EXCELS OR GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ROOSEVELT INSTITUTE Issue 2 // 2014
Editor’s note
Robin Go Editor-in-Chief // 2013-2014 Another year rang the bell that welcomed another round. EXCELSIOR, Georgetown University Roosevelt Institute’s (GURI) think tank journal, wrestled and continues to wrestle with the issues of its infancy. However, it has done so with such zeal and such tact that
tackling a larger volume of work and introducing a contagious sense of excitement in this issue. They function for years to come. EXCELSIOR showcases a record number of Hoya contributors. To introduce to the community some of these Hoyas, we have also added Author Snapshot Even when we were weaving through scheduling
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tunity to butcher Clair de Lune
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A WORD FROM THE PRESident
Asjed Hussain President // 2013-2014 The Georgetown University Roosevelt Institute (GURI) started off as a big idea envisioned by a
showcase the work of our members in EXCELSIOR.
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As GURI moves forward, I urge you, the members
two years. In that time, GURI has been nominated
also urge you to see your role differently. GURI has
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generation of GURI leaders, but I am excited to see the direction they will take. Through watching and guiding GURI’s growth, I’ve begun to understand what makes an organization great. GURI’s greatness lies in the systems that the big ideas written by the GURI members, ideas
that making a difference means more than just writto media, to think tanks, to your university, and to idea and connect with decision-makers. Work with local legislators to draft legislation. Or even start a GURI started off as an idea. But it is where it is today because that idea was executed on. As you
CONTENTS SAM KIM
AUTHOR SNAPSHOT PG.
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CLAI OYLE RE D
& SHARANYA SRIRAM PG. 53
10 47 69 87 133 139
HEALTHCARE DEFENSE & DIPLOMACY ECONOMIC DEVELOpMEN EDUCATION ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT EQUAL JUSTICE HEALTHCARE DEFENSE & DIPLOMACY ECONOMIC DEVELOpMEN CONTENTS
ABOUT US Favorite movie: “Toy Story 3. Hey, I watched it the summer before college, okay?”
CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Favorite quote: “Any idiot can face a crisis; it’s day to day living that wears you out.” - Anton Chekhov
EDUCATION CHAIR
What would be the theme song of your life? “The theme song to the TV show The Rockford Files.”
EXCELSIOR editor
Last TV show to make you cry?
What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
“Fresh Prince of Bel Air when Will Smith’s deadbeat dad leaves him again. One of the best scenes in history.”
“Cleaning our townhouse.”
HEALTHCARE CHAIR
HEALTHCARE CHAIR
Celebrity crush: “Lauren Mayberry crushed me with a bag full of bricks.”
Editor-in-chief
Dead or alive, who would you pick as your mentor? “Teddy Roosevelt,... biggest badass of all time.”
PRESIDENT
What’s your dream job? “Bulgarian spy.... Or Bavarian cheesemaker.”
EQUAL JUSTICE CHAIR Where do you see yourself in the near future? “Lawyering it up in University of Chicago Law School.”
EDUCATION CHAIR What was the last movie that made you you cry? “Thor 2. omg I’m such a baby.”
DIRECTOR of EVENTS
What would be your nightmare date? “Going to Leo’s for dinner.”
ECONOMICS CHAIR What’s the best/worst gift you’ve ever given/ received? “My aunt got me six boxes of Macaroni and Cheese for Christmas. It was the best and worst gift I’ve ever gotten.
EXCELSIOR editor
What would you name your autobiographical novel? “Supporting a Story.”
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Who’s your role model? “Barry. Barry O.”
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Favorite starch: “Quinoa.”
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT CHAIR
If you had a radio show, what would it be called? “Pop and Fizzle. I’ll obviously be Fizzle.”
Defense & Diplomacy Chair
What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod? “‘This is What It Feels Like’ by Armin van Buren”
EXCELSIOR EDITOR
Favorite quote: ”’Your mozzarella’s tough sometimes’ - The Pope of Greenwich Village. Apparently the characters are just discussing cheese, but I always see it for its greater message about life.”
Equal justice chair
What would be the theme song of your life? “‘The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)’ by Weezer”
Director of OUtreach
Where’s Waldo? because you are Waldo.”
VICE-PRESIDENT What was your favorite food when you were a child? and strawberry milk.”
Economics CHair
GURI-GURI-GURI-GURI-GURI-
GURI-GURI
GURI-GURI-GURI
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def dip
(SFS ‘17)
(SFS ‘17)
T
he Eastern Mediterranean, comprising parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, does not have a strong legacy of political or economic stability. With the advent of the Arab Spring and recent global recession, this region is now even less stable. In the face of such tumult, several local states have nations Cyprus, Turkey, and Israel, but remain elusive due to historical spats and contentious incidents. Reaching agreements between these states would be tricky, but discarding stagnant unfriendliness could offshore natural gas deposits provide an excellent opportunity for Turkey, Israel, and Cyprus to start down the path towards partnership. Relations in the Eastern Mediterranean need improvement. Tensions prevent effective regional responses to crises such as the Syrian Civil War, prolonging human suffering and fostering extremism. Cooperation in the face of economic turbulence is also impossible, increasing market vulnerability. The island of Cyprus has been divided since Turkey brought in troops to counter a pro-Greek coup. The internationally recognized, predominantly Greek-Cypriot Republic of Cyprus is continually at odds its sponsor Turkey. Turkey and Israel, despite historical partnership, suffer cool relations since the 2010 Gaza Flotilla Raid, during which several activists died.1
1
Joel Greenberg, “Turkey Expels Israeli Envoy over Flotilla Incident,” The Washington Post,
incentives for cooperation. Resolving contentions with Cyprus would jolt Turkey’s application to the European Union back into motion.2 Israel could stave off political isolation by developing regional ties and repairing smooth over the diplomatic bumps. If these states will not negotiate for political reasons alone, the hope goes that additional economic incentives in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea poses a new opportunity for improving Israeli control respectively. Each contains estimated trillions of cubic feet of natural gas.3 revenues upwards of $70 billion, an enticing pot by any standard.4 The could transform both nations into energy net-exporters.5 Cyprus, after to raise capital, particularly needs the revenues exporting gas would provide.
extraction, gas must be pumped ashore, processed, and shipped to or facilities, and unilateral development would incur wasteful costs. but would be problematic.6 Aphrodite reserves alone may not justify 7
Environmental and security concerns
September 3, 2011, sec. World, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/turkey-expels-
accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/04/eastern-mediterranean-
4
Ayla Gürel, Fiona Mullen, Harry Tzimitras, The Cyprus Hydrocarbons Issue: Context, Positions
5
Ayla Gürel, Fiona Mullen, Harry Tzimitras, The Cyprus Hydrocarbons Issue: Context, Positions
and Future Scenarios. 6
“E. Mediterranean Gas Work Faces Geopolitical Hurdles,” accessed April 11, 2014, http://
www.ogj.com/articles/print/volume-112/issue-4/general-interest/e-mediterranean-gas-work-facesgeopolitical-hurdles.html. Historic Breakthroughs Among Israel, Turkey, and Cyprus, Fall 2013, accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.
12
investment. A second solution, featuring a pipeline to Crete, could cost 10 Moreover, these
“Tensions prevent effective regional responses...,prolonging human suffering and fostering extremism. The cheapest, simplest, and quickest solution would be to pump gas via Europe.11 Turkey is integrated into several energy networks and already has extensive energy infrastructure as a waypoint and destination for gas need expansion to handle Aphrodite and Leviathan gas, but Turkey could make the necessary improvements easily. A pipeline to Turkey would cost Aegean pipeline. Turkey has been able to establish legal frameworks Trilateral cooperation offers the best solution by far for tapping Eastern Israel, Cyprus, and Turkey have not yet reached an agreement, and the pursuit of uncooperative plans has raised tensions. However, as the nations realize that best outcomes require cooperation, attitudes are becoming produce “growing interest” in an accord. Economic incentives of energy production have softened regional rivalries before. Turkish relations with
mediterranean. 10
Matthew J. Bryza, Turkish Policy Quarterly - Eastern Mediterranean Natural Gas, 37.
11
Ibid.
the Kurdish Autonomous Region in Iraq and domestic Kurdish parties, long tainted by Kurdish insurgency in eastern Anatolia, have warmed costs and viability between different plans for Mediterranean gas will tell. The longer gas remains untapped as nations face revenue and energy crunches, the more cooperative their demeanors will become. The United States and the European Union have an important role to play in this regional situation: by exerting pressure, they could substantially accelerate the agreement process. Both have interests in facilitating accord. The recent crisis in Ukraine demonstrated that European dependence instead would allow Europe a freer hand in foreign and energy policy. The a renewed Turkey-Israel friendship. Furthermore, a multilateral deal to extract natural gas will bolster regional interdependence, prodding Israel, Turkey, and Cyprus to align more closely with EU and US interests.
Mediterranean gas. Tensions restrict coordination, but with issues such as War, closer ties are crucial. Turkey, Cyprus, and Israel should realize that capitalizing on Mediterranean natural gas far outweighs any reason to turn a cold shoulder to one’s neighbors.
FOCAL FACTS contain trillions of cubic feet of gas, and would yield approximately $70 billion in revenue. A Turkish-Cypriot-Israeli pipeline project would cost approximately $5 billion, while other plans would cost at least twice that. 14
(SFS ‘16)
I
n 2004, during the Bush administration, as a result of threats from Iran, 1 With the
a four-phase revamp was announced.2 The missile shield was designed to intercept missiles shot from Iran; however, its implementation drew sharp criticisms from Russia, which saw the U.S.’s public reasoning as purely a distraction from the system’s actual purpose as protection from Russian ICBMs.3 would be capable of intercepting larger long-range nuclear missiles, and instead moved funding to the shield already based in Alaska, thus 4
3IIB missile taking at least until 2022 to develop.5 While the cutting of this
Press. Haaretz.com. Haaretz, 10 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. 3
Ibid.
4
Ibid.
phase makes sense given the security dilemmas present, the U.S. missed out on an opportunity to better establish its security and save itself from future military expenditure on offensive nuclear weapon upkeep. The use of missile shields under such systems has led to decreased total defense spending in the years following the mere announcement of installation. For example, in the case of Romania, where in 2010, the missile shield 6
to 6,540,000,000 LCU.7 A scaled model of this defensive system present a viable means of minimizing the costs associated with nuclear weapon arsenals, by decreasing maintenance costs of offensive weapon upkeep. ANALYSIS
maintain the current nuclear offensive weaponry systems it runs: “missiles, begin the process of developing their next generation replacements.” Some fear the threats to international security from such developments. President Putin recently declared, “…that having created an umbrella against offensive strike systems, our partners may come to feel completely safe. After the balance is broken, they will do whatever they want and grow more aggressive.” and the U.S. will be slowly dismantling their offensive nuclear capabilities in the process of creating their defensive network. NEXT STEPS With the introduction of missile shields, deterrence balance is lost if the shields are to be used by only one faction. Thus, in the period after installation, the country using this means of protection will foreseeably spend less on upkeep for its own missiles and on purchasing other offensive weapons, since it no longer has to deter its enemy by having this offensive force available to use. Investing portions of the American military budget into the speedy development of the SM-3IIB missile, capable of neutralizing ICBM’s, while also funding and/or expanding new missile defense networks on the eastern seaboard, Eastern Europe, and in Guam represent the perfect opportunity for the United States to invest in long-term military cost-saving technologies.
and International Security.
