The Hill Carolina Political Review Vol. 14 Issue 6 April 2015
Engines of Innovation 1
The Hill Political Review
January 2015
The hill Carolina Political Review Vol. 14 Issue 6
people of the hill:
Editors-in-Chief: Jon Buchleiter, Brian Bartholomew Faculty Advisor: Ferrel Guillory
Online Managing Editor: Nikki Mandell International Editor: Carol Abken National Editor: Richard Zheng State & Local Editor: Caroline Fite Online Editors: Jacob Johnson Chase Johnson Matt Wotus Distribution Manager: Clay Ballard Treasurer: Tess Landon
Director of PR: David Pingree
Columnists: Clay Ballard, Derrick Flakoll, Nick Neuteufel, Nancy Smith Staff Writers: Kurtis Brown, Parker Bruer, Keenan Conder, Connor Cooke, Drew Foster, Allyesha Hall, Henry Hays, John Hess, Jamie Huffman, Chase Johnson, Colin Kantor, Chloe Karlovich, Bobby Kawecki, Tess Landon, Andrew Levine, Henry Li, Meghan McGrath, Sylvia Roper, Taylor Slate, Zach Williams, Matt Wotus, Javier Zurita. Design Editor: Meaghan McFarland Art Staff: David Wright Ngozika Nwoko
general information: The Hill - Chapel Hill Political Review 3514E Frank Porter Graham Student Union Chapel Hill, NC 27514 thehillpr@gmail.com This publication was paid for in part by Student Activities Fee at a cost of approximately $2.00 per copy. Cover photo by Serge Saint
January 2015
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From the editors:
Our April issue looks at engines of innovation around the world. Rapid changes in technology are changing businesses and has the potential to alter how government institutions operate. What role does government play in stimulating innovation and growth? And where are they most successful at adopting and integrating technology? From a snapshot of tech startups in the Triangle to Estonia’s efforts to expand internet access and usage technological innovation is a driving force in the world today. The extent to which institutions are able to adopt and utilize these platforms ares increasingly determinants of their success in the public and private sector. -Jon Buchleiter and Brian Bartholomew
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mission statement:
The Hill is the University of North Carolina’s only nonpartisan student political review. Our aim is to provide the university community with a presentation of both neutral and balanced analysis of political ideas, events, and trends. We publish both print issues and maintain a website composed of in-depth feature stories, opinion columns, and plenty of accessible content designed to engage the campus in political discussion.
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The Hill is a medium for analysis of current affairs. Its primary mission is to analyze current events, trends, and phenomena happening within North Carolina, across the United States, and around the world. While it reserves some space for opinion and commentary, almost all work for The Hill avoids prescribing public policy solutions or advancing any ideology. Its articles are primarily concerned with explaining and contextualizing current affairs, rather than engaging in public policy debates. However, The Hill also accepts that its writers will bring their own unique experiences and viewpoints to their work, and encourages its writers to write colorful, engaging, and even controversial pieces while protecting the magazine’s reputation as a source of reasoned and well-researched analysis.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: 6 7 8 9
4 13 14 15
10 12 16
international:
Embracing Innovation in Estonia Digitizing Europe Smartphone Apps for Eyecare Baseball Recruiting
national:
State Tax Policy Extending Enfranchisement Harms of Net Neutrality? Political Rhetoric
state and local:
Top NC Tech Startups Renewal Energy Tax Credit NC Legislators and Lobbyists
perspectives: 17 18 19
Theory in Practice Terrorism Today Wit and Witlessness
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January 2015
national
Across the Nation Henry Hays Staff Writer
Many state politicians enjoy boasting that they have laws more conducive to new businesses than others. But after researching different business tax laws from state-to-state, one can safely assert that state tax codes have very little impact on entrepreneurship. An infographic compiled by the Tax Foundation — an independent tax policy research organization — late last year that ranked all fifty states by their “Tax Climate” indices, which “show how well states structure their tax systems.” They ranked Wyoming, South Dakota, Nevada, Alaska, and Florida as having the five best “climates” and Vermont, Minnesota, California, New York, and New Jersey as having the worst. They arrived at these rankings by comparing each state’s corporate, individual income, sales, unemployment insurance, and property tax rates, some of which many states do not have at all. For example, Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota have neither the corporate nor individual income tax rate, and New Hampshire and Montana have no sales tax. The bottom tier states all “suffer from the same afflictions: complex, non-neutral taxes with comparatively high rates,” and the Tax Foundation points to New Jersey’s inheritance and estate tax, along with high property and income tax rates as the reasoning behind its low ranking. While all this tax research organization’s findings are true, one still finds greater rates of entrepreneurship in these low-ranking states than in the top five; why? Bloomberg Business-
January 2015
week attributes this to the fact that only two percent of United States citizens change states every year, and less than 0.5% of Americans both change states and start a business. In other
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words, people are less likely to relocate in order to start an entrepreneurial endeavor. Bloomberg also points out that while some states may have high rates, they may also have subsidies for cer-
National
Do State Tax Policies Impact Entrepreneurship?
