Research Analysis
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Breaking Facebook and Twitter’s Legal Immunity from Toxic Content
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On May 28, 2020 President Trump signed an executive order to break the immunity shield behind Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). Described as “the twenty-six words that created the internet,” Section 230 of the CDA protects social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook from liability for…
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Expanding Legal Protections for Climate Migrants
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In the past decade, the effects of climate change have resulted in the displacement of over 250 million people worldwide. The International Organization for Migration defines an environmental or climate migrant as a person who moves within their country or abroad “predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in…
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Tackling the Youth Turnout Problem
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Youth voter participation remains an intractable problem for holding truly representative elections in America. Young voters, ages 18 to 29, consistently make up 20% to 22% of the electorate, which is defined as those who are eligible to vote. But due to consistently low rates of turnout, they do not…
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Impact of New Efficiency Standards on Air Conditioning in China
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The rapid increase in global demand for air conditioners has deleterious effects on the fight to stop global warming. In 2017, worldwide ownership of ACs soared by more than 30%, most of which occurred in developing countries. The demand for ACs is likely to continue increasing in the future due…
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The IRS Should Collect Racial Data
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The U.S. tax collection agency, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), currently does not ask tax filers to disclose their race or ethnicity. This well-intentioned policy seeks to prevent racial discrimination and racially-motivated enforcement actions. Yet in a recent paper, George Washington University Law Professor Jeremy Bearer-Friend contends that omitting race…
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The Policy of Delivering Electricity
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Policymakers, spurred by the use of widespread electrification to achieve low carbon economies, have used varying policy approaches to bring about a more digitized, decentralized, and decarbonized grid. Bringing about a cleaner and smarter electrical system can involve increased engagement and participation of customers in the electricity sector, deployment of…
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The Tolerance of American Inequality
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The killing of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police triggered widespread and persistent protests across the United States. A key flash point among protesters has been economic inequality and racism. History supports their cause—for the last thirty years, we have witnessed a steady increase in income inequality…
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The Energy Demand Crisis Within the Public Health Crisis
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As COVID-19 spreads around the globe, staying at home has become the easiest and most effective way to save lives. Governments across the world have translated this public health measure into policy by enacting “shelter in place” orders, confining millions to their homes. As a result of these orders, residential…
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The Jobs Numbers are Bad
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The jobs report was released today, October 2nd, with the preliminary estimate of the unemployment rate at 7.9%. Following last month’s better-than-expected jobs report, Senate Republicans unveiled a slimmed-down coronavirus relief bill. The more comprehensive House bill remains in committee, where it is unlikely to progress. After a quick floor…
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Gender Equality and the City
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In the last last few years, the division between cities and rural areas has become a prominent topic of discussion, as it has huge repercussions for the political landscape of the United States. Many of these discussions try to understand the reasons for the disconnect between rural and urban areas…
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The Rushed Confirmation of Amy Barrett
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Today, President Trump nominated 7th Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. As previously reported, any of the potential replacements would move the ideological center of the Supreme Court to the right. Importantly, while the rightward shift of the center of the…