Michigan Journal of Public Affairs

One of the central facets of democracy is the voice of the people. That voice, funneled  through elections, grants individuals the power to decide not only who represents them in  government but also what policies will shape their lives. When formal and informal barriers limit a minority group’s ability to

If you’ve ever used TikTok or Instagram, your feed has probably been dominated by fitness gurus promoting “body sculpting workouts,” self-proclaimed “diet coaches” analyzing other users’ meals, and scores of people live-posting their “weight loss journeys” to millions of followers. Over the past decade, research on social media’s mental health

Executive Summary  Given rising tensions with China, growing national security concerns, and the potential for domestic job creation, Congress should allocate additional subsidies for domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors. China’s semiconductor chip designs are poised to surpass the U.S.’, presenting cybersecurity risks to domestic military and consumer tech. The

In international economic development, a prevailing perspective often regards environmental degradation as an inevitable “cost” that must be paid to secure Indonesia’s perceived “benefits” of economic growth. This trade-off principle raises a critical ethical question: must the Indonesian government adhere strictly to a dichotomy where the choice is limited to

By: Claire Lambert  The 2016 United States presidential election was a pivotal moment in American history. This race resulted in the election of Donald Trump, who ran on a platform steeped in racism, homophobia, and sexism, and whose efforts were ultimately characterized by many as a tragedy. This election impacted

By: Alexandra Soos & Ishita Shukla   The U.S. is one of only four countries in the last 25 years to roll back abortion rights, having made the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. Alongside Mexico, who decriminalized abortion nationally in late 2023, the U.S. is the only

By: Muhamad Rifki Maulana In recent years, discussions about climate change have continued to become dynamic, especially regarding the reduction of carbon emissions. One interesting example is that of the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential debates in Indonesia, where conversations on solutions to air pollution in Jakarta and carbon capture storage

By Christina Del Greco The U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization exists to manage intellectual property within the United States, which includes granting patents.  While there are multiple types of patents, the most commonly known is the utility patent, or a patent on something that is useful.  The requirements for a

By Yuliya Shyrokonis Despite a global pandemic, protestors across the United States took to the streets last summer to condemn widespread police discrimination and brutality. Data show that police forces killed 1,096 Americans in 2019. Black Americans were three times as likely to be killed by police per capita than

By Yezenia Sandoval For English Language Learners (ELLs), the appointment of Miguel Cardona, a former English Language Learner himself, as the Secretary of Education suggests a promising future in strengthening bilingual education programs across the nation. However, these programs face significant challenges; to ensure their success, the new administration should

By Mark Minshen Lee When images of crowded house parties and pool romps at New York’s upscale Fire Island made their way across gay Twitter last July, the condemnation was swift. Amid a deadly pandemic, how could so many people blatantly ignore public health guidelines and put others at risk?

By Kyle G. Southern, Ph.D. and Charles H. F. Davis III, Ph.D. Today, more than 44 million Americans owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt—the largest source of debt next to home mortgages nationally. Contrary to President Biden’s recent statements in response to a town hall question about