BEST WORST
SOURCE: TAX FOUNDATION
tain industries but not others, such as in California, where aerospace, manufacturing, film-making, and alternative energy companies all receive handouts from the states. Only when states de-
cide to lift severely restrictive laws do entire industries pull up stakes and move, such as when South Dakota did away with all usury laws during the late 1970s, allowing credit card companies to regulate their own interest rates without the state’s input and consequently bring the entire industry to it. Politicians and researchers alike harp on the importance of these state-bystate statistics, but the fact is that tax codes have little impact on where people will choose to start businesses. Thousands of college graduates hoping to work for tech startups will move out to Palo Alto to find work, or they will not and start a business in their home states. Just because New York or Florida or any other state decides to lower its small business tax rate does not mean industries will move in droves from where they are currently situated. If anything, changes in states’ tax codes will increase the activity of the companies that already operate within their borders or very close by, but nothing more. When politicians and their critics in the media mention what state laws do for innovation, they usually use these statistics as rhetorical effect.
Politicians harp on the importance of State Tax Policy, but tax codes SEEM have little impact on where people will choose to start businesses. 5
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international
Embracing Innovation EStonia’s Youthful Leadership Drives Digital Development Colin Kantor Staff Writer During a recent trip to the United States that included stops at Stanford University and the White House, Prime Minister of Estonia Taavi Rõivas focused on some of the issues most important to his country: cyber security, the role of the European Union, and relations with Russia. He placed little focus on his status as the youngest leader in the European Union at the age of 35. Though an observer might be surprised to learn any country would be led by someone so young, Rõivas is fittingly representative of the success of this tiny Baltic nation since its independence in 1991. Rõivas began his political career in the Ministry of Justice in 1998, followed by various other political appointments over the next twelve years while rising through the ranks of the center-right, free market Reform Party that has guided the country in coalition with various other parties for the better part of the last decade. In 2012 he was appointed as Minister of Social Affairs, where he served for two years before being nominated by his party for the Prime Minister position after the primary candidate declined to serve. In March 2015, parliamentary elections confirmed Rõivas’s leadership with a slight victory for the Reform Party, thus allowing him to begin to form a new coalition with several minority parties. His rapid rise to success mirrors that of the country itself in its twenty-three years of independence. Almost immediately following that official declaration, Estonian leaders began a policy of sweeping economic and social reforms that brought the country acclaim as a shining example of the transition from Soviet republic to European nation. Estonia’s monumental progress resulted in invitations to join both NATO and the EU in 2004, and Estonia adopted the
January 2015
euro as its currency in 2011. Estonia has also notably embraced ever-changing technology in recent years, as evidenced by the development of Skype, now a world-renowned telecommunications company, by three Estonians. Another key to the development of a strong technology sector in Estonia was a series of attacks the nation’s government websites in 2007, in response to which Estonia began to take a lead in the field of cybersecurity. NATO established a Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Tallinn in 2008. As Prime Minister Rõivas noted during remarks at Stanford University in December 2014, there is little question to observers that Estonia is truly a “digital society.” In 2012, Estonia was rated as having the highest Internet speeds in the world, and in the 2015 parliamentary election, nearly 20 percent of the electorate was eligible to vote online, an option that has been in place since 2007. These statistics indicate Estonia as a leader in adapting to innovation and technology more successfully than many of its larger, richer fellow EU member states. Estonia’s robust digital presence is both a catalyst for and a result of young lead-
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SOURCE: WIKIMEDIA
ership like Rõivas’s. The government of Prime Minister Mart Laar from 19921994, which initiated many of the reforms that transformed Estonia’s economy, had an average age of 35. Education has also played a key role; by 1998 all schools were online, and Internet access was guaranteed to all by governmental decree in 2000. Though Estonia’s small 1.3 million population made such actions much more feasible there than it would for Germany and its 80 million people, for example, Estonian leaders like Rõivas have embraced so many of these initiatives that have modernized Estonia at an astonishing rate. In his Stanford remarks, Prime Minister Rõivas also estimated that utilizing digital solutions for traditionally bureaucratic processes such as tax returns and health records saves his nation nearly 2 percent of its GDP each year. From streamlining services to saving money, Estonia’s culture fully embraces innovation and uses it on a daily basis in order to achieve lucrative outcomes. Rõivas and his nation represent a glimpse at the potential of this kind of digitized culture to make the world a safer, smarter, and more efficient place.
