Op-Eds
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Every Ballot Counts…or Does It? The Supreme Court Will Decide This Summer
Should ballots postmarked by Election Day but delivered late still be counted towards election results? This summer, the Supreme Court will decide – and the Court's decision will likely impact the upcoming midterm elections in November.
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Virginia Joins National Redistricting Battle: What the April 21st Special Election Means for the Future of Politics
The 2026 special election saw Virginia officially enter the national redistricting battle, with Virginians voting “yes” for the redistricting referendum; this has important implications for Virginia politics and for national gerrymandering efforts.
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Railroad rivalries and the lessons of great power imperialism
The denial of a strategic African railway helped push Germany toward WWI, and today this corridor has become a front line for U.S.-China rivalry. If Washington’s containment repeats the errors of 1914, this race may once again spark global conflict.
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The Democrats have lost control over their candidates, and now they’re thriving
The Democratic Party has been experiencing a shift recently, and that comes from the wave of outsider victories in primaries across the country. Despite the establishment losing control, this seems to be to the benefit of the Democrats’ success.
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The challenge of work requirements for welfare
The Trump administration’s new work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid will restrict access to the programs for millions of low-income Americans, exemplifying how these sorts of regulations have often failed to lift communities out of poverty.
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Make Iran Great Again?
The Trump administration has abandoned the America First policy that President Trump ran on and allowed him to receive a majority of the popular vote in the 2024 presidential election.
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Executive Order 14168: An exercise in destroying inconvenient truths
In “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” Donald Trump presents his own version of the truth, and transgender Americans are not a part of it.
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Why Georgia’s gubernatorial race represents the nation in a nutshell
Georgia has been one of the most politically contentious states over the last decade, and now it faces an intensely competitive primary on both sides of the aisle. The divisions we see, however, are not too unfamiliar from those around the nation and can give us valuable insights into what to expect moving forward.
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A legacy erased: How Trump’s executive orders dismantle the Biden agenda and erode democracy
By dismantling Biden’s domestic agenda and upending ongoing projects, the Trump administration is rejecting a model of governing that prioritized long-term growth and stability in favor of one without coherent goals.
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The reality of Olympic neutrality: Representing a country doesn’t mean agreeing with it
Olympians represent their countries on the world stage, but this has never meant total agreement. As politics increasingly shape the Games’ perceptions, the real challenge may be our response to athletes speaking as citizens as well as competitors.
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The Nations’ Arena: Performative Politics is Taking Over the Court
The State of the Union, the press briefing room, and other political moments have one thing in common- spectacle is overtaking substance. Performative politics is dominating media outlets, and Americans are losing political information because of it.
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Immigration to the U.S. Was once seen as a land of job opportunity. Now, it’s the focus of substantial economic decline
With the U.S. fluctuating over the century with its immigration policy, the Trump administration has marked a significant departure to immigration crackdowns and border enforcement. As public opinion is starting to favor immigration and oppose Trump’s policies, it begs the question of the contribution immigrants bring to our economy, workforce, and GDP.
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Cigarettes and social media: The problem with warning labels
Social media warning labels are gaining political momentum, but their efficacy in addressing social media addiction remains ambiguous. Due to differences in behavioral and chemical dependence, this type