Costlier drugs have made it more difficult for the ill and low-income to receive quality healthcare, in addition to making it more expensive for taxpayers who have to finance Medicare more. Despite this, lobbying laws and protections are at the forefront of enabling and, in many ways, encouraging such behavior, often in the spirit of free speech. While free speech is a basic tenet of American democracy, strict adherence to it has allowed rampant, corrupt, corporate lobbying that has undermined American democracy by overpowering public interest.

Lawmakers and scholars on both sides of the aisle have publicly expressed their opinions on President Biden’s April 6, 2021 creation of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States to examine the merits of reforming the nation’s highest court. Reactions between and within parties have been mixed: some Democrats view reforms as a means of “taking back the court” from “conservative” Justices, while a few Republicans have accused progressives of trying to “pack the court.” This is the first attempt to reform the Supreme Court in nearly a century, leaving many scholars and lawmakers skeptical of the President’s true motivation. On April 15, a group of Democrats introduced legislation to add four justices to the Supreme Court, signaling progressives’ desire to move forward with reform. However, the proposed law and new commission are unlikely to result in any real change.

On March 25, 2021, Georgia Republicans passed the controversial bill SB 202, which intends to revise state election law, creating a resurgence of tension between Republicans and Democrats following the 2020 Presidential election. The full text of Georgia’s voting law indicates that the voting bill was passed in reaction to a lack of confidence in Georgia’s election systems due to charges of voter suppression, alleged voter fraud, and controversy over signature-matching requirements. Democrats and civil-rights groups deemed the voting bill a measure to restrict voting in future elections, but Republicans insist the bill will improve voter processes and confidence in Georgia.

This piece serves as a reflection and push for progress as Brianna explores the rise in media coverage of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the past year she has spent as a research assistant for a project on “Stand Your Ground” Laws. With a focus on the origins of SYG in Florida, Brianna hopes to uncover the history behind the controversial law and look to efforts to combat its strong impact on the undue deaths of Black Americans.

This blog post discusses the recent revival of the century-old Equal Rights Amendment, with the recent passage of a U.S. House resolution to remove the amendment’s ratification deadline. The ERA has encountered many roadblocks over the course of the last century, beginning with the mobilization of anti-feminists who believed that the amendment would strip women of their traditional ‘real rights’ to stay in the home as a wife and mother. In contemporary society, criticism of the amendment persists through arguments that the ERA would result in a more severe impact on societal structures than is necessary. Given the pervasive economic and social inequality based on gender in the United States, supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment believe that the explicit inclusion of women in the Constitution is vital to the protection of women’s rights.

The sexual assault allegations surrounding Governor Andrew Cuomo are the source of national debate and outrage, with many critics calling for his resignation. The power dynamics at play symbolize a larger problem with legislators who do not obey their own laws and indicate the need for publicly elected officials to take accountability in the post-#MeToo era.