international
Digitizing Europe THe Internet of Things IMproves Prospects For Growt Allyesha Hall Staff Writer “Today, Europe is laying the ground work for the Third Industrial Revolution. The digitalized communication Internet is converging with a digitalized renewable Energy Internet, and a digitalized automated Transportation and Logistics Internet, to create a super-Internet of Things (IoT),” noted Jeremy Rifkin, an American economist and social theorist, adding that between 2015 and 2020 IoT will create a high-tech 21st century integrated single market. The advent of wearable technology to monitor sleep and exercise, road sensors to predict traffic jams and identify parking, and telemedicine applications that will allow physicians to treat patients hundreds of miles away marks the penetration of the Internet into the daily tasks of individuals lives. John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, refers to the rise of the IoT as the “single most promising way to revive a moribund economy and tackle the continent’s stubborn unemployment problem.” Countries including Germany, Denmark, France, and Italy have already begun their journey into the new dig-
ital age. France recently signed onto an ambitious partnership with Cisco to promote a digital transformation of the entire country. The collaboration, comprising of a $100 million investment from Cisco into French startups, seeks to transform energy management, health care, and education to advance the country’s economy. In December 2014, Germany passed energy policy resolutions introducing tax incentives for energy-related building renovations, in addition to the CO2 building renovation program and a boost to competitive tendering for energy-saving projects. Germany has committed 80 billion euros to the energy Internet so that individuals are able to generate their own energy and divest from fossil fuels. Individual cities have been embracing digitization as well. The Port of Hamburg owns a digital system geared to reducing water, rail, and ground traffic congestion. Barcelona has installed in-ground parking sensors and launched connected public transportation as part of its Smart City initiative, and Nice has built a “connected boulevard,” including smart lighting and environmental monitoring. In an effort to truly digitize Europe, countries have recognized the importance of a strong foundation of high-speed, high-quality broadband – both wired and wireless. Europe’s Digital Agenda guarantees to connect 50 percent of European households to superfast broadband (100 mbps or greater), and all
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residences to broadband (at least 30 mbps), by 2020. Experts have also noted the importance of entrepreneurship in conjunction with digitalization, through means of fostering a risk-taking culture, investing in rigorous educational institutions, and promoting access to venture capital. The journey toward a new digitized economy requires a strong and skilled workforce over the long term. Digitalization is estimated to lead to 850,000 potential jobs in 2015, rising to twice that by 2020. Developments in cloud computing alone are expected to create 2.5 million additional jobs in Europe by 2020. The digital transformation is also projected to create new types of jobs including systems developers, transportation network engineers, medical device consultants, and electrical engineers for smart grids. In Europe, where youth unemployment eclipses 50 percent in some countries, the new industry seeks to revitalize young and eager individuals to do these jobs. The possibilities for growth through digitization are immediate and significant. Although the continent is the world’s largest economic bloc, with a GDP of more than $15.2 trillion in 2014, its growth has been waning. The European Commission estimates that the digital revolution could spur an “additional 2.1 percent of GDP growth over the baseline.” The digital transformation planned for Europe promises stimulation for the currently stagnating economy by creating new jobs and opportunities. As Rifkin emphasizes, “The system involves new communication technologies to more efficiently manage economic activity, new sources of energy to more efficiently power economic activity, and new modes of transportation to more efficiently move economic activity.”
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January 2015
international
In the Blink of an Eye APPS to Improve Healthcare in Developing countries Sylvia Roper Staff Writer In this increasingly globalized and digital age, smartphone apps are being developed for everything from simple entertainment games to health monitoring aids. As of July 2014, there are approximately 1.2 million apps available in Apple’s App Store. Of these, many of the most successful health-related apps focus on healthy living and fitness. Two exciting new developments gaining momentum in the health field are applications that test eye health. The older of the two applications is called Peek, which went on a trial run in 2013 with 5,000 participants in Kenya. Peek comes with simple instructions: the user holds the smartphone in front of an eye and uses the camera to scan the lens of the eye for cataracts, along with a basic vision test. A device that clips onto the upper half of the smartphone allows the user, when holding the phone front of an eye, to see that person’s retina. The application also has a feature where normal eyesight is compared with that of the recipient of the eye test so that their condition can be better explained to their family members. Vula, the second eye health application, similarly tests vision, photographs the eye, and runs through a checklist of symptoms for the potential patient. Using comparable technology, the two applications have the shared purpose of testing eye health without a visit to an optometrist. These smartphone applications respond to the urgent demand for improved access to healthcare throughout much of the developing world. According to the World Health Or-
January 2015
ganization, 285 million people are blind or visually impaired. Modern ophthalmology often allows for the straightforward treatment of such conditions. However, in many developing nations lacking medical infrastructure, medical treatment is irregular or absent, and going to the doctor for a vision test is uncommon and frequently impossible. Medical clinics are usually sparse in many countries in Africa, where ophthalmologists and optometrists are operating at only 30 to 40 percent of their capacity. Eye care clinics may also exist only in urban areas, making access difficult for rural dwellers due to lack of transportation or income. According to Unite for Sight, developing countries are home to nearly 90 percent of those suffering from impaired vision. In Africa alone, the World Health Organization estimates that 1.2 percent of the continent’s population is blind. Dr. William Mapham, an ophthalmologist who helped develop the Vula app, considers lengthy journeys to healthcare providers to be one culprit hindering potential patients and caregivers from meeting. Eye care clinics may also exist only in urban areas, making access difficult for rural dwellers due to lack of transportation or income. In areas where security is lacking and the infrastructure does not exist to help the blind, the condition is debilitating and can be dangerous. In many cases, the blind are left dependent on caregivers and family members. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 40 percent of blindness cases are due to cataracts, thus the emphasis on finding the condition in the Peek and Vula appli-
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cations. These applications have the potential for wide-reaching positive effects on eye health. As the overwhelming majority of the blind and visually impaired live in developing countries, many people could be diagnosed and referred to eye treatment thorough these mobile apps. In areas within proximity to eye clinics, the issue lies in discovering and diagnosing need, then referring patients to eye care resources. Both Peek and Vula could accomplish this in a very mobile way. These apps’ innovative use of technology for improved health has the potential to significantly improve ocular health in rural and impoverished areas.
