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Lessons in Law, Leadership, and Leading a ‘Good Life’: An Interview with Jeh Johnson
Jeh Johnson served as Secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017 and General Counsel of the Department of Defense from 2009 to...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 15, 202118 min read


On the Offensive: Implications of Trump’s New Cyber Strategy
Vice President Mike Pence created much ado in August when he revealed “Space Force,” — a proposed sixth branch of the US military....
chiefofstaff1
Oct 9, 20184 min read


Donald Trump and the Empty Rhetoric of Executive Actions
The beginning of Trump’s presidency was marked by a flurry of executive actions. In his first twelve days in office, President Trump...
chiefofstaff1
Feb 22, 20176 min read


B-Rock and Hip-Hop: A Retrospective
In a notable scene from Straight Outta Compton, members of the hip-hop group N.W.A. sat at a press conference, answering questions from a...
chiefofstaff1
Dec 7, 20166 min read


On Being “Pro-Israel”: US Relations with Israel Behind the Military Aid
On September 14th, President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu signed a 10-year military-assistance deal containing the largest...
chiefofstaff1
Oct 28, 20165 min read


The Cuban Thaw
Last week, President Obama made modern history by becoming the first sitting president since Calvin Coolidge to set foot on Cuban soil....
chiefofstaff1
May 6, 20165 min read


The Biden Rule and the Country’s Polarization
Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 1997 encountered similar obstacles to the ones he...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 30, 20166 min read


Not So Noble: The Politics Behind the Nobel Peace Prize
In a jaw-dropping announcement last month, it emerged that Donald Trump was inexplicably nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. An anonymous...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 12, 20165 min read


Crime And (Over)Punishment
Due to a 1996 piece of legislation, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), stories like Valdez’s are...
chiefofstaff1
Dec 8, 20156 min read


Gunning for Democrats: Progressives in the Second Amendment Debate
When Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, threw his hat into the presidential race, he was widely expected to be to the...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 4, 20155 min read


If At First You Don’t Succeed: The Department of Defense’s Failed Syrian Rebel Training Program
Amidst the overthrow of governments in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies...
chiefofstaff1
Oct 26, 20156 min read


From Corn Dogs to Commander in Chief: How Candidates Regulate Health and Win Votes
It has already been over seven months since the 2016 campaign trail began winding its way through Iowa and New Hampshire, but a long road...
chiefofstaff1
Oct 5, 20154 min read


A Questionable Remedy: Obama’s Community College Initiative
President Barack Obama’s community college proposal has been touted as a revolutionary step towards universal education — one that will...
chiefofstaff1
Apr 11, 20155 min read


BPR Interviews: Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben is the author of “The End of Nature,” widely regarded as the first book about climate change written for a general...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 24, 20154 min read


BPR Interviews: Larry Siems
Brown Political Review: Describe the scope and magnitude of the “Guantánamo Diary” project. Larry Siems: It’s an incredibly unique...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 17, 20158 min read


Medicaid and the Construction of an Undeserving Poor
When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, it undertook a major expansion of Medicaid—a public assistance program that offers...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 12, 20157 min read
Stick With Merkel Through Murky Waters
On February 16, conflict in Ukraine escalated as pro-Russian rebels ignored the internationally brokered cease-fire determined after “16...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 5, 20154 min read


Celebrity in Chief: The Role of Likeability in the American Presidency
President Obama was a celebrity even before he ran for president. In 2007, comedy site Barely Political’s music video “Crush on Obama,”...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 4, 20154 min read


For Iran, American Ignorance Is Bliss
This past February, President Barack Obama unveiled his 2015 National Security Strategy. The document stresses “international order,”...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 2, 20156 min read


The Crusades Haven’t Ended: Crusades in Politics
It isn’t unusual for the president’s words to be analyzed and criticized. The propensity of Americans to routinely invoke their First...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 2, 20155 min read
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