Sept. 2013. Web.
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TAKe A ChANCE
SAM KIM EXPLAINS what’s happening in the Hermit kingdom and what we can do to take advantage of it
N
orth Korea has etched itself within our collective hearts and minds as a country we all love to hate. Since its partition in the late 1940s at the end of World War II, the divide within the Korean Peninsula has haphazardly served as a perverse comparative experiment to test which political-economic conviction reigns supreme: capitalism or communism. Nearly 70 years later, half of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s 25 million citizens live in abject poverty - the living losers of this ideological game. Tailing from sunny, humid Singapore, Sam Kim is a bright-eyed freshman in the School of Foreign Service that brings our attention to this troubled state. A member of our Defense and Diplomacy Center, Sam enjoys traveling with the Georgetown Model United collegiate and high school Model UN conferences. It is no surprise then that Sam attempts to dissect one of the most mysterious (and the most cumbersome) problems of modern international relations: the strategy with which nations interact and wrestle with the North Korean problem in the international arena.
What prompted your interest in GURI? One aspect of GURI that caught my attention was the fact that it is an undergraduate think tank. Coming to Georgetown and discovering initiatives such as GURI, I realized that, as a college student, I could move beyond social justice and humanitarianism, to really start contributing to society through policy-making. I think that GURI does a really good job of preparing students for future roles I feel like there aren’t enough policies about the issues that I care about very deeply, and that the community in GURI is a great way to start sharing them. GURI provides a perfect outlet for me to think critically about these issues with other people. Tell us a little bit about yourself – where you’re from, what made you choose Georgetown? I am from Michigan originally, but I grew up in Southeast Asia, spent 14 years there. I lived in Malaysia for eight years and went to Chinese school there; I lived in Singapore for another six years and I consider myself a third-culture kid more than anything. Georgetown embodied, for me, what I was interested in, as well as what I wanted in a college and my idea of the college experience. The emphasis that Georgetown has and many of the opportunities that living in DC provides really appealed to me, and Georgetown seemed to be the perfect place to be. I loved the application – and I’m not even exaggerating this – and it makes me sound nerdy, choice. What are some of the most enjoyable experiences you’ve had at Georgetown during your freshman year? Some of the more enjoyable experiences during my time here at ings after my travels with the Georgetown Model United Nations team to the University of Pennsylvania’s Model United Nations Conference in October 2013, to attending Christmas parties with for GURI when we had very substantive debate and joked about various policy issues – it was run by Andrew Scott, who is still the policy center leader right now. Some of the more important things included getting to know my circle of friends, getting to know the 20
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people that I want to room with next semester. I also remember talking to friends for two hours straight one night about the Iranian deal that Obama made, just after it came out. As nerdy as that makes me sound, those types of experiences have collectively deIf you’re not writing a policy piece or attending GURI policy center meetings, how else do you like to spend your time? I enjoy reading outside of school – some of my favorite writers are Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk and Haruki Murakami. I’ve read pretty much all of Murakami’s books, except for 1Q84. I listen to a lot of hip-hop and I’m an inspiring hip-hop artist – but not down the K-pop line! I’m thinking about making a mixtape over the summer consisting of sample songs by some of my favorite artists, such as Hieroglyphics and A$AP Rocky. I also like listening to jazz. Now, about that fascinating policy piece that you wrote – Red Capitalism, regarding the issue of opening up SEZs in North Korea as a means to introducing capitalism and facilitating multilateral dialogue between North Korea, the USA and other countries. What triggered your interest in the political economy of North Korea? I’m involved in many advocacy organizations concerning human rights issues in North Korea, such as THINK (Truth and Human Rights in North Korea) at Georgetown. I’m also involved with an organization named NAUH, an abbreviation for Now Action & Unity for Human Rights, which meets every Saturday in Virginia – I’m a founding member. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many different people from a variety of groups and being friends with them. What’s really interesting about the perspective from inside of North Korea is that North Korea isn’t this perfectly controlled state where people will always be subject to state coercion. It has every characteristic of being a failed state, including security. If we stop focusing on the things that we are scared of, when we talk about North Korea, and focus instead on other issues, such as Pyongyang losing its grip on the country’s provincial populations and the increasing number of North Korean defectors into China, then we could come up with viable policies for them. With that, I
hometown : MICHIGAN/MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE school : SFS, 2017 major : INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY hobby : POSING NExT TO WINDOWS what’s currently bothering you about the world?
“...THAT I NEED A NEW FACEBOOK PROFILE...CAN YOU SEND ME SOME OF THESE PHOTOS? THANKS.”
believe that North Korea would more quickly be forced to open up and the state would dissolve. I have a funny story about this policy paper, actually. I wrote this policy paper because of a bet between myself and my friends – I right policies being implemented, which aim at destabilizing it. Korean economy would have for the black market situation in the region. Could you elaborate further on this? I would like to use the term “trickle-down economics”, but in a different way. With all these special economic zones in North Korea, China and other parts of Asia, employees could be chosen from various regions of North Korea and these people would be able to earn money, leave the special economic zone, and possibly be able to initiate trade in their regions of origin. We’ve already seen the success of black markets during famines in recent years; in hardship, therefore, people are already resorting to other means to survive. With economic prosperity, this situation would expand and become even more feasible. On the whole, many North Koreans have already lost faith in the government and its ability to distribute food supplies. To be able to put forward these policies and make North Korea more free-capitalist, the Communist government’s grip on the region would be weakened. What’s a particular issue in international affairs that you think should be discussed more frequently and seriously at Georgetown? That’s a tough question! On a personal level, I feel that there should be more discussion on the issue of nation-states. I’m a realist, and although nation states are far from ideal, but I see it as the only way that people can organize themselves into communities and who feel similar in terms of nationalistic identity. We should also focus more on the security issues surrounding nation-states. Also, I think that rather than focusing on business and economy, which is heavily emphasized in the SFS, there could be more discussion on separatist movements and which ones the United States could support or be wary of. All right. Thanks so much, Sam. My pleasure.
ELIZABETH TSE ROBIN GO
Samuel Kim
T
numbered. The invisible hand has wormed its way into the hermit kingdom, enabling farmers and merchants to buy and sell their goods with foreign currency.1 The central government is actively seeking Taiwanese 2
a country that employs workers to export goods.3 Within the zone, production is and quotas.4 additional SEZs in Wonsan, Chongjin and Haeju are also under way.5 This development ease the tensions between all parties involved in the crisis. ANALYSIS
certain goods.6 While consecutive administrations have called for six party talks, attempts at dialogue have been cut short by America’s constant desire to “outsource 7
countries reached $6 billion in 2011. Even South Korea agreed in September 2013 By withdrawing and pave the way for dialogue with the Kim regime. The same could be said about six party-talks. The more the interests involved, the less likely talks are going to succeed. For any breakthrough, it is time for the United States to say “no” to interests that are complicating the peace process. Moreover, country.10 To bring him home, dialogue – something that has been restricted by essential.
3
Ibid.
4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
10
28
NEXT STEPS The end of sanctions leads to the next step: trilateral talks. The United Washington fears that doing so would create a bad precedent. Trilateral China would be the mediator and enforcer of any agreement that results
Granted, the proposed scenario is hypothetical. But just as SEZs have led
command economy will simply not stand the test of time.11 This proposal’s effectiveness depends on how quickly it is implemented.
employees in these economic zones. The traded goods may potentially
11
FOCAL FACTS There are black markets and Special Economic
government desires foreign direct investment U.S. foreign policy revolves around stringent sanctions and Korean foreign policy to China.
30
(SFS ‘16)
I of sexual exploitation were levied against peacekeepers.1 However,
http://cdu.unlb.org/Statistics/AllegationsbyCategoryofPersonnelSexualExploitationandAbuse/
widespread underreporting conceals the true extent of the problem: children.2 Common offenses include propositioning children to exchange sex for food and soliciting brothels.3 The sexual abuse problem has been widespread since the establishment
Although this seems like a strong stand, due to the Status of Mission agreements signed by the member states, the policy only is enforced if the member state’s military decides to investigate the charges.4 Empirically, then, few cases are actually tried, and peacekeepers often receive light sentences.
“Peacekeepers are meant to protect civilians from violence. In order to do so, they must have both good standing in communities and the population’s trust.” include women in peacekeeping missions, thereby changing the culture of peacekeeping and hopefully reducing sexual violence.5 This approach aims to undermine some of the cultural and social biases about women, gender, and sexual violence that peacekeepers carry with them to their missions.6 ANALYSIS
This lack of accountability has far-ranging impact on the effectiveness
blog/entry/when-those-meant-to-keep-the-peace-commit-sexualized-violence. 4
Ibid.
32
ofpeacekeeping missions. First, reporting and accounting of sexual data is collected.7 In addition, sexual abuse destroys the legitimacy of peacekeeping missions. Peacekeepers are meant to protect civilians from violence. In order to do so, they must have both good standing in communities and the population’s trust. Sexual abuse obviously undermines this relationship. Finally, peacekeepers often turn a blind eye to sexual abuse perpetrated by citizens, further exacerbating the problem. NEXT STEPS
with nations currently deploying peacekeeping forces to incorporate prosecution of sexual exploitation and abuse allegations, both the zerotolerance policy and the gender mainstreaming approach will be made more effective.
7
Ibid.
2014. Web.
FOCAL FACTS in Cambodia the number of prostitutes increased from 6,000 to 25,000. policy is currently ineffective: the most severe punishment peacekeeper is repatriation. The Status of Mission Agreement leaves punishment to member states, which in most cases do not investigate claims, or give lenient sentences. peacekeepers were sentenced to just one year in jail after gang raping a 14-year-old boy.
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(SFS ‘17)
I
forbids Americans from adopting Russian orphans. The United States State
and forbids them from traveling to or owning assets in the United States.1 The new law has further worsened U.S.-Russia tensions, which have already been exacerbated by both countries’ disagreements on the Syrian crisis, Russian support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy and Snowden’s attempts at seeking asylum within Russia. Moreover, problems plague the Russian adoption industry. The high price of adopting Russian children has commercialized the industry and encouraged the proliferation of children had been abducted or illegally bought and falsely registered as adoptees. Frustratingly so, Russia fails to acknowledge the human costs of its adoptions system. Instead, its government has enforced a policy that further deprives orphans of better living prospects overseas. ANALYSIS Both independent and bilateral approaches are needed to reform the prioritized. The Russian government needs to establish a comprehensive legal framework allowing for state examination and review of adoption agencies. Moscow should also tighten border security to persecute
outraged-law-bans-russian-orphans-being-adopted
need for security reform is particularly acute in less developed regions, where child abduction is more highly practiced. Less than a decade ago, over 4,000 Russian children were adopted. The overall trend has been declining not only because of the imposition of new legal barriers, but also due to increased public awareness regarding the aforementioned problems with Russian adoptions. Regardless, Russia is evidently still a popular country for 2
it has slashed the revenues of Russian adoption agencies nationwide. 46 expectant American families, as the procedural costs of adopting a Russian child ranges from $25,000 to $35,000.3
“Frustratingly so, Russia fails to acknowledge the human costs of its adoptions system.� NEXT STEPS Russia should ratify the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption.4 Russia would be directly involving itself in establishing multilateral safeguards for adoptees’ rights and welfare. Moreover, both governments could increase the public transparency of their inter-country adoption agency records, so as to combat adoptions corruption. This would also coordinate domestic initiatives to prevent and reduce child laundering to prosecute Russian adoption agencies that engage in child laundering, but it could collaborate with Congress to review these agencies before
html.
reports/child-labor/russia.htm.