By The Numbers
285people million Blind oR With Impaired Vision worldwide
90% are in Developing Countries
40% of Cases of Blindness caused by Cataracts
InterNational
Fair Ball? Baseball’s Questionable Recruiting in Latin America Javier Zurita Staff Writer Every April, the thawing of spring signals the beginning of a new baseball season. After the end of the American Civil War, when soldiers returned to their hometowns, the sport grew in popularity. As the “national pastime,” the sport has deep roots in the United States. However, baseball is also a stage for the continued struggle of inequality between developed and developing countries. On Opening Day, baseball players from across the world took the field for teams across the country. The integration of foreign-born players into American major league teams, which dates back to the nineteenth century, has raised concerns about the unfair labor practices used by professional teams to recruit talented international players. In the age of globalization, this phenomenon has been accentuated by the ease of accessibility to these players, along with the inequalities between American and Latin American countries, particularly the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. During the latter decades of the nineteenth century, an elite Cuban population fled to the United States to escape the atrocities of the Ten Years War of 1868-78, which precluded the 1895-98 War of Independence. They settled and studied in the northeastern part of the country, where baseball had taken the most hold. When Cubans returned to the island, they served the same purpose as American soldiers in the Civil War -- they spread the game to rich and poor alike. Many players remained behind to play professionally in the United States, challenging the ethno-racial conceptions of white supremacy that still dominated the country. One of the Cuban players’ most impressive contri-
butions was the linkage that grew between African-Americans and Cubans. The former recognized that by disguising themselves as Spanish-speaking players, they could break into racialized baseball. And thus, the Cuban Giants were born—the first professional black baseball club. Several other historical processes spread the game throughout Latin America. U.S. expansionism during the twentieth century brought baseball to many Latin American regions. From 1900 to 1920, the United States intervened in Cuba’s struggle for independence, invaded Puerto Rico in 1898, and orchestrated a military takeover of the Dominican Republic in 1916. Further, economic resources lured American investors. In Venezuela, the discovery of oil prompted U.S. personnel to explore, drill, and exploit the area. In this way, baseball’s transnationalism grew in tandem with U.S. influence in Latin America. At the outset of Cuba’s war of independence, another wave of Cuban émigrés settled in countries throughout Latin America. As baseball had shaped their national consciousness—defying traditional Spanish sportive practices, like bullfighting—the sport became increasingly connected with Cubans’ identity. When they settled abroad, they brought the game with them. Cuban sugar businessmen founded the first professional baseball club in Venezuela. Similarly, the game became more
visible in Mexico with the arrival of Cuban communities around the Yucatan peninsula. Baseball was infused by many nationalities that also embraced the game as their own. Starting in the 1920s, recruiters for professional baseball teams became aware of the sport’s potential in Latin America. The plethora of talent in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, and the opportunity to recruit players without oversight attracted major league teams and their scouts. They established a baseball policy befitting the conditions present throughout these countries, a quality out of quantity principle that allowed major league teams to sign players on a tentative basis. Through the use of non-binding contracts, players came to be seen as cheap commodities. Their social vulnerabilities allows for a paradoxical narrative among scouts, who maintain they are performing a social good to help kids who are not enrolled in school. In reality, this practice only deepens the cycle of poverty, since only about one percent of recruits make it to the major league. Until recently, scouts operating in Latin America employed similar strategies. Buscones, or street agents, have become shrewd agents that evade labor laws. Further, major league teams have set up baseball academies throughout the region, seeking to persuade young men and teenagers as young as 15 to give up education in hopes of playing baseball. Unfortunately, all too often these young players end up striking out.
this practice only deepens the cycle of poverty, since only about one percent of recruits make it to the major league.
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January 2015
State & Local
innOvation in the research Triangle
North Carolina has proven itself a TecH trailblazer in recent years.
I
n terms of business startups, the state of North Carolina has proven itself a trailblazer in recent years. While the Research Triangle Park is often compared to Silicon Valley in terms of the booming technology sector, North Carolina as a whole has proven a breeding ground for startups of all kinds. These are some of the top startups in the Tar Heel State today. Though they have very different offerings, each help demonstrate the unique nature of North Carolina’s booming startup scene.
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Validic is a health care technology startup whose goal is to link and synthesize users’ health apps together through the cloud in one place. The platform interacts with various health apps like MapMyFitness and FitBit. Recently, Validic aligned with health information technology supplier Cerner. Combining the services allows patients to voluntarily input information via those apps to their electronic medical record for more tailored medical care.
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Windsor Circle, a tech firm based in Durham, has made waves in the marketing sphere by helping companies retain customers through personalized marketing programs. This company has expanded its manpower in the last year as it doubled profits and looks to do the same this year. Windsor Circle has become one of the foremost authorities on marketing with predictive data analysis to maximize the effectiveness of retailer campaigns in retaining customers.
Top 5
State & Local
Startups in the Tar Heel State By: Bobby Kawecki Staff Writer
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BioMASON was founded by Ginger Dosier as a more environmentally friendly way to manufacture bricks using bacteria. Dosier discovered the bacteria while teaching at NC State University and now her company has received over $1 million in grants and funding. Over 1 trillion bricks are manufactured every year, emitting 800 tons of Carbon into the atmosphere. Dosier’s process mixes the bacteria with sand, nutrients and calcium, turning it into cement, without the environmental cost.
Organic Transit was founded by Rob Cotter as the most energy efficient method of transportation. While legally classified as a bicycle (so it can park on sidewalks) it is more of a car-bike hybrid that can use solar or electric power. At first glance, it looks like most Smart Cars, except smaller and with bicycle wheels. It is made from trylon, a recyclable composite material made with an eye toward weight and safety, which is coated in a UV-resistant substance. With a seven-hour solar charge (or ninety minutes plugged into an outlet), the bike can run at thirty miles per hour with the energy efficiency of approximately 1,800 miles per gallon. That number dwarfs the efficiency of driving a car, walking, and even biking. Around 500 bikes have been sold so far at the price of $5500, showing the potential for this daring product to gain more popular use.
