By Alysa Cisneros, MPP Candidate 2017 In the midst of an election between two of the most unpopular candidates in history, many voters are wondering how we could have done this to ourselves. Earnest supporters of Clinton or Trump really believe that it is on the merits that their candidate has persevered. But the American … Continue reading Crashing the Party: Alternative Voting Now!
By Rebecca Wegley, MPP Candidate 2017 Originally published by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, August 2016 The U.S. Department of Justice recently stated that holding people in jail simply because they cannot afford to post bail violates their Fourteenth Amendment rights under the US Constitution. In an amicus brief, Justice Department attorneys called for … Continue reading California’s Bail System: Reform or Abolish? (Part 2)
By Rebecca Wegley, MPP Candidate 2017 Originally published by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ), August 2016 On any given day in the United States, there are approximately 450,000 unsentenced people in jails awaiting trial or sentencing. In 2015, California alone accounted for about 10 percent of that figure, with 45,000 unsentenced people … Continue reading California’s Bail System: Reform or Abolish? (Part 1)
By Rebecca Wegley, MPP Candidate 2017 Originally published by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ), June 2016 Proposition 47, the Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act, passed by California voters in November 2014, effectively reduced the status of several low-level property and drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. While Prop 47 mandates that state … Continue reading Harnessing County Level Prop 47 Savings
By Alysa Cisneros, Senior Editor, MPP Candidate 2017 Political satire has had a substantial effect on politics. Most importantly, satire has the power to direct how the public cognizes political news and shift policy agendas and focus. Satirical mediums change along with prevalent forms of media. From lithographs, newspapers, and broadcast journalism to the Internet, … Continue reading Political Cartoons To “Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer”: Past, Present, and Future of Political Satire
By Dani Finck, MPP Candidate 2017 In the United States, if convicted of a serious crime, you are sentenced to serve time in a jail or prison. While imprisonment is by no means a walk in the park, criminals are still protected by certain civil and basic human rights. After all, criminals are still human … Continue reading Immigrants Should Have the Same Rights as Criminals
By Shanti Jensen, MPP/MBA Candidate 2018 Step off BART at San Francisco’s 24th St. Station and take a deep breath. There it is again making you cringe: the familiar smell of urine. Make your way up to street level and you will be greeted by a constellation of homeless men and women, some just resting on … Continue reading A Solution to Homelessness! Straight Out of Utah?!
By Mia Satya, BA Public Policy expected 2016 One of the most hotly debated ballot propositions of 2015 pitted Airbnb hosts and lobbyists against affordable housing groups and displaced residents. San Francisco’s Proposition F would have capped private short-term rentals 75 nights a year and strengthened enforcement mechanisms. What got considerable flack from the opposition … Continue reading The Case For An Equitable Sharing Economy
By Navneet Kaur, MPP Candidate 2016 The world as we know it is dramatically shifting in response to the worldwide refugee crisis. Thousands have fled Syria in a desperate attempt to save their lives where more than 200,000 civilians have been killed. According to the United Nations, there will be roughly 4.7 million refugees who … Continue reading The Largest Humanitarian Crisis Since WWII
By J. Westly McGaughey, MBA/MPP candidate 2016 On 3 November 2015, Ireland’s National Drug Strategy Chief announced that the country will decriminalize small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use[1]. The move is intended to help addicts rather than jail them. This is a prudent policy. In contrast, the U.S. supports policies that go against the … Continue reading Adding Injury to Injury: Drug Policy Hurts the Sick and Vulnerable and Fails to Address Intended Problem