36
would be able to examine adoptees and keep an eye out for false registrations or unethical means of adoption. Stricter U.S. domestic legislation aimed at preventing the misuse of adopted children for criminal conduct, as well as child abuse, could restore the Russian administration’s faith in U.S. adoptions. Hence, resolving issues with inter-country adoption could be a springboard for easing the United States and Russia’s more contentious political differences and improving their diplomatic relations in the long run.
FOCAL FACTS decades, U.S. citizens have adopted more than 61,000 Russian children. The Russian government also reformed its internal adoptions bill, banning same-sex couples, domestic and foreign, from adopting children.
38
econ dev
(SFS ‘17)
S
within the United States.1 This trend has produced a number of troubling consequences, including a notable rise in residential segregation amongst lived in areas where the majority of residents were also lower-income.2
3
households now live in income-segregated neighborhoods.4 This rise in inequality has seriously affected the most vulnerable group of Americans. Recent research by economists from the University of California-Berkeley shown a correlation between high levels of residential income segregation and low rates of upward social mobility.5 According to the group’s latest below less income-segregated cities like Boston and Seattle whose rates 6
ANALYSIS
already exists that can help aid this goal. The Federal Housing Choice the form of government vouchers that can be used to purchase higherquality accommodation on the private market than the low-income recipient would otherwise be able to afford. By allowing households to escape poverty-stricken neighborhoods for safer and more promising communities, these vouchers have proven to help reduce concentrated poverty and enhance the employment and earning potential of the tenant.7 down to any one building as, for instance, low-income housing projects order to secure a better job or send their children to a better school. In addition, because low-income households are almost exclusively renters way to help those most affected by the rise in income segregation and subsequent decline in social mobility. While other housing assistance programs for low-income citizens have been plagued by ineffectiveness
3
Ibid.
4
Ibid.
2013, http://www.equality-of-opportunity.org. 6
Ibid.
reform-offers-opportunity-to-rebalance-housing-policy/
42
be a successful tool in aiding economic and social development and has most cost-effective federal housing programs. program is woefully inadequate. While the Center for Housing Policy area face a severe housing cost burden, meaning they spend more than allocated to the area’s various housing authorities.10 Worse, not even funding.11 With sequestration, the number of vouchers offered is sure to decline even more, exacerbating conditions of income inequality further. NEXT STEPS State and local governments should begin to lobby the Federal government effort is unlikely to be successful immediately given the present political assist housing authorities in securing new funding. This can be achieved through a reduction in less-effective municipal housing programs, as well as cuts in other miscellaneous expenditures less directed towards economic development. In the long run, Congress should recognize the growing need to combat rising income segregation and other issues currently hurting those on the lower end of the income distribution. Less homeownership assistance for wealthy individuals and more aid to renters would be a logical response to help those Americans struggling most and to help reverse the devastating effect income inequality has had on general economic development and social mobility in the United States.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0276.pdf. 10
11
Web.
Ibid.
FOCAL FACTS The odds of a child in income distribution of
households live in predominantly lowincome areas, well above the already high national Research has shown a correlation between high levels of residential income segregation and low rates of economic and social mobility.
44
D BO AR LA AL HOYAs
D.C.
Building a better georgetown community with claire doyle and sharanya sriram’s ANCHOR INSTITUTION Project
H
H
Georgetown University, Sharanya Sriram and Claire Doyle have lost no time at all in hitting the ground running on a huge project with the Roosevelt Institute. As part of the Networked Think Tank (NTT), an initiative started by the Roosevelt Institute, Sharanya and Claire are working on their own project to measure the impact of universities like their own on the greater community, and how these anchor institutions can create bigger and better impacts on the local areas they serve.
Tell us about yourselves. Sharanya: I’m a sophomore in the SFS and am probably going to be an International Politics major. I’m from San Jose, California, although I was born and raised in New York but Claire: I’m from Boston. I’m also a sophomore who recently transferred to the SFS. So, how did you guys get involved with Roosevelt Institute in Sharanya: I got involved with the Roosevelt Institute in the beginning of freshman year. I talked to a bunch of people at the SAC fair and they somehow convinced me to put my name on got involved with the Energy and Environment Policy Center. Claire: I actually got involved with Roosevelt through
What do you ladies like to do when you scrap together some free time? Sharanya: Well, I enjoy hiking outside, going to the beach, biking, and outdoor activities here at the Hilltop. I like going on runs to the Monuments, exploring different trails. I enjoy reading, singing, and dancing as well. I work on the newspaper at the Hoya, and I am also a part of the Hindu Student Association, and I did some volunteering with the DC Schools Project last semester. I also really like BuzzFeed articles of puppies....I also have a relationship with the Monterrey Aquarium Sea Otter Cam. Claire: During Econ mostly. Sharanya: Let’s not publish that. [laughter] Claire: It’s funny because Sharanya and I are different people in terms of what we enjoy to do or like spend our time doing. But I also love being outside. I love to hike. I run a lot. Sharanya: She’s fantastic. She’s intimidating. 48
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hometown : SAN JOSE, CA school : SFS, 2017 major : INTERNATIONAL POLITICS nickname : THE DUCK WHISPERER
What would be the theme song of your life?
“...PARADISE by Coldplay.”
Claire: You’ve never run with me. Sharanya: I kinda do. Whenever I’m running, I’m like “Claire can do more than this, Claire can do more than this.” Knowing that you both spend your free time outside, I guess you guys haven’t been keeping up with Game of Thrones... Sharanya: In regards to T.V. shows - this list can go on forever so I am going to keep it simple - I’ll say I enjoy watching Suits, White Collar… Claire: The pre-professional person is Sharanya. [laughter] Sharanya: …lots of Friends, I watch a lot of Friends...New Girl...the Voice.... there’s more I’m just not going to go into them. Claire: There’s like seven. Sharanya: There’s more. It’s like 15. I counted. Claire: That’s impressive you know. Sharanya: No it’s not, it’s really sad. Claire: I don’t actually watch that much T.V. at all. I watch the gasp from interviewer]. Yeah. It was so good. Yeah. I cried, for sure. I watched Sherlock. Sherlock is like candy for my brain. Yeah. It’s great. So, talk to us a bit about your special project for GURI. Claire: As part of the Network Think Tank, we’re trying to represent Georgetown in the Rethinking Communities Anchor Institution Challenge. Sharanya: What we’re basically trying to do is to create a map of DC and pinpoint the areas where Georgetown presence is greatly felt, to see if those are the areas that need more implementation for project work versus other areas in DC.
Sharanya: Personality wise, I’ve always been interested in policy. Growing up in the Bay Area, you’re always surrounded by environmental people who are like “Save the world, don’t waste water!” Ocassionally witnessing protests on San Francisco Street, I’ve always been exposed to the policy side of things, which has shaped what I wanted to do. It’s why I applied to So, I think that’s why I enjoy the work that this Rethinking Communities Anchor Institution Challenge is giving us. Claire: NTT was kind of a way for me to go beyond policy, because I really liked that aspect, but this project was a very tangible way for us to understand and make an impact in the community. One of my main motivators of joining NTT was that I wanted to understand the process of how to talk to the administration and how to get something started in a community. I’m working with my youth minister this summer, and he actually personal source of interest and inspiration for our NTT project.
Sharanya: This is an important project because the university as an anchor institution is quite powerful. Because Georgetown is maybe the second largest employer in DC besides the federal government, our campus has so much impact on the surrounding neighborhoods. If we can capitalize on one of these partnerships and hopefully make a change with a maybe more underrepresented or low-income neighborhood in DC, I think the Anchor Institution Challenge would be something super powerful and that could be extended out across the United States and maybe even farther. Claire: It’s also going to be a way for students to connect nationwide on a project, and that’s something we’d like to tap into at Georgetown. I think that’s one of the goals of the Rethinking Communities Project, nationally and just within Georgetown: working with the other institutions that are nearby, AU (American University), GW (George Washington University); taking advantage of the other resources that other schools have that we don’t; and kind of going in it together.
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hometown : SAN JOSE, CA school : SFS, 2017 major : UNDECLARED likes to...: SILENTLY CHANT
“RUN, FORREST, RUN” as she jogs around georgetown What would be the theme song of your life?
“anything with saxophones or accordions... rain is an obvious one...the sound of a page flipping...the sound of a highway in the background. what I can’t stand on the other hand is the sound of someone gulping milk.”
How do you see the university adopting your recommendations? Sharanya: We’ve had a few meetings with administrators so far. One of them was very responsive to what we had to say and took us through some of the things the university itself is doing in the area, mapping out where Georgetown knowingly has an impact on the local community. Claire: because they’re actually already doing this project on a much bigger scale. So, we had a list of questions that we gave them and they were like “great we can answer some of these, and we have a million others we are answering as well.” It was helpful because this particular person we emailed told us that they can help us understand what the strengths are of the university and where the university has invested less in. That will help us understand where we can have the most impact, and so we don’t start something where the university is already working. The within Georgetown where there are connections already made, we don’t know if we can forge the initial [connection]. Sharanya: They gave us at least a base from where we can build off of. It’s going to be a tough project. It’s going to take time. It’s going to take working with the administration on so many levels. Claire: We have some great resources as well at the Roosevelt Instittue National Headquarters. And they’ve been helpful in giving us support, following-up, checking-in on us, making sure we’re on the right track. We’re very excited. Sharanya: I’m really glad we decided to start this project as freshmen because we have time to take it through our senior year. If we were juniors right now we’d only have a year to try to implement this project, and it probably wouldn’t work so well. Claire: years ahead of us to do it. We’re excited to publish your results in the next issue. Sharanya: Cool. Claire: Thanks!
JAMES GADEA ROBIN GO
(COL ‘16)
D
espite its prevalence in high schools and universities across the country, the lecture is an ineffective method of instruction. Because students listening to a lecture are only able to focus actively on the material for 15 to 20 minutes, the remainder of the lecture is not a productive use of students’ time.1 classroom approach, in which students watch short online lectures outside
pdf.
of class, allowing teachers to devote class time to problem solving and group work while encouraging students to learn from each other and to take ownership of their education. worst in the country� and are often seen as the epitome of failing schools across the nation.2 3
ANALYSIS learning, which research demonstrates is more effective than passive learning.4 problem solving, allowing students to work at their own pace and review all� approach to education in favor of one that allows teachers to adapt their instructional style to meet the needs of their students.5 Flipped classrooms improve student performance at little additional cost because they do not require any additional resources beyond a 6
provide workshops and information for instructors to assist them in transitioning from the traditional model. The associated costs should be negligible because such programs would only have to be offered once, webinars and other resources at no cost.7 Schools would also need to ensure that they provide computer labs and time in the day for students who do not have access to the internet at home to view online lectures.
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NEXT STEPS any teacher to adopt this style of teaching in his or her classroom. Resources such as Khan Academy provide teachers with numerous free resources, or they can choose to record their own lectures to customize their curriculum. Low costs and proven results provide ample reasons for social studies classes.
all’ approach... in favor of one that allows teachers to adapt their instructional style to meet the needs of their students.� classes will have more time to solve problems, science classes can allow for additional laboratory experiments and hands-on experiences, and history classes will be able to devote additional class time to discussions and investigation of primary documents rather than information that students
image. Library and Archives Canada. Flickr, 4 Feb. 2013. Web.