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Nextglass is a smartphone app that analyzes beer and wines and makes recommendations for the user based on past preferences. The idea came about after the founders experienced a bad wine recommendation while at dinner. This made them wonder if there was some way to analyze wines and beers to make it easier to know what new kinds you would like based on your tastes. After analysis from their team of chemists and documenting the statistics and labels of hundreds of bottles, they released this app. The user enter a wine or beer that he or she liked, give it a rating, and later see other wines or beers they might also like based on similar qualities. The user can also scan the label of a bottle to see how it compares to their ‘taste profile’ and what the likelihood is that they would like it.
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January 2015
State & Local
Is Solar Sustainable? Jacob Johnson Staff Writer A critical fight over the state’s renewable energy tax credit is looming in the legislature. The bill, which offers a 35% tax credit for solar panel installation, expires at the end of this year. It has been a boon for renewable energy businesses in North Carolina by attracting extensive investment. Solar energy in North Carolina has had quite a run in the past four years. With the help of renewable energy friendly legislation and approximately two billion dollars of direct investment, solar power in North Carolina has transformed from virtually nonexistent to one of the most renowned in the entire country. Currently, there are over 450 solar companies operating in North Carolina. These companies have helped implement over 500 MW of solar into NC’s energy grid. 200 of which were installed in 2014 alone. Only New Jersey, Arizona and California have more solar energy capacity than NC. Solar installations have not only benefited the state by putting clean energy into the grid but they are also helping the economy. Some of North Carolina’s most impoverished, rural counties
such as Catawba, Roberson, and Wayne County have received the most investment by solar companies like Strata and O2 energy. The industry has helped produce thousands of jobs in rural areas and it gave the economy a crucial boost after the recession in 2008. Investors have flocked to North Carolina because of the state’s friendly policies towards renewable energy. In 1977, the state passed the Renewable Energy Investment tax credit, which was a landmark for renewable energy business in the state because it gives a 35% rebate for the cost of the investment. This legislation is set to expire at the end 2015. Now, a fight is brewing in the North Carolina Legislature over whether or not the credit should be renewed. One of renewable energy’s most notorious opponents in North Carolina has been the American Legislative Exchange Council. The Koch brothers have reportedly donated $150,000 to ALEC in support of their anti renewable proposals. Notable members of ALEC include state Representatives George Cleveland, Rayne Brown, and Sarah Stevens. All have supported legislation against North Carolina renewable energy because they feel it hikes up
SOURCE: SAMSUNG
January 2015
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electricity prices for both consumers and businesses. Low electricity prices are critical advantages for American businesses in the global market. In support of the renewable energy tax credit, Republican Representative John Szoka from Cumberland County just introduced a bill allowing third party sales of power. Szoka and other republican representatives from rural counties will fight to save the credit because they have seen the benefits in their counties. John Morrison, the senior vice president for public affairs and asset management for Strata Solar, foresees a drastic drop in solar installation if the renewable energy tax credit is repealed. In a recent article in Raleigh’s News and Observer he commented, “that credit enables us to attract investors that would go elsewhere otherwise.” Many of the small solar companies based out of North Carolina will likely fail if the renewable energy tax credit is not prolonged. Numerous companies such as SunEnergy1, Argand Energy, and Carolina Solar Energy are still in the embryonic phase and do not have the financial might to weather such a storm. Most of these companies are only generating a few million dollars in revenue and could not take a huge hit to their balance sheets. Perhaps only Strata Solar, who had 500 million dollars of revenue in 2014 and is one of the biggest solar companies in the U.S., could stay above water. On the flip side, if the tax credit stays alive then solar energy could have a permanent home in North Carolina. Last year, NC was second only to California in the amount of solar capacity added. A thriving solar industry would be crucial for rural counties who have received huge benefits from solar. Farmers who lend their land to solar panels can continue to receive a steady source of income from solar farms and the grid can receive more clean energy.
national
EXtending Enfranchisement
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES
Drew Foster Staff Writer The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is in its 50th anniversary of successfully enfranchising United States citizens who were previously inhibited by the color of their skin. The right to vote in the United States has since been put on the back-burner as other social issues satiate political banter. Yet many have forgotten about the Insular Cases, a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions in which United States territories aren’t automatically extended full constitutional rights. This 114 year old, obsolete law prevents residents of U.S. territories, like that of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, from equal voting rights to that of other states in the U.S. The language of the doctrine is also very alarming, justifying the nature of its inequality by deeming the ‘alien races’ intellectually handicapped who are incapable of understanding the Constitution. It is also stated in the law that the doctrine itself was temporal and was in essence to be revisited. In August of 2014 the Obama Administration were forced to revisit the topic as residents of the Ameri-
can Samoa petitioned for an appeal of the court case Tuana v. United States that was previously dismissed by the D.C. District Court. In the brief that was prepared before the DC Circuit, it stated that Americans born in the U.S. territory of the American Samoa have no constitutional right to citizenship, as it is instead understood to be a privilege to obtain citizenship rather than a right. The results of the appeal are to be decided in the fall of this year. According to the U.S. Constitution, certain territories like the American Samoa can be denied citizenship, while at the same time be subjected to the broad power of Congress. In particular Congress has “full legislative power over all subjects upon which a state legislature might act”. There is an inescapable reality of the impact that many of these territories have had on the United States for the past century, as they have contributed to society through economic means and providing vital military services. Guam even provides the United States Armed Forces with 29 percent of its total land area as locations for various bases, stations, sectors, and annexes. Puerto Ricans pay U.S. Federal taxes
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each year, including that of Social Security, Medicare, and import/export taxes. In the 2014 census Puerto Rico had more than 3.5 million citizens living there, the relative population of Wyoming, Vermont, DC, Alaska, and North Dakota combined. American Samoa is also known for having the highest rate of military enlistment amongst any U.S. state or territory. For over a century these territories have played an important role for the United States, whether it is military or economic in nature, yet they are still disenfranchised to this day. Any action taken to further address many of the questions arising from the Insular Cases would have to be answered through a constitutional amendment. The amendment for granting the right to vote to certain, tax paying, territories would be similar to the amendment that allowed to citizens of D.C. to vote for the President and Vice President. For the naturalizing of those born in all U.S. to occur, it wouldn’t be a question of a Constitutional amendment, but rather merely a progression of Congressional action into law.
