RS, Mullooly JP,
Black SB, Shineeld HR, Ward JI, Marcy
SM, DeStefano F, Chen RT, Immanuel V,
Pearson JA, Vadheim CM, Rebolledo V,
Christakis D, Benson PJ, Lewis N. The
risk of seizures after receipt of whole-cell
pertussis or measles, mumps, and rubella
vaccine. New England Journal of Medicine 2001;345(9):656661.
Healthcare
Centers for Disease Control and PrevenDeStefano F, Chen RT. Negative association. Centers for Disease Control and Pretion between MMR and autism. [Commen- vention, 26 Feb. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
tary] Lancet1999;353(9169):19871988.
"Disneyland Measles Outbreak: Should
McCormick, Marie. "Immunization Safety You Be Concerned?" Shot of Prevention.
Review: Vaccines and Autism - Institute of N.p., 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Medicine." Immunization Safety Review:
Vaccines and Autism - Institute of Medi"Measles Cases and Outbreaks." Centers
cine. Institute of Medicine of the National for Disease Control and Prevention. CenAcademies, 14 May 2004. Web. 23 Mar.
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, 09
2015.
Feb. 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
"Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism." Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17
Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
80
The size of GCCs population will increase at a compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of around 3.0 percentone of
the highest in the world. Long term, the
population growth will turn to 1.8 percent
CAGR. As a result, the total GCC population in 2025 will be almost twice the size
it is today. 2 As the GCC expatriate population continues to increase, so will the
demand for health care, which will prove
to be a long-term financial challenge for
the region.
McKinsey & Company in a recent
report estimates that total health-care
spending in the region will reach $60 billion in 2025, up from $12 billion today.
In fact, no other region in the world faces
such rapid growth in demand with the simultaneous need to realign its health-care
systems to be able to treat the disorders
of affluence. 3
II. GCC Health Care
Healthcare
Sources:
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Healthcare
Proposed Solutions
As the GCC prepares to address the
substantial rise in overall health-care demand and costs, as well as the challenges
presented by patients seeking better care,
they must turn to private sector intervention for help with finances and provisions.
Each GCC government should first allow
their citizens to choose from private as
well as public health care services, then
independent regulatory bodies must be
established to define and enforce quality
standards for public and private providers
alike.
In order for a private-sector solution to
work, the GCCs current system of healthcare delivery must be changed. While
public health care is generally free in the
GCC, patients currently are required to
pay for private treatment themselves, and
expatriates only pay a fraction of what it
actually costs the government to provide
care. In correlation, private facilities not
reimbursed or subsidized by the government therefore have fewer patients and
lower revenues than they might otherwise
have.
I believe the most productive approach
to these national visions can be achieved
only by seriously addressing reform provisions in GCC health care. By sharing
6
State of Qatars Ministry of
Development Planning and Statistics: Plan- the cost of healthcare services with private
sector companies, the GCC can properly
ning Sector.
allocate funds to other sectors in these
7
Fiona Macdonald, Kuwait to
anticipated long-term development projSpend as Much as $17.5 Billion on 2013
ectsultimately leading to a more susPlan, Bloomberg Business.
82
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 82-83
Healthcare
By Leah Reiss
Proposed Solution
First and foremost, adequate sex distribution to account for differences in drugs
affects on women versus men must occur,
starting with animal trials. This can easily
be implemented by requiring researchers
to record the sex of the animal subjects
at trial. Part of the problem is that the
availability of demographic data for clinical trial participants is often unavailable.
Therefore demographic data, including
gender, must be recorded for all clinical
trials involving humans. This is a simple
step towards appropriate representation of
women that should not require a significant uptick in financial or labor costs.
The previously implemented guidelines are well intentioned, but ultimately
83
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3
Will Dunham, Lawmakers push
bill to end sex bias in medical studies,
Next Steps
Reuters. June 17, 2014. http://www.reuters.
The gender disparity in clinical trials com/article/2014/06/17/us-usa-health-genderis not the only problem with the phar- idUSKBN0ES34620140617
84
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 84-85
5
The Society for Womens Health
Research and the US FDA Ofce of Womens
Health, Dialogues on Diversifying Clinical
Trials, Washington, DC: 2011. http://www.fda.
gov/downloads/ScienceResearch/SpecialTopics/
WomensHealthResearch/UCM334959.pdf
6
A.H.E.M Mass and Y.E.A. Appelman, Gender Differences in Coronary
Heart Disease, Netherlands Heart Journal.