FOCAL FACTS After implementing Clintondale High School’s math failure rate
in two years. Research demonstrates that active learning is more effective than passive learning. Flipped learning addresses failing schools with little additional cost.
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ANALYSIS REPORT as a constitutional right (SFS ‘17)
A
merican mythology has long declared education as the grand
romantic notion that anyone, anywhere can climb the ladder of success if he or she works hard enough. Because education reportedly provides all students with the same foundation of skills and knowledge so they can excel in American society, it has traditionally been exalted as the mechanism to foster this high degree of upward mobility. American reality, however, could not be any further from this myth. While some students may carry these high hopes without a worry of failure, many are barred from these ambitions because today’s public education Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education progress towards educational equality has been nearly eliminated by the later U.S. Supreme Court cases, San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez Milliken v. Bradley that education is not one of the rights protected by the Constitution
Several public policy efforts in the past decade have attempted to mitigate educational inequality while also raising educational standards, including President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind, President Race to the Top, and the Republican party’s oft-toted “school choice” plan. These policies, however, only address the surface issues, such as low standardized test scores, and leave the root problems of geographic location, socioeconomic status, and race untouched. ANALYSIS In order to ameliorate the challenges of the public education system in the United States, education must be guaranteed as a fundamental constitutional right, thereby reversing the effects of Rodriguez and Milliken and paving the way for broader solutions that respond to racial segregation on geographic and socioeconomic levels. Segregation is through wealth and district zoning disparities, the discrepancies play out substantially by race. Access to education was more equal in the midseverely decreased. African Americans from low-income households consistently bear the brunt of educational inequality. Under the current interpretation of the Constitution, there is little hope of integrating education, and schools today remain segregated because around the wealthy and the poor, isolating the two groups from each
attacked programs that narrowly focused on improving life in low-income areas, calling it “gilding the ghettos,” simply improving the face of the situation, leaving the root issues untouched. In order to address the deeper problems, schools must be integrated. The persistent housing segregation is hardly a product of free choice, but rather, the consequence of the kind of government policy that has been cleansed of explicit references to race, yet yields racial segregation. Children born into “truly disadvantaged” neighborhoods must be put into a better environment if they are to have any chance of an equal education. A Constitutional right to education provides the basis for these policies. The constitutional evidence for establishing education as a fundamental right lies in the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal Milliken, explains how the Equal Protection Clause applies in the school inequality debate: there is no constitutional difference between de facto and de jure segregation. Justice Thurgood Marshall outlines the constitutional basis for the right to education in his dissent in Rodriguez saying, 68
“Although the right to procreate, the right to vote, and the right to criminal appeal are not guaranteed, these interests have nonetheless been afforded special judicial consideration… because they are, to some extent, interrelated with constitutional guarantees. Education is also such a ‘related interest’ because it directly affects the ability of a child to exercise his First Amendment interests both as a source and as a receiver of information and ideas….”
Protection Clause and the First Amendment because it lays the foundation for a productive and engaged citizenry.
“African Americans from low-income households consistently bear the brunt of educational inequality.” As education increasingly becomes a prerequisite for success in society, the negative consequences of the inequality in America’s public school system multiply. Education and work prospects are so intertwined because education as a process involves the acquisition of skills or the cultivation of work habits that increase students’ productivity. Education also serves as a screening mechanism to sort individuals into different jobs. Knowledgework jobs that require high levels of literacy and specialized skills beyond labor market have increased, educational preparation has struggled to keep pace. The students trapped in the inferior public schools are undereducated and can no longer access the labor market. NEXT STEPS To combat the inequalities in education, policymakers must focus their efforts on race-conscious policies that address racial segregation on geographic and socioeconomic levels. This goal can be best completed Congressmen and women must focus their efforts on a bipartisan push for two-thirds majorities in both the House and the Senate and then
to secure the passage; the constituency must be vigilant in securing organize grassroots efforts. If inequality and segregation is produced because of government policy, it is the government’s duty to revise that policy so it yields equality. Securing education as a constitutional right would create an undisputable passage are fully prepared to lead an engaged and productive life will America’s
Web.
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(SFS ‘16)
(SFS ‘16)
T
performing school districts in the State of Florida, as it was ranked 50th out of 67 counties in academic performance.1 Even so, the school board has been handing money over in order to pay for often unprepared students
students, managed to pass at least one exam.2 These rates of failure come even as the state of Florida has found that many of its students perform below even the most lenient state standards passing the exam under the old standards.3 the 15 lowest performing high schools in Florida, six of them were found 4
able-take-classes-college
pdf.
at $61 per exam, meaning that if each student were to only take one for students who had little chance of passing the stringent Advanced Placement exams. This number is almost certainly higher because many Furthermore, studies released by The College Board itself, the organization that runs the Advanced Placement exams, have shown that simply taking an AP exam and being in an Advanced Placement class does not have any apparent effect on the student.5 In fact, taking the exams was found to be detrimental to students as a whole, unless they achieved at least a 3 on the exam, a score which more and more colleges are refusing to accept as the number of students taking AP exams continues to swell.6 In fact, one-third of universities in the United States require at least a 4 or a 5 in order for credit to be given.7 ANALYSIS should incentivize schools to instate more remedial class offerings as well exams. The remedial class expansion would mean students could gain their FCAT exams, while also helping them perform better on any AP examinations they might take in the future.
public safety, and automotive programs, allow students to be prepared for future careers instead of providing unwanted and unnecessary
Funding these programs and setting students up for success instead of spending money on unnecessary exams is a better utilization of the County’s budget. In addition, Advanced Placement exam funding would only be cut for
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
72
students who have failed to meet superior state standards on the FCAT, scoring below a 4 on the state exams, as they should not be taking more stringent exams. This would not cut funding for students who are on Free students from lower-income families could still afford to take these exams.
“...allow students to be prepared for future careers instead of providing unwanted and unncessary AP examination funding.” NEXT STEPS to its ailing constituent schools instead of funding a bloated AP exam reimbursement system that does not provide results and simply wastes the system’s limited budget. The school system would still cover AP exam a 4 or higher on the FCAT, and would thereby permit students who have situation. Providing well-funded remedial classes will better aid students who need help in reading, math, and writing, while also ensuring that these students have a better chance in the future at passing an AP exam, should they take it when they are better prepared.
FOCAL FACTS 1.2 million dollars on failed exams. schools in Florida, six County, including the worst ranked high school in Florida.
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To ensu a
(COL ‘16)
T
he expensive, and supposed lack of value, of arts education has always
the recent recession, as many states have provided less support for public education, funding for music in public schools has decreased as well.1 The for all 70,000 of its students.2 Given the overwhelming evidence that arts
September 5, 2012, Education section.
education improves student performance in other academic areas, these cuts have been doubly damaging.3 method of delivering quality musical education to its elementary students at a relatively low cost. Instead of hiring an instrumental music instructor full-time instructors who rotate throughout the district during the week. where they rehearse as a group with their instructors. Choral students similar structure.4 ANALYSIS Pennsylvania should adopt a similar model for music education, replacing elementary schools in this model with public school districts. The state should organize school districts into Arts Education Clusters, setting up a framework for collaboration around music education. These clusters would then pool resources to provide a quality music education to all of their students. By pooling districts’ resources, Pennsylvania can share costs in a way that allows for a higher quality music education for more students.
“By lowering the overall cost of music programs, it will allow districts to expand their music offerings without dramatically increasing spending.” Clusters would share music teachers, whose salaries in Pennsylvania run about $65,000, and instruments, which often cost hundreds of dollars.5 The teachers would rotate among districts during the week, with instruments
September 12, 2013, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/budget-woes-plague-philadelphias-school-system
of State Arts Agencies, 2006.
5
Commonwealth Foundation, “School Payroll: Average Salary by Position,” Commonwealth
76
being distributed based on need. As long as districts properly coordinate, there should be no issue with sharing larger instruments or undue stress on music education without having to shoulder the burden of its cost alone. NEXT STEPS students currently without access to quality music education. By lowering the overall cost of music programs, it will allow districts to expand their music offerings without dramatically increasing spending. teachers are already present, will be the primary implementers of this program. But it cannot succeed without a framework provided by the
cooperation, school districts themselves will have to work out the logistics. Working with the PMEA and districts that have quality music programs, these districts will need to map out the details of collaboration. What important questions to answer include those of instrument storage and districts as they work out these issues, allowing districts to share best practices. These ongoing conversations will guide the program as it moves forward.
FOCAL FACTS Given that a quality music program employs an average of one music teacher per 375 students, a district of 5,000 students could save $455,000 a year by partnering with another district. By sharing the cost of the districts’ music programs, more Pennsylvania students will be able to recieve a quality music education. Students exposed to music education score higher in math and reading comprehension.
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vne grn
(SFS ‘16)
S
ea ice in the Arctic has been diminished to a point in which summer passage by non-ice breaking vessels is possible. Totally ice-free summer months are projected in the next decades.1
1
United States Congress. Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress. By Ronald
than competing routes between Asia and Europe.2 However, current predictions hold that in the near future, shipping in the Arctic will be destination shipping, and not extensive use of trans-Arctic routes.3 This is a consequence of the Arctic’s lack of marine infrastructure.4 The Arctic economy is the fastest growing in the world,5 and thus private investors are keen on investing in this expansive market; one that can offer shippers wide time and cost-saving margins. Public stakeholders funding of certain needed infrastructure.6 emissions.7 There are very few alternatives, both in terms of means of trade as well as the fuel used to support seaborne trade. By reducing the distance of sea trade routes themselves, it would reduce the fuel used by a similar and green 2 gas emissions and combat climate change. By investing in the Arctic, we can invest in the environment. 2
ANALYSIS An economic development authority would manage investment in critical marine infrastructure for the Arctic. This government corporation would require an annual government subsidy to cover administrative and investment costs of eight million dollars, based on costs and subsidies of similar development authorities and government corporations in the state of Alaska. The federal, state, and local government would then provide additional funding in the form of loans or investments for larger infrastructure projects. The authority will partner with private businesses and investors on a number of infrastructure projects including an Alaskan deep-sea port, research and support ice-breaking vessels, and navigational advancements.
2
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. America is
4
Ibid.
6
Ibid., 2
7
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Trade, Transportation, and Environment. By Joe Ferrante.
82
Individual infrastructure investments will vary in cost to the federal and state governments, depending on the amount of private investment. Given the market outlook for the Arctic, large long-term returns on investment is to be expected.10 These returns would apply to all investors, both public and private, which will allow for the development authority to gain will compel private investors to continue to invest, allowing for more wide spread use of trans-Arctic routes, and creating a self-reliant Arctic critical infrastructure needs.
“By investing in the Arctic, we can invest in the environment.� In addition to investment gains for public and private investors, the Arctic shipping. Arctic communities express concern for the impact of increased marine activity to their way of life.11 A central development authority, that coordinates both private and public investment, will ensure the Arctic and its people are not exploited. In failing to act against the rise in sea level, many of these communities will suffer from erosion and 12 Infrastructure will also allow for the proper response to any accidents and spills, should they occur. The alternative is to have no infrastructure in place to facilitate a response. NEXT STEPS should authorize initial funding to the state of Alaska for implementation. The development authority can then discern which infrastructure projects are most critical to safely support trans-Arctic shipping. To develop these projects, it will acquire private investors and government subsidies, if required. It will also coordinate the numerous federal and state agencies that have responsibilities in Arctic infrastructure development. The individual projects will be required to undergo rigorous environmental and local community approval. The gradual and coordinated investment process needs to begin now in order to support this emerging market.