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January 2015
National
REgulator Discretion Advised Could THE net neutrality ruling hurt the internet? Zach Williams Staff Writer Net neutrality is here. In February, the Federal Communications Commission affirmed a regulation to grant itself greater regulatory power over the broadband internet industry. The Commission now treats broadband like a utility, subject to Title II of the Telecommunications Act of 1934. Most pertinent to the concept of net neutrality is the principle of common carriage: per Section 202 of the Act, a utility is not allowed to “make any unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, classifications”, et cetera4 in regards to the services it provides to different customers. The FCC lists three reasons for subjecting ISPs to this rule: 1. to prevent the blocking of content, 2. to prevent “throttling”, the slowing of web traffic that meets certain criteria (like your Netflix binges), and 3. to prevent “paid prioritization” where companies can pay for their traffic to receive precedence over others2. Hailed as a victory by advocates of free speech and the open internet, the FCC resolution nonetheless faces scrutiny for its potential to inhibit the capabilities of the internet. Critics question whether the new regulation will stifle new business models and approaches in the telecommunications industry. Think tank TechFreedom resists the Title II classification for its effect on commerce, citing concerns that the FCC ruling will facilitate economically unsound price controls that discourage investment in better service by limiting the opportunities for profit. For example, it is possible that ISPs will not extend their service to rural communities unless they can charge them more for broadband service. Further, it likens
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the FCC’s approach as a legal “sledgehammer” where a “scalpel” would be more appropriate. Julian Sanchez of the Cato Institute acknowledges that profit motive is capable of causing undesirable business practices from ISPs, such as throttling startups while privileging the traffic of paid partners. However, he argues that net neutrality, strictly enforced, would stunt the development of the web. He asks, “[a]re there different ways of routing traffic, or of dividing up the cost of moving packets from content providers, that might lower costs or improve quality of service?” For some applications, quality of service would decline precipitously under a poor definition of net neutrality. Not all data packets are created equal. If every packet of information were to be treated exactly the same, the internet would cease to function to its full productive potential. “Fast lanes”, deemed by some to be incompatible with a free internet, are a practical necessity for real-time online communication. Jeff Hecht of IEEE Spectrum magazine explained why in a February article. Unprioritized web traffic travels at an inconsistent speed and in random order before being re-arranged at its destination into a coherent package. Time-sensitive applications, however, cannot tolerate erratic and unordered traffic. Video-chat services like Skype, for example, require prioritized traffic in order for its users to enjoy coherent
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conversations. Fortunately for concerned parties, it does not appear that the FCC regulation will necessarily harm technological or commercial innovation on the Web. In a 400-page statement describing its plans for applying the Telecommunications Act to the internet, the FCC claims it will regulate with a “light touch” that will evaluate different practices on a case-by-case basis. For example, it reserves the right to not enforce the law when it is “not necessary for the protection of consumers.” Further, it declares that it will not enforce sections of the law that do not pertain to common carry (16). All of this is a long-winded way to say that it is not yet clear what, exactly, the ruling will outlaw. If the FCC can manage to enforce it in a balanced manner, the ruling has the potential to satisfy both sides of the aisle. The best-case scenario is one that prevents censorship and lowers the barrier of entry for new firms, while still allowing “fast lanes” for applications that require it, and permitting the development of business models that benefit consumers and providers alike. The worst-case scenario is that the FCC fails to accommodate how the internet actually works, reducing its real-time communication capabilities and stunting its growth. Of course, we may never see any real implementation of the Commission’s new policy. Experts anticipate that ISP trade groups, like the CTIA, will sue to have the ruling reversed in the months to come.
If the FCC can manage to enforce it in a balanced manner, the ruling has the potential to satisfy both sides of the aisle.