2010;18(12):598-602.
7
US FDA, Evaluation of Gender Differences in Clinical Investigations Information
Sheet, last updated June 25, 2014. http://www.
fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Guidances/
ucm126552.htm.
8
US General Accounting Ofce,
Women Sufciently Represented in New Drug
Testing, but FDA Oversight Needs Improvement, July 2001. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ScienceResearch/SpecialTopics/WomensHealthResearch/UCM133204.pdf
9
US General Accounting Ofce,
Women Sufciently Represented in New Drug
Testing, but FDA Oversight Needs Improvement.
10
US Department of Health and Human
Services, Evaluation of Sex-Specic Data in
Medical Device Clinical Studies, August 22,
2014. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/medicaldevices/deviceregulationandguidance/guidancedocuments/ucm283707.pdf
11
The Society for Womens Health
Research and the US FDA Ofce of Womens
Health, Dialogues on Diversifying Clinical
Trials.
12
Will Dunham, Lawmakers push bill
to end sex bias in medical studies.
Roosevelt Review
Healthcare
Healthcare
Joe Klein, Why Legalizing Marijuana Makes Sense Time.com, April 16, 2009,
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1889166,00.html.
3
4
Ibid.
http://yaledailynews.com/
blog/2011/02/25/state-considers-marijuana-decriminalization/
Ibid.
7
Lecture given by Professor Carl Hart
at Columbia University.
85
4/10/15 3:03 PM
8
Mayor Bloomberg Announces New
Marijuana Policy, Drugpolicy.org, February 2,
2013, http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2013/02/
mayor-bloomberg-announces-new-marijuana-policy-marijuana-possession-arrests-will-lead-d
9
Lecture given by Professor Carl
Hart at Columbia University.
10
Christopher Mathias, New York
Could Decriminalize Pot for More than
Just White People, Hufngtonpost.com,
July 9, 2014, http://www.hufngtonpost.
com/2014/07/09/new-york-marijuana-decriminalize-bill_n_5571507.html.
12
13
14
Michael Specter, Getting a Fix:
Portugal Decriminalized Drugs a Decade
Ago, What Have We Learned? Newyorker.com, October 17, 2011, http://www.
newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/17/get11
Aaron Blake, Rand Paul: Dont Send ting-a-x.
Kids to Jail for Drug Crimes, Washingtonpost.
15
Ibid.
com, March 24, 2013, http://www.washington16
Joe Klein, Why Legalizing Marpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/24/
ijuana
Makes
Sense, Time.com, April 16,
rand-paul-dont-send-kids-to-jail-for-drugcrimes/.
2009, http://www.time.com/time/mag86
Roosevelt Insitute Journal Draft V.indd 86-87
azine/article/0,9171,1889166,00.
html.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
19
Ibid.
20
Ibid.
21
Ibid.
Healthcare
Healthcare
leading to many arrests even though decriminalization occurred over three decades ago. Mayor Bloomberg recognized
that criminalizing youth of color for carrying small amounts of marijuana was
economically infeasible and announced
a new police policy that stipulated that
there will be no overnight jail stays for
those arrested for marijuana in New York
City.8As of January 1, 2011, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law that
in California there will be no arrest, no
court appearance, and no criminal record
for those who possess less than an ounce
of marijuana.9 Low-level pot possession is
the primary cause of arrest in New York
City and given its discriminatory nature,
New York should enact The Fairness and
Equity Act that has been proposed to remove the misdemeanor status.10 This act
would ensure that policing would not be
racially charged, as all forms of possession
of marijuana would be decriminalized.
Prominent politicians have voiced
their opinions on this controversial
and complex issue. Rand Paul, who is a
self-described Libertarian Conservative,
supports decriminalization instead of legalization, since the latter may instead
encourage people to do drugs.11 President Barack Obama voiced his opposition
to both legalization and decriminalization of drugs, although he has supported
the decriminalization of Marijuana in the
past at a debate in 2004 at Northwestern
University: The war on drugs has been an
utter failure. We need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws. We need
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