10
Ibid., 5
11
Ibid., 3
12
Legislature of the state of Alaska. Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission Final Report.
FOCAL FACTS The Arctic is the fastest growing economy in the world, with a compound growth rate of The trade traveling by sea 2
emissions.
Arctic temperatures are projected to rise between depending on the model, in this century.
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HANGING ON A TIGHTROPE MATTHIEU DE GAUDEMAR tackles our generation’s problem:
EXTREME POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP
EMOTIONAL INSENSIBILITY TWERKING
CLIMATE CHANGE
W
hile the waves still dance...while the islands still stand...while there remains something worth cherishing. There seems to be a tinge of temporality laced in Matthieu de Gaudemar’s descriptions of earthly beauty. growing interest not only in traveling and DJ-ing in Hoya Court but also in global climate change and the immediate actions our generation can do about it.
policy and the politics that have the power to change the tides. What is certain, however, is that de Gaudemar plans to tackle Faced with such a monumental problem, he advises all to take it one step at a time. An exemplar of his own word, he has focused on the the growing attention in the Arctic in order to direct his community’s attention to a much larger, more relevant issue.
I have a question, good sir. Who is Matthieu de Gaudemar? Go. life. I then moved to England where I went to boarding school rugby team and that takes up a lot of my time. I am also a DJ Advancement. Beyond those three things, I really enjoy reading, be it The Economist or a novel. I try as much as I can to dedicate time to read material that is not class related. What spurred you on to write your piece for our Energy & Environment sector? Two summers ago, I spent my time in Svalvard, a group of the Royal Geographical Society. Part of what we did was taking photographs and comparing these images with ones taken from years before (this expedition happens every year) and the changes change is happening. You talk to people based on the island and they’ll tell you that the environment is changing, how animals behave is changing, the way the scientists are interacting with the environment is changing, since less ice means more tourists The people on the island would never deny that climate change is happening. Whether it’s anthropogenic or completely natural. You constantly see in the news that we’re killing more animals, polluting more environments, impacting so many fauna and tell yourself that this relationship between humans and nature really is an unhealthy interaction. That’s where we should start. That realization. Things could be a lot better. We have to change. There’s no other option right now. Matthieu de Gaudemar just really wants everyone to recycle. [chuckle] Yea, but you know, I’m not a huge hippie that wants everyone to live harmoniously with nature by becoming wood land creatures. I live my life like everyone else. I pollute like everyone else. But I still try to make an effort because I know what I do today will have a huge impact for future generations.
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90
Have you been to Tampa, Florida? I have not, no. I heard that if we don’t do anything to mitigate the effects of climate change by 2100, it will submerged in water like Venice. I’m not surprised. There are a lot of scenarios like that. Spring Breaks in the future are at risk! That’s how we should advertise it. Yes, exactly. That would have a much larger impact with the countries that have the power to change it. And I feel like that’s part of the problem with the climate change debate. The effects are not personable, relatable or easily felt. What’s your personal stake in such a general and detached issue such as environmental conservation? I’m an outdoors kind of person. I like trekking. I like kayaking, cycling, camping. I need nature. Absolutely. I want my kids to have the same experience. When you look at natural beauty being marginalized as only a resource, no matter how logical or essential it is, you still feel very sad that that incredible natural beauty has disappeared and can never be reproduced again. I had an interesting summer in Ecuador. This very debate was happening whether the country should exploit its oil resources it has in the Amazon Jungle or preserve it and leave it in its natural state. They currently have to balance this tightrope. How hard was that? I had the chance to be in pristine natural environment, never been touched by man. It was amazing. It was incredible. Now, to get to pristine natural environment, you have to go pretty far from the beaten road. So, it was pretty hard. We took a bus. Another boat. And then another boat. Each boat ride was about three hours each. You would just keep going down the rivers we got to this science base, all sweaty and tired. It was entirely worth it though. I got to see a lot of snakes, a lot of spiders. In normal circumstances, I’m not really up for that snake and
hometown : Paris, France school : College, 2016 major : Economics and Spanish currently wearing : A Questionable zebra tie toaster strudel or pop tart?
“I have never had a toaster strudel, but why try something new when you have already found perfection?�
spider experience, but in this case, seeing them in that kind of environment was just amazing. The reason why this is interesting is because in that same spot, the people of Ecuador. What they essentially pay is the amazing diversity of animals and plant species forever. To that degree, I don’t have any answer. It’s too complicated. Too many factors. We all want a nuanced debate. In a sense, the worst thing that people in power can do is provide simplistic responses to climate change. On that note, if you had the chance to speak to the President, what would you tell him? Hm...I would say that as a President, you leave a legacy.... sometimes a good legacy...sometimes a bad legacy. Most of the time, it’s a bad one, I’d say, if you look back in history. For someone to take a stand on this issue, the right stand, their legacy will be one that recounts a person who went against the tide of unreasonable, massive descent and who helped salvage the planet. At this point, it’s that serious. If we do something now, maybe, just maybe, we can create positive impacts for the future. So you’re pretty much guilt-tripping, Barry. No. Not really. Well…maybe. I’m guilt-tripping in the interest of the general population and the interest of future generations. So, hopefully they’ll forgive me for that. Probably. Cool.
ROBIN GO
(SFS ‘16)
T
he global climate is experiencing trends of temperature increases and
at the polar extremities of our planet, in the Arctic and Antarctic. Every year the sea ice coverage diminishes more and more, leaving an everincreasing window during the year when the Arctic seas are navigable and are used for shipping routes. These routes traverse the northern water through than the traditional shipping routes. The journey from Europe to previous time when traveling through conventional sea routes. Because of this, shipping through the Arctic is rapidly growing and is set to increase further as the climate gets warmer and the time frame in which the routes can be used increases every year. This is a recent development and not long ago, these routes were totally Estimates for future shipping frequency predict 400 to 500 ships crossing above Russia and Canada in the next year alone. The impact to the environment that this increased activity will have is likely to be very large. Unfortunately there are currently no adequate environmental safeguards to protect or even prevent against any ecological damage that may be done to this pristine environment. 1
of the region in order to make sure that ships enter the Arctic region with minimal risk of damage to the environment and to themselves. A stranded or sinking ship has the potential to leak dangerous fuel and chemical cleanup mission in such remote locations. ANALYSIS the Arctic. Large bocks of ice have the potential to damage ship hulls and consequently cause a leak or even sink the ship. The response to this must be twofold. First, an international agreement must be made in order to create set sea routes which will try and maximize the safety of the journey by determining which exact path will be the least dangerous for navigation. Second, all ships must be required to have a navigator onboard, trained for the exact purpose of guiding ships through the Regulations need to address the equipment of each ship and must take into Icing and heavy weather would easily damage navigational instruments of traditional cargo ships. Thus, shipping companies must provide their ships with the technology that can survive through these extreme conditions.2 Additionally, regulation must tackle the issue of ballast systems on ships, which release water from the ship into the sea. As the oceans get warmer, there is a risk that ballast releases will introduce alien species into the ocean thus altering the nature of the ecosystem. As it is already the case in certain fragile ecosystems, ships must be required to control their ballast output in order to preserve the natural environment in which they enter.3 Lastly, international communication must be maintained in order for ships to be able to effectively communicate and relay their position so that countries with the greatest rescue capabilities, namely Canada, Russia, and the USA, can coordinate effectively to deal with environmental and physical damages to ships.
3
Koivurova, TImo, World Widelife Foundation, “International Governance and Regulation of the
Marine Arctic�
96
NEXT STEPS it is imperative to set adequate regulation. The nature of these northern environments is so different and at times so dangerous that any existing regulation does not adequately prepare for navigation in these waters. due to the increase in commercial shipping in the region must push for Polar regulation for any ship entering the artic seas. As any environmental or pollution damages in the northern ocean will countries have incentives to implement these regulations and provide the oversight necessary for ships to be checked and approved before they begin their crossing. The largest obstacle to creating such regulation is the lack of international coordination that exists in the issue, and this
FOCAL FACTS There is currently no obligatory shipping regulation in place for
Between 400 and 500 ships are estimated to sail in the Artic Ccean next year. Traveling through the above Russia to China is 10 to 15 days shorter than travelling through the Suez Canal.
98
(SFS ‘15) (American University) (Universiy of Delaware) (American University)
A
s the debate between the public versus the private sectors continues, there is a critical aspect of the American economy being suppressed: innovation. The government currently leaves the most innovative of the private sector--entrepreneurs and startups--without the resources to create for entrepreneurs and startups to update archaic technologies by making improvements to its departmental grant program. ANALYSIS
the annual budget in recent years.1 access to U.S. patented technology to turn their ideas into products.2 already have seen relative success and did not designate innovation in a
23, 2013. http://energy.gov/science-innovation/innovation/americas-next-top-energy-innovator.
publicity and development that helped bring $1.5 billion in investments to 3 This targeted investment helped develop a nascent industry into a competitive large-scale marketplace, while showing the large area for improvement that exists in the federal support for public-private innovation, through its $16.5 million grant to improve biofuels and algae biofuels by 2022, but it lacks a permanent, dedicated vehicle for it.4 This type of project can incentivize innovators to increase their efforts in improving public goods, while still marketing their solutions. NEXT STEPS allocated resources into one grant competition that continues to supply year. By rotating topics annually, from cutting production costs of solar energy innovators while creating leading-edge solutions to today’s environmental problems. The rotation gives innovators only one shot to apply for a planning or an implementation grant under that topic, encouraging better proposals and increasing the seriousness of receiving government help of private innovation, better achieve its mission of addressing our energy and environment challenges with transformative solutions.
ansari-x-prize.
moniz-announces-new-biofuels-projects-drive-cost-reductions.
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ANALYSIS REPORT (COL ‘17)
I
on Climate Change includes an almost mocking proclamation: “Warming in the climate system is unequivocal… Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.”1 For anyone who has not been living under a rock for the past several decades, the notion that climate change is real and here to stay comes community begun to take concrete action to combat the worrisome trend of climate change and its extensive and disruptive consequences for mankind. As we all know, the primary cause of rising temperatures has been a radical increase in greenhouse gas emissions, most conspicuously carbon
September 2013.
have attempted to address the issue in a comprehensive manner, but they nearly always fall victim to weak participation and enforcement,
century and beyond, but it is not my aim to address or answer them here. ANALYSIS I would like to focus my attention on a newly enacted policy in the state of California – a program that is just now coming to fruition after years of heated debate and delay, not to mention a plethora of lawsuits. California has implemented something called a “cap and trade” scheme for reducing carbon dioxide emissions under legislation called AB 32;
an ambitious feat, given California’s growing population and the presentday limitations of clean technologies.2 trade endeavor is well under way. The system, which is also called emissions trading or “right to pollute,” mitigation scheme currently in play. At its heart is a market mechanism that would make Adam Smith proud. The concept may be familiar to some readers, but let me illustrate how and why cap and trade works in basic terms. First, the government establishes a total quota on carbon dioxide emissions, creating a cap that gradually decreases over time; in 2011, of carbon dioxide – about twelve metric tons per person. For sake of polluting countries if it were an independent nation.3 Until the system takes full effect in 2015, only California’s electricity and industry sectors 4
California’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Future Issues Committee.”
4 2014.