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National
Working with Words The ‘Evolution’ of Presidential RHetoric Richard Zheng National Editor Political rhetoric has always been a potent weapon in any elected official’s arsenal towards influencing election or legislation. For example, Obama’s repeated emphasis on hope and change in his 2008 presidential election became motifs for his campaign in general, and were featured as his main slogans as well. Through a closer examination of politicians’ word usage, trends and changes in political rhetoric can be seen to mirror popular issues or the broader political environment of that time. A recent illustration of rhetorical maneuvering can be seen in Obama’s socalled “evolution” towards supporting gay marriage. Back in 2010, Obama was still publicly against same-sex marriage, but repeatedly told Democratic supporters that his views on the issue were “evolving”. Politically, this was the right position to be in, as more than half of Americans were opposed to gay marriage in 2010, according to a Gallup Poll. What’s interesting is that Obama continued to use the “evolving” phrase to describe his changing attitude towards the issue, and according to the New York Times, this phrase has since caught on with politicians from both sides. Prominent senators have used the phrase to signal their changing of stance on social issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and appealing to Hispanic voters. Clearly, politicians feel more comfortable declaring policy change after having “evolved” through the implied countless hours of meditation and self-reflection. But what this trend really depicts is the negative stigma associated with “flip-flopping” on political issues. In the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry suffered the harsh treatment of critics with his famous line of “I actually did vote for
SOURCE: BEVERLY & PACK
the $87 billion [Iraq-war funding bill] before I voted against it.” His reputation of flip-flopping on issues and indecisiveness never recovered, as his opponents continued to harp upon this flaw in political advertisements and in the political debates. More recently, Mitt Romney was also afraid of being perceived as wishy-washy in his campaigns for president. As the popular rhetorical gimmick of recent years, “evolve” seems to be how politicians have decided to safely change their minds on public matters. Moving away from individual word choices, overall trends in presidential speech rhetoric appear to show a decreasing level of sophistication. According to The Atlantic, a readability test was applied to presidential speeches from George Washington to Barack Obama, and results show that speeches have become simpler over time. By measuring syllables per word and words per sentence, speeches which were once college-level rhetoric are now easily understandable for mid-elementary school students. Although this may seem like speeches are becoming “dumbed down”, The Atlantic observes that these speeches have become sim-
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pler as the United States has evolved into a more democratic nation. At the nation’s founding, the audience which speeches were aimed at were voters, and in the 1800’s, most voters were white, wealthy, landed men which had a decent education. But as the vote was extended to more and more people, technology such as radio and television allowed more and more voters to feel included in the political process. As such, presidential speeches needed to encompass a much wider audience. Inaugural speeches have gone from discussing the “vicissitudes incident to life” mentioned in Washington’s address to Obama’s emphasis on “passion and dedication,” “initiative and enterprise” in his second inaugural. By analyzing presidential speeches and rhetoric, one can see the transformation of the American political polity and the changes in the American voting body. Going forward, political rhetoric and presidential speeches will continue to play critical roles in future elections and policy debates. Through evaluating unique trends and the motivation behind popular phrases, one can glean insightful knowledge into the fluctuations of the U.S. political atmosphere.
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January 2015
Perspectives
Forbidden Love
Banning Sexual Relations between Legislators and LObbyists Matt Wotus Online Editor Remy Danton and Jackie Sharp were the power duo every couple wanted to be. Danton, working an oil-andgas lobbyist at the time, brought the money and Sharp, then the Democratic Majority Whip in the US House of Representatives, brought the congressional power. The relationship left those around them intrigued and mystified; was Danton in it for information or did he really have feelings for Sharp? We may never know since, as “House of Cards” fanatics know, this relationship was one of fiction. One may ask why this is even relevant today, considering the relationship between Danton and Sharp occurred over a year ago in Season Two of the Netflix Original Series. However, conflicts of interest and preventing the distribution of political favors has become a priority for legislators in Raleigh. A new bill just passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, if signed into law, would prohibit romantic or sexual relations between lobbyists and government officials. Were Sharp a legislator serving in North Carolina, and her relationship with Danton still ongoing on July 1 when the bill would go into effect, she would be forced to recuse herself from government action if it benefitted Danton. Though explicit gifts from lobbyists to legislators valued at over $10 must be reported, a recent N.C.
January 2015
Ethics Committee report stated that sex between a lobbyist and a government official shall not be considered a gift and the two do not have to disclose the relations. According to the commission, “consensual sexual relationships do not have monetary value and therefore are not reportable as gifts or ‘reportable expenditures made for lobbying’ for purposes of the lobbying law’s expenditure reporting provisions.” The commision did state that lobbyists paying for prostitution services for use by a legislator should constitute a gift, but found that a mutually-consenting sexual relationships between lobbyists and legislators were not to be considered gifts, and need not be disclosed. This report was lambasted by media outlets for its statement allowing for sexual relations and associated favors between legislators and lobbyists. In response a bipartisan group of legislators have come forth to propose House Bill 252. Rep. Grier Martin of Raleigh and Rep. Rick Glazier of Fayetteville, both Democrats, joined with two Republicans, Rep. Leo Daughtry of Smithfield and
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Rep. John Faircloth of High Point, to sponsor the bill. The main goal of the bill is to oppose the N.C. Ethics Committee’s finding and define relationships between lobbyists and government officials as a conflict of interest. Supporters of the bill hope that, if it passes, the bipartisan effort will end or guard against corruption or political favors that could result from any sexual relations between lobbyists and government officials. While the bill doesn’t go as far as defining a sexual relationship, it does say that two people who are continually romantically involved are considered in a “current dating relationship.” This includes married couples. The goals behind this legislation arelaudable, House Bill 252 is not just attempting to bring an end to corruption, it’s even bringing Democrats and Republicans together, something rarely seen nowadays in North Carolina’s General Assembly.
A new bill just passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, if signed into law, would prohibit romantic or sexual relations between lobbyists and government officials.