“California Cap and Trade Program Summary.” Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. January
102
off so that all of them reach regulated companies; at the end of the day, each polluter must by law hold a quantity of permits that corresponds continually operating secondary market. Alternatively, they can purchase
this last part ensures that emissions truly decline. to reduce emissions in the long run. Companies that pollute the most, and have an incentive to invest in cleaner technology in order to avoid increasing costs. The system’s principle advantage is that it gives each private business the of carbon dioxide and methods of abatement, given the market price eliminates contentious quotas and other regulations for individual plants; the government simply sets an overall cap and lets the market work its magic. The overall premise of cap and trade bears repeating. An effective system not only reduces emissions – it does so at the lowest possible cost. The cost of emitting one more ton of carbon dioxide is represented
self-allocates permits in a way that minimizes the total economic cost of achieving the emissions quota.5 The concept of cap and trade is elegant, but making it work in practice is much less straightforward; its execution in California will be closely observed, as its results may point toward future prospects for such a system.
act, take this stylized example: if a company calculated that its factory emitted two thousand tons of carbon dioxide and made a pre-permit
A crucial factor in the performance of the carbon market is the effect of complementary environmental policies that promote lower emissions independent of cap and trade legislation.6 Certain sectors or industries, including electricity from natural gas and gasoline-based fuels like ethanol, have preexisting mandates that require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that exist separate from AB 32 – such emissions reductions will occur anyways. For example, California has required that renewable power by 2020.7 But such “complementary mechanisms” are actually possible to reduce pollution too much in one industry and not enough in another, which would entail higher total costs. Regulators must be responsive to these complementary regulations, since they can seriously affect the market in ways that may be less obvious. For example, if such policies cause emissions to end up below the cap, demand and speculators and may even cause people to lose faith in the system. Like every real-world situation, any single market outcome is shaped by a host of exogenous effects. Another possible caveat: as mentioned before, the cap and trade system will in 2015 come to incorporate suppliers 5
Ibid.
7
California Renewables Portfolio Standard, http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Renewables. 3
March 2013.
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of transportation fuels, including regular old unleaded gasoline that is purchased in massive quantities every single day. While most consumers are insulated from the imposed costs of carbon under the current limited pass some costs on to consumers in the form of higher gas prices by 15 cents or more.
the policy’s legitimacy – they believe it will be enforced. The price of the Three subsequent auctions have seen similar
anticipate the cost of reducing emissions to be relatively low. It is true that lower prices mean less auction revenues for the state, but since the at all. In fact, low state revenues mollify critics who view the system as a government revenue grab carried out under the guise of environmental protection. The price represents a happy medium – low enough to alleviate In fact, low prices also characterize the European Union’s emissions scheme and nearly every other carbon cap and trade program in existence today. If low prices mean that companies truly expect the costs of curtailing emissions to be low, the future is bright indeed. They signify that it is possible to reduce pollution at a relatively low cost, balancing the necessities of environmental protection with aspirations for minimal economic cost. NEXT STEPS California’s experiment with cap and trade is certainly an ambitious endeavor, and its future is anything but certain, in terms of structural stability, economic viability, and true environmental impact. As everyone knows, there is nearly always a wide gap between elegant economic
theory and the messy effects that play out in the real world. But perhaps and consumers view California’s cap and trade system as a legitimate and serious force to contend with, and there is much reason for optimism. The emissions and avoids outside distractions that money so often causes.
how to spend the extra funds has been an even more contentious topic of debate than the cap-and-trade legislation itself. Governor Scott Brown’s money, some whopping $250 million, towards high-speed rail, even in the efforts for high-speed rail “would not help achieve AB 32’s primary goal of reducing GHG emissions by 2020.
“Warming in the climate system is unequivocal...” As a result, there could be serious legal concerns regarding this potential use of cap–and–trade revenues. Furthermore, considering the cost of a
state has a number of other more cost-effective options.”10 Greenhouse gas reductions from high-speed rail would only be realized by 2022, if the project proceeds exactly according to plan, and they would be modest at that. Though high-speed rail is an admirable goal, I would argue that AB 32’s funds would be better put towards other policies that would both go a lot farther towards reducing greenhouse gases and reach a wider and needier population. Sustainable Communities Strategies, which are environmentally sound regional transportation proposals that reduce emissions through a variety
10
The 2012-13 Budget:
Funding Requests for High-Speed Rail. http://www.lao.ca.gov/
analysis/2012/transportation/high-speed-rail-041712.aspx, 17 April 2012
106
greener public housing, discounted public transit passes, and a host of other local projects. Taken together, such regional projects would have an immediate impact on greenhouse gas emissions that would most likely exceed that of high-speed rail. Furthermore, the improvements would all, it is paramount, for the integrity of the state and for the future of capand-trade systems, that the money be spent wisely and transparently to sustain public support and truly make a dent in greenhouse gas emissions.
similar systems within the United States and around the world. The evidence thus far is encouraging. With any luck, cap and trade will prove to be an long-term climate challenges.
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universities
(SFS ‘17)
G
eorgetown University has been working for the past eight years to
encouraging conservative procedures and practices within its community. systems, awareness initiatives at different resident halls, changing energy all these changes, the issue still remains that Georgetown is not utilizing its resources to make a transition to using clean power. Statistics from resources.1 Georgetown’s current plan for future reduction of its carbon footprint is to reduce cooling and heating needs by upgrading current machinery Unfortunately, Georgetown’s current usage of solar energy is limited to is attributed to these panels. While the university claims these panels serve as Georgetown’s commitment to forward-looking energy sources, there has been no capitalization on this policy. As the oldest large-scale 1
“Carbon Footprint.” Sustainability at Georgetown University. http://sustainability.georgetown.
quickly becoming obsolete, as scientists in recent years have developed 2 In comparison, other universities in both American University and The George Washington University have installed rooftop solar paneling.3 In addition, AU uses solar power to heat water supplies to certain residence halls and dining halls, while GWU is experimenting with solar walkway installations.4 In order to promote green energy throughout the nation’s capital, Georgetown must model the solar energy plans of fellow institutions in a cost-effective manner. ANALYSIS heating and cooling needs, it has to revamp all facilities beginning with each residence hall and eventually extending to regular-use buildings as well. Furthermore, the university’s sustainability campaign of advocating a campus-wide reduction of personal energy use is not reliable in that the energy use of each individual student cannot be monitored and recorded. These projects, while disrupting regular university life and maintaining high costs because of the vast physical body of the university, will ultimately have a lower opportunity cost for Georgetown as opposed to implementing rooftop solar panels. Primarily, Georgetown’s buildings have a large amount of unused rooftop building’s energy emission. If implemented and tested successfully, the university can begin to expand the use of solar power to other buildings on campus. In the short-term, this project will probably be more costly than simply promoting awareness initiatives and updating current machinery. In the long run, however, the solar panels will save the university a large amount of money by reducing payments to the local electric grid. involved in the implementation of these ideas; while construction may affect the living situation of students in the chosen residence halls, it would be around or less than the amount of disturbance that would potentially be caused by the repairs and installation of new machinery for the heating and cooling systems. This proposal would satisfy Georgetown’s desire to stay current with the available uses of renewable energy sources and
2
Ibid.
110
would provide students with the ability to live on a “greener” and more sustainable campus, which is a point of advocacy for many student groups. Furthermore, Georgetown’s implementation of cost-effective policies in to clean energy by making it cheaper for them to invest in new solar projects.
“In the long run, the solar panels will save the university a large amount of money by reducing payments to the local electric grid.” NEXT STEPS In order to implement a clean, cost-effective strategy to incorporate the
the creation of municipal bonds for local solar projects. Cities like San Jose and Berkeley in California use these bonds to create low-risk, local initiatives for solar power reformatting.5 This policy would supplement Act.6 or crediting the energy used by solar facilities back to the electricity universities maximize the amount of clean energy it can promote for an equal or lesser cost than its current energy usage.
5
“The Seven Ways To Solve The Energy Problem.” Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.
FOCAL FACTS Solar panels only Georgetown’s overall energy consumption. Georgetown’s current usage of solar energy is limited to one building. Georgetown trails behind local universities in utilizing clean energy policies. Instead of changing each energy-consuming machine in buildings, Georgetown can make use of its ample rooftop space to install solar panels.
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He LP JACOB DAVIS Lets AFLOAT THE WORLD’s HELIUM PROBLEM
T
ake a second to type “Things We’re Running Out Of” into Google and a frightening list
facilitates MRIs, and fuels rockets is disappearing. Sure, this is to be expected from a non-renewable resource, but the reserves are decreasing at a much faster rate than they should be. So what’s the cause of this problem, and what’s the solution? Enter Jacob Davis, a sophomore plucked from South Florida and placed into Georgetown College, ready to tackle the social and economic problems of our time. His nationally-published piece, “A Noble Solution: Preserving Helium for Generations to Come,” will be read by students, professors, government points out the critical importance of helium, draws attention to the governmental mismanagement of the resource, and outlines a solution for a future with less of this crucial element. Crediting the Roosevelt Institute as a catalyst for idea-sharing, Jacob this conversation, but also to ensure his own voice is heard.
So you’re a hockey fan from South Florida, how did that happen? Well, my mom is Canadian…but I think that has absolutely nothing to do with it. My dad brought me to a couple of hockey games in the early 2000s, and I’ve always had a thing for obscure sports and obscure interests. It aligns with my thinking outside of the box. Tell me a little bit about your time at Georgetown. You’re only a freshman, but what are you involved in? I’m a fellow with the Compass Fellowship, which is a social entrepreneurship organization. I write for GURI, I did DC Reads last semester and will be doing it again, and this semester I’m interning on the Hill. And what are your overall thoughts on Georgetown so far? I think it’s excellent. It’s everything I wished it would be and more. Your policy piece was picked to be published in the Roosevelt Institute’s 10 Ideas Series, can you tell me a little more about this process and the experience? But the system that’s set up is encouraging – there’s a good network of people you can talk to when you’re writing. I also had my policy chair really push me along in the process. Then it went through a few rounds of edits with people who were really receptive to the piece and wanted to give constructive feedback. And from there, I got lucky. The piece focused on how low market values of helium means we have only a 40-year supply left. What is the root of this problem? What caused this problem to start with? Helium is a non-renewable resource, so that’s problem number one. Problem number two is its increasing usage over time in different applications, like research and development, and somewhat jokingly the popularity of the Thanksgiving Day
116
He
hometown : Davie, FLORIDA school : College, 2017 major : POLITICAL ECONOMY &
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION pretending to hold : Bohr’s HELIUM ATOM favorite quote:
“...Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Parade. After World War II, there was a split where the U.S. had a zeppelins and using helium ships instead of hydrogen, which is why the Hindenburg exploded – they didn’t have any helium because the U.S. had a monopoly on it.... But after the war was really when everything kick-started. That’s when the helium reserve idea sprouted – the idea of reserving helium for defense and security and for further applications in science, research, and technology. Now it’s expanded way beyond that to crucial uses today like for MRIs, which are pretty So does the U.S. export any helium today? The U.S. helium reserve supplies a third of the world’s demand. What do you see as the solution to this problem? It’s encouraging that Congress has already taken steps to raise the price of helium to fair market value – I encouraged at least keeping it there and charging a little more to encourage more research and investment into helium recapture. This has already kind of started because a lot of scientists are realizing the price of helium is inevitably going to go up. Because helium is a nonrenewable resource, they’re also looking into getting things done that require helium by using something else, and just in general, What’s the Roosevelt Institute’s role in bringing about change? I think they’re more of an activating force. A lot of the people who write for GURI have a lot of great ideas, and it’s not that GURI is giving them the ideas, GURI is allowing them to express them and allowing people like me to have a platform of people who will listen. Final question: in your best guess, how many times have people confused you with Nick Jonas? Enough that’s its depressing. KATHERINE LASCALEIA ROBIN GO
120
(COL ‘17)
K
nown for its presence in birthday balloons and ability to induce high pitched voices when consumed, helium is more than just a party accessory. In fact, the noble gas’s low boiling point and high thermal conductivity well as technological innovation. Its impressive and eclectic range of uses include applications in the aerospace industry, computer chip and optical systems and rocket engines.1 Helium Reserve in Amarillo, Texas was established in the early 20’s. Early on, it purchased helium to be used in WWI-era airships and later was “indispensable to the US space exploration program.”2 However, in that operates the Reserve in Amarillo, reached $1.6 billion in debt, and Congress voted to cut its losses by passing the Helium Privatization Act, effectively selling off the reserves to private industry as timely as possible. With United States ready to exit the helium business, the treasury $430,000 a day.3 While the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act of 2013 was passed nearly unanimously to keep the Reserve open, a bigger problem looms: the world is running out of
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.
helium.4 Estimates project that if consumption continues to increase at current rates, we have only a staggering 40 years of helium left.5
“Congress stands to gain from abandoning the antiquated and faulty model it uses to sell helium...� ANALYSIS
helium at a price point about half of what it could get on an unregulated market.6 Because the United States is such a large global supplier, changes in Reserve’s price are mirrored by the rest of the market.7 Thus, allowing the price of helium to rise to market equilibrium would not only be helium supply. As it stands, prices are so low that there is no incentive to conserve or recycle the helium. Recapturing helium from the atmosphere is an expensive proposition, one that Cornell scientist Robert Richardson estimates would make helium 10,000 times more expensive. Lifting helium recapture, something already being explored in academia. NEXT STEPS Congress stands to gain from abandoning the antiquated and faulty model it uses to sell helium in order to allow helium prices to rise in order to preserve the global helium supply. By passing the Helium Stewardship
Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/dwindling-helium-stockpile-has-congress-businesses-
7
Ibid.
122
the BLM more leeway and freedom when it comes to selling helium.10 However, the act still mandates the selling off of most of the reserve and the 11 Lawmakers should take it a step further in giving the BLM more autonomy to set competitive helium prices on the world market. Furthermore, because continuing to fund research into alternatives to helium is crucial.12 While other gases in place of helium should continue to be explored. With these recommendations, Congress can ensure this problem does not balloon out of control.
10
11
12
Ibid.
FOCAL FACTS Federal helium now sells for about half of the open market price. The Helium Reserve nets the Treasury $430,000 a day. Alternatives to current production would lead to the average party balloon costing $100.
124
not to r
(MSB ‘15), (SFS ‘15), & (COL ‘17)
T
he CCA is a private corporation that administers prisons across America under government contract. Allegations of contract fraud and operational malfeasance led the company to withdraw from the Idaho facility and further accusations of human rights abuses by CCA staff are under investigation.1 Contracting prison administration to private
companies such as CCA has become commonplace since the practice free-market policies brought with it the notion that private administration innovation.2 This reasoning permeated the prison system, and resulted in widespread private prison contracting. 30 years later, the theory is not supported by data. A report by Grassroots Leadership and the Public Safety and Justice Campaign, details 30 incidents of issues, such as riots, murder, abuse, and other human rights violations that occurred in privatized prisons to show how prison privatization “is at odds with the goals of reducing incarceration rates and raising correctional standards.”3 Additionally, prison privatization is correlated with the rise of private prison lobbies, nature of their contracts, which stipulate government funding on a perprisoner basis, prison lobbies have a strong incentive to increase the number of inmates. Private prison corporations have been involved in massive lobbying efforts, the most recent aimed at battling immigration reform in order to ensure continued income for housing undocumented citizens.4 ANALYSIS The private prison industry has been massively successful since its end, lobbying efforts supported by prison corporations have altered the nature of the industry. For these reasons, returning Idaho’s two currently private prisons to public administration would mean lowering costs for the state, providing government oversight to issues of prisoner rights, and reducing morally heinous lobbying efforts that subvert the true aims of the criminal justice and correctional system.
savings are realized, they may be quite minimal.5 In fact, one study found
2
Poole, Robert. Ronald Reagan and the privatization revolution. in The Heartland Institute
3
Stroud, Matt. ‘Just like selling hamburgers’: 30 years of private prisons in the U.S. in Forbes.
2013. 4
Ibid.
128
with private administrators.6 When they do save, they do so primarily by “spending less for the biggest business cost—personnel.”7 Reducing prison guard wages contributes to a higher turnover rate and a higher number of inexperienced guards, creating conditions susceptible to riots, Furthermore, many private prisons accept only low cost inmates, leaving state prisons burdened with sick and expensive, high-security inmates. responsibility over prison maintenance to those also responsible for sentencing creates positive incentives for accountability in the public system and a less hostile prison environment. This culpability is manifested in quality of care and extends to prisoner-guard relationships; rates of frequent.10 Ultimately, transitioning back to public administration in Idaho’s prisons would mean lower costs to the state and a less discriminatory criminal justice system unfettered by lobbying efforts. NEXT STEPS While the state of Idaho is the immediate target for returning prisons to public administration, successful state-level implementation of this policy should spark a similar nation-wide effort. The policy would have a positive impact on prisoner’s well-being, costs to taxpayers, and victims of discriminatory laws supported by prison lobbies. Following a successful transition back to public administration of the Idaho Correctional Center, the state should move to de-privatize its second private prison upon termination of the contract. While savings to the state and gains in prisoner welfare will be realized immediately, the greater impact to human rights can only occur through cooperation of all states to revert their private prisons to public administration, effectively eliminating the prison lobby and constraining its efforts to bring about overly stringent and discriminatory laws. 6
Isaacs, Caroline. American Friends Service Committee, “Private Prisons: The Public’s Problem. A
10
Austin, J. and Coventry, G. Emerging Issues on Privatized Prisons. Bureau of Justice Assistance,
February 2001.
FOCAL FACTS Prison privatization, conceived as a costsaving measure, has failed to reliably reduce costs to taxpayers due to occupancy agreements and lobbying efforts that seek to felonize low-level criminal activity. Rates of assault on guards and fellow lower in public prisons, respectively. Five states more than doubled the number of individuals in private prisons. Idaho had the largest increase, holding
130
(NHS ‘15) (COL ‘15)
S
urgery is an integral part of the health care system, yet it involves inherent risks. However, most surgically induced iatrogenic complications that arise from medical procedures are fairly avoidable. Astounding and avoidable mistakes such as wrong-patient surgery, wrong-site surgery, or retained medical equipment jeopardize the health of patients and have costly implications for the health care industry. A malpractice study, conducted by doctors at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, found that surgical errors occur over 4,000 times per
year.1 These avoidable mishaps, referred to as “never events,” include incorrect surgical procedures, surgeries on the wrong area of the body, or almost 10,000 reported claims.2 Costs extend much further than this, from the welfare of affected patients to the expenses attributable to lost time, longer inpatient treatment, and additional healthcare services. The complicated protocol involved in surgical procedures in conjunction with a lack of coordination between surgical team members enhances complications accompany such negligence and must be attended to. Implementation of a surgical checklist can ensure adherence to detail and coherence of the surgical team to help prevent avoidable medical errors. ANALYSIS Mandatory implementation of the surgical checklist developed by errors associated with surgeries in hospitals. The checklists include basic procedures, such as identifying the correct patient, marking the correct surgical site, and ensuring the same number of surgical tools are present after the operation as before.3 As seen within the airplane industry, the simple addition of a standard checklist to counteract problematic processes can make all the difference when it comes to safety. as accounting for surgical materials are ways a surgeon can minimize the possibility of committing preventable errors. In the Johns Hopkins study, death. Settlements were paid to patients who suffered from permanent 4 Martin Makary, an associate of the Johns Hopkins study, presumes these reported values underestimate the prevalence of never-events. Many patients choose not to report claims, or may not even know they have a sponge or scalpel inside their body post-operation until they acquire a related infection. Employment of a checklist promotes safety of patients and reduces the likelihood of avoidable medical malpractice.
1
Mehtsun, Winta T. et al. “Surgical never events in the United States.” Surgery
2
Ibid.
4
Ibid, 1
134
in eight pilot hospitals around the world. The hospitals represented a wide variety of locations, income rates, and demographics, so hospitals adhered to the incomprehensive checklist accordingly to mold to their
complications, such as pneumonia, vascular thrombosis, or surgical site 5 With a mandatory checklist in place, these hospitals were able to substantially reduce the occurrence of miniscule mistakes in the operating room. A surgical checklist will ensure effective treatment of patients and lessen the possibility of medical error. With fewer complications from surgery, inpatients will spend less time being treated in the hospital. In turn, more hospital beds will be readily available. Hospitals also avoid costs associated with malpractice claims and additional healthcare services. In addition to improving the safety and quality of care for hospital patients, the checklist remedy surgical mistakes. NEXT STEPS Looking to the future, legislative action can be taken to authorize the hospital safety standards through the accreditation process, to mandate the surgical checklist. After the checklist is used in surgery, the list will be be part of the process. To increase compliance and reduce regulatory program to encourage compliance among surgical teams. Furthermore, Congress may want to include some public disclosure language in the authorizing legislation to further encourage compliance by opening the hospitals up to reputational risk.
5
Haynes, Alex B et al. “A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and
FOCAL FACTS Preventable surgical errors occur over 4,000 times per year. About $1.3 billion has been paid in almost 10,000 malpractice claims over two decades. Use of the checklist has yielded positive results in hospitals that chose to implement it.
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(SFS ‘16)
C
urrent mental health systems in high schools are based on crisis
limits the community’s involvement and knowledge of mental health problems, contributing to the stigma surrounding mental illness.1 Unfortunately, half of all Americans will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives.2 can lead to suicide, a rising problem among teens.3 Instead of stopping suicide through crisis intervention, high schools should move towards secondary prevention, which focuses on teaching methods to diagnose depression in early stages. This focus on prevention will not only save lives but also begin a dialogue on mental health, which will address the ignorance surrounding depression and other mental illnesses. ANALYSIS
4
how to notice situations involving depression and potential suicide and and Human Services calls the stigma associated with mental health the “most formidable obstacle to future progress in the arena of mental illness and health.�5 to ask if someone is having thoughts of suicide.
6
effectiveness.7
public support pushed for legislation that successfully altered the state mental health system. Any substantial change to school systems needs having the second highest median household income of any county in America.
Prevention Services provides close supervision over school mental health professionals.10 material for those instructors to teach staff, students, and willing parents although there are online options as well.
10
138
Fairfax currently boasts 75 psychologists and social workers who serve 11
license to train all students, staff, willing parents, and stakeholders of the school system is $1 per enrolled student per year. Together with the costs of training instructors, an annual estimate based on this data would total $150,000, about $3 per student. Fairfax is spending $13,472 on each 12
NEXT STEPS
during the school year. The program in Fairfax county can serve as a States.
11 12 2013; Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools: A Citizen’s Guide to Understanding
FOCAL FACTS Half of all Americans suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives. In any given year, only mental disorders are mental health services. across the Fairfax County, system would have an estimated cost of $3 per student.