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Theory In Practice
perspectives
Getting Burned by Oil:
Venezuela and Its (Possible) Resource Curse Derrick Flackoll Columnist At this year’s Summit of the Americas, the world is watching as Cuba and the United States push to normalize their relations. But this diplomatic sea change risks drowning out other momentous events in Latin America. Venezuela, once a regional economic powerhouse and influence broker, is now in chaos. Government revenues and foreign currency reserves are plummeting, imports (including almost all of the country’s food) are in critically short supply, and the economy is projected to shrink by up to 7% in the next year. Domestic unrest is coming to a boil, and the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has responded with what looks more and more like an authoritarian crackdown. What pushed Venezuela so far over the edge? One theory suggests that it’s the same force that was responsible for Venezuela’s wealth and power in the first place: oil. The “resource curse” hypothesis holds that massive endowments of natural resources, which one might expect to contribute to national prosperity, actually impede economic and political development instead. When businesses can find oil almost anywhere they drill and sell it at a hefty
SOURCE: IAN BURT
profit, there’s no pressing reason to make expensive but highly productive investments in human or physical capital, and the economy becomes cripplingly reliant on resource exports as a result. Meanwhile, the fact that almost all national wealth is tied to a single resource breeds vicious competition over control of that resource, breeding corrupt and violent politics as a result. Venezuela seems to bear this prediction out, at first glance. It has the world’s largest oil reserves and depends on petroleum exports for al-
The “resource curse” hypothesis holds that massive endowments of natural resources ... actually impede economic and political development instead.
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most all its revenue and growth. That reliance led to economic crisis when oil prices fell dramatically at the end of last year. And the economic crisis is exacerbated by a political one; pervasive government corruption has siphoned off public oil wealth and undermined democratic governance. However, it’s not clear whether oil is the problem in itself, as the resource curse model suggests. Some resource-rich developing countries like Ghana and Botswana have thrived, seemingly escaping the curse. Recent political science literature suggests that it is not resource abundance that breeds political and economic weakness, but weak and corrupt institutions that exploit and squander resource revenue instead of sensibly investing it in the broader economy. If so, there may be hope for Venezuela yet. With the right reforms, Venezuela might turn its curse into a blessing. Only time will tell if its politicians are willing and able to make that happen.
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January 2015
perspectives
Terrorism Today Boko Haram and ISIS Clay Ballard Columnist Early this March, the leader of the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS. By doing so, Boko Haram have joined a growing number of terrorist and extremist Islamist groups that have pledged loyalty to ISIS. This pledge does not imply a greater violent capacity for Boko Haram; rather, it exists merely as a rhetorical tool, not as a functional operational alliance. For ISIS, the growing number of radical groups that have pledged themselves to the extremist organization is a propaganda mechanism that turns their regional fight global. According to the intelligence group IntelCenter, the list of affiliate groups’ home countries range from the Philippines to Yemen—and now includes Boko Haram in Nigeria. The more groups that pledge themselves, the more international the cause of building an Islamist Caliphate, which in turn drives more foreign fighters into the arms of ISIS. For ISIS, these pledges drive recruitment. Many analysts have sought to explain the move’s implications for ISIS. Some view the announcement as a sign of desperation following the Nigerian government’s offensive following the massacre in Baga. From this vantage point, Boko Haram’s pledge to ISIS is a request for assistance. This assistance is note unlikely to materialize in material cooperation, but more through the expansion of recruitment efforts via social media and other platforms following into
January 2015
the pattern of how ISIS has handled other pledges. Other analysts, however, interpret this announcement as a natural progression of Boko Haram’s tendency to mirror ISIS tactics. These include both groups’ declaration of a caliphate and the use and documentation of public executions. This pledge is the culmination of these behaviors and affirms Boko Haram’s respect for ISIS. Despite the reasoning behind the pledge for both groups, the alliance is still unlikely to manifest itself as anything more than rhetoric. The pledge acts as a recruitment mechanism for ISIS and is a part of a natural progression of Boko Haram in imitating ISIS. In addition, the groups are located in different localities and have unique and often incompatible organizational components. Boko Haram is known for its internal divisions and incoherent leadership. With such a history, it is unlikely to conceive a new Boko Haram integrating itself into ISIS. Outside of the regionalism at play, there is also a racial obstacle to cooperation. An unidentified U.S. intelligence official recently indicated to
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NBC that ISIS, and much of the extremist Arab world, holds racist views towards black Africans. Boko Haram are ultimately seen as inequivalent and inferior. There is simply no evidence to suggest Boko Haram nor ISIS will send members to aid in each others fights when this issue of racism exists and while Boko Haram is on the defensive. Even though Boko Haram and ISIS hold many shared goals and components such as a dedicated membership, an ideological caliphate, and charismatic leaders, there are still many differences that will keep the groups from compounding beyond endorsements or pledges. This pledge is not the sign of a more solidified front, but rather a rhetorical tool for propaganda and recruitment that follows with Boko Haram’s history of ISIS praise. There is an obvious need to control these separate groups and take their statements serious, but there is also a need for avoiding exaggerations and applying strategies that respond proportionality to the threat at hand.
There is simply no evidence to suggest Boko Haram nor ISIS will send members to aid in each others fights when this issue of racism exists and while Boko Haram is on the defensive.
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Wit and Witlessness Innovation
perspectives
Innovation can only occur where you can breathe free. - Joe Biden
There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period. - Brene Brown
Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow. - William Pollard
A spirit of innovation is generally the result of a selfish temper and confined views. People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors. -Edmund Burke
Education is the foundation for all we do in life, it shapes who we are and what we aspire to be. Creativity fuels innovation, and it’s what all states should strive to instill in the next generations. -Former Governor Jim Hunt 19
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January 2015
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