140
ANALYSIS REPORT (NHS ‘15)
T
as a “function that supports information-sharing across providers, patients, types and levels of service, sites and time frames, with the goal of ensuring that the patients’ needs and preferences are achieved and that care is 1 Currently, the United States health care system is disjointedly comprised of individualized care providers that treat on an episodic basis. Furthermore, these providers depend on patients the symptoms of chronic illness, but also drives up the costs of healthcare the lack of coordinated and comprehensive care is a problem inherent to the United States health care systems due to the current reimbursement system and the lack of a cohesive, integrated infrastructure.
A possible way to overcome the barrier of coordinated care is to maximize
information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards with the purpose of providing access to and retrieval of clinical data to provide higher quality care.2 A HIE would essentially make available patient medical information from a database through the use information transparency and better enable coordination of care which may lead to improved health outcomes. Additionally, this information can be used for population health management. Essentially, it will address the care system must achieve in order to improve the quality of the delivery of care: Safety: The HIE will help minimize miscommunication between healthcare providers through the availability of complete medical history, which will minimize the potential for medication errors and errors in transitional care. Effectiveness: Health care providers will be better able to assess the health of the individuals, without having to rely on word-of-mouth from the patients. The enhancement of coordination between providers will enable them to work more seamlessly tether to provide more comprehensive care, while addressing the patients needs with more effective therapy. Additionally, a complete health record compiles indicators to practice more preventative medicine to reduce risk of chronic disease in the future. The HIE will increase information transparency and thus increase productivity. Timeliness: The HIE will make care transition quicker as complete patient information will be available to different clinicians instantly, decreasing the response time and expediting the process of taking medical history. Patient-Centeredness: The HIE will shift much of the responsibility and accountability of collecting and assessing information from the patient to the provider. It will facilitate patient empowerment and involvement. Equity: The HIE system will promote standardized care delivery to each patient to be used in conjunction with individual treatment. More accountability of the physician to follow best practices and evidence medicine will be facilitated by the HIE as all information is available. This
Web. 6 May 2013. www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/RuralHealthITtoolbox/Collaboration/whatishie.html
142
helps to ensure that each patient receives the care that they require, regardless of their ability to pay. ANALYSIS A major obstacle of implementing a HIE is the of adoption of EHR systems into care delivery locations. The rate of HIT adoption has lagged behind other industries for more than 20 years, so many providers have attempted to catch up by implementing an EHR in their care delivery center.3 However, this has resulted varying levels of EHR integration throughout the system that are not interoperable. Many providers in smaller practices, poorer communities, and in rural areas lack resources at their primary practice location.4 Without a system of fully functional and interoperable EHRs, data cannot be exchanged in a HIE. implemented the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical spread EHR implementation. The HITECH Act has several components which have promoted the establishment of statewide health information exchanges, developed standards for EHR systems through CMS, and promoted the idea of an eventual nationwide HIE. HITECH, along with CMS, has addressed the issue of the lack of interoperability of EHR through “Meaningful Use�, which are a set of govern the use of electronic health records.5 According to Information Week, there are currently over 300 different EHR system applications on the market. Many of them are unable to communicate and transfer information between each other. Because these systems have already to get them to change without standardized requirements that would
of Health and Human Services, 21 June 2012. Web. 6 May 2013. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-04-
healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/nationwide-health-information-network-nwhin
allow interoperability. The goals of the “Meaningful Use” standards and engaging patients and families in their health care through the improvement of care coordination and population and public health, while maintaining privacy and security. The EHR must be used in a clinical quality measures.6 By achieving all three phases of these standards, providers would be able to use their EHRs in a HIE. This criteria helped to standardize the requirements of different EHR applications to make the implementation a smoother process for health care providers, while establishing the infrastructure for HIE. The HITECH Act was able to promote the formation of HIE within states
the differences in state health care systems, infrastructure, and Medicaid which is a set of standards, services, and policies that enable the secure exchange of health information over the Internet.7 An example of failure in the creation of a state HIE is the case of Tennessee. The Tennessee government, along with public and private key stakeholders, were to makeup the Health Information Partnership would have worked with existing programs to implement the federal government’s proposed regulations and criteria of meaningful use to State Health Plan, TennCare, the Internal Health Council, TennCare, and However, due to a lack of resources and time, the plan was deemed to be unfeasible, and Tennessee instead opted for secure emailing between providers. Although the plan did facilitate the implementation of more EHR systems, secure mailing still lacks the immediacy and comprehensiveness that the HIE could provide. 6
“Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.” CMS.gov. Web. 6 May 2013. https://www.
7
Ibid.
Initatives.
144
An example of success is the state of Maryland, which formed the Maryland hospitals committed to sharing data with statewide HIE that physician practices, hospitals, labs, radiology centers, and other healthcare institutions. CRISP was formally designated Maryland’s statewide HIE and was also named Maryland’s Regional Extension Center for Health IT to deploy EHRs and achieve meaningful use by 2014.10 NEXT STEPS Currently, there is no pending legislation on the government’s national develop their EHR and HIE infrastructures in accordance with Meaningful Exchange. It is made up of 34 participants, which include 4 federal 11
policies that enable the secure exchange of health information over the Internet.12 This can serve as a template and be expanded as different Coordinated, comprehensive care is one of the many issues that plagues the U.S. health care system. HIE is a step in the right direction to providing from being cost-centric to being more patient-centered. A solution such as HIE can lead to lower health expenditures in the short term due to the savings of fewer testing and a reduction of overutilization, but it can also decrease health expenditures in the long term. HIE would help the U.S. Aims, which will ultimately lead to better health outcomes.
Live.aspx 10 marketing. Web. 6 May 2013. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases-test/maryland-crisp-announce11
Ibid., 5
12
Ibid., 5
FOCAL FACTS providers better coordinate care. possible through the use of electronic health records. The responsibility falls on the individual states to implement their own
Web.
146
good face
(COL ‘15) (COL ‘15)
I
n the United States, there are currently shortages of 237 drugs according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.1 Pharmaceutical when deciding what drugs to develop and what diseases to conduct patients in need. Ultimately, all patients will not be able to receive the care
they require. For example, in the US, cancer is the second leading cause of death resulting in over half a million deaths each year.2 of oncologists have to deal with essential chemotherapy drug shortages. This is especially prevalent in the case of pediatric cancer, with 10,000 shortages of eight out of ten of the most common drugs used in treating the most common pediatric cancer, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.3 This example of chemotherapy drug shortages is indicative of a widespread issue of medical resource shortages. The markets for antibiotics and neglected “orphan� diseases - diseases that affect a small segment of the population - are other areas where there is a lack of incentive for research and drug development. However, neglected diseases continue to affect over one billion people worldwide, according to the 4 The crux of this issue lies in the inability of pharmaceutical companies to recover costs associated with small-market drug development. ANALYSIS
Several case studies of past legislation provide useful framework to analyze research and development of drugs to treat diseases that affect a small segment of the population.5 for pharmaceutical companies to address because the market for them is extensions, and clinical research subsidies to companies that brought orphan drugs to the market.6 Another example of this incentivization framework is the Generating patent extensions to companies that bring new antibiotics to market. in hospitals where risk of infection is greatly increased.7
3
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
148
bacteria. incentivizes the development of new vital antibiotics. positive role government can play in marshalling resources in the medical drug with an extremely high out-of-pocket cost to the insured, while intravenous chemotherapy is usually well-covered. However, there is no wildly different coverage. Some forms of cancer are only treatable by the oral chemotherapy, so they do not have the option of an affordable both types of chemotherapy identically.
“Medical resources must be marshalled effectively to deal with drug shortages.� NEXT STEPS Multiple avenues exist to increase the production of scarce drugs and drugs for neglected diseases. Legislative goals should include minimizing costs associated with the development of smaller market drugs. The government can accomplish this by providing tax credits or relief for companies which work on smaller market drug development. Alternatively, companies can be incentivized to produce these drugs by receiving fasttrack vouchers to eliminate the non-essential, bureaucratic regulatory processes which can delay the arrival of the drug to market and inevitably delay returns from the drug. These vouchers can be applied to either the the term of patent can be extended for the small-market or large-market drugs and help pharmaceutical companies recover the costs associated with development of small-market drugs.
FOCAL FACTS There are currently shortages of 237 drugs in the United States. worldwide are affected by neglected diseases. drugs have been approved by the Food Estimated economic cost of antibiotic resistance to the U .S . economy range as high as $20 billion in excess direct healthcare costs, with additional costs to society for lost productivity as high as $35 billion a year.
150
(NHS ‘15)
(SFS ‘15)
E
premarket approval cycles continue to delay consumers’ access to potentially life saving drugs.1 harm pharmaceutical companies by limiting a drug’s effective patent life to an average seven years after the drug actually reaches market.2 This creates a perverse incentive for pharmaceutical companies to focus solely amount of time rather than curing serious diseases which affect small some life-saving drugs which includes a shorter premarket approval cycle and some post-approval regulation.3 While this process is effective in theory, post-approval regulation is often optional and poorly enforced.4 Poor implementation and enforcement
understanding-the-fdas-expedited-drug-review-pathways/
preclude post-approval regulation from offering an acceptable alternative post-approval regulation for some drugs on a conditional basis.5 If pharmaceutical companies do not comply with post-approval regulations, 6
prescribed post-approval studies have been completed.7 ANALYSIS should mandate that pharmaceutical companies conduct post-approval research with clear deadlines or else be forced to pull new drugs from
widespread access to cutting edge and potentially life-saving drugs.
the effects of drugs after their appearance on the market. The long term and widespread impacts of pharmaceuticals can often only be tested after a drug is sold to large populations, but poor post-approval followthrough prevents patients from accessing this data. Required postapproval studies can help shed light on unanticipated effects of new drugs on the market. Post-approval evaluations also incentivize pharmaceutical companies to rigorously promote on-label use to generate stronger preand post-approval study correlations and prevent side effects of off-label drug use.
5
Kux, n.p.
Guidances/UCM172001.pdf 7
Moore, n.p.
152
processes.10 Although a forum for an expedited review process exists, historical evidence suggests that pharmaceutical companies typically only enjoy relatively few years of patent protection on new, innovative drugs.11 If pharmaceutical companies can enjoy a longer period of patent protection, pharmaceutical companies may be incentivized to produce drugs which typically have a smaller consumer base because the drug will series data which can help pharmaceutical companies improve on existing drugs and petition for expanded on-label use.
widespread access to cutting edge and potentially life-saving drugs.� requirements. Pharmaceutical companies will have to undertake the costs of postmarket studies because they will not want to have their drugs pulled from the market for noncompliance. These studies can investigations when patients complain. Additionally, benchmarks for drug studies negotiated before a drug’s market debut will decrease the cost of determining and monitoring companies’ vague post-approval obligations, NEXT STEPS more rigorously enforces post-approval requirements and decreases premarket requirements. Thus, Congress is likely to support granting the
approval arm, the change in the distribution of funding represents a more 12
10
Moore, n.p.
11
Ibid.
12
obtain IRB approval for studies and set clear benchmarks to track research progress before approving drugs for market. This pre-emptive negotiation ensures pharmaceutical companies are legally responsible for completing post-market studies.13
13
FOCAL FACTS Pharmaceutical companies seven years of patent protection once a drug is approved. In approval process allegedly could have saved over
new innovative drugs for patients in need. Post-approval studies are a good approval if drugs are regulated effectively after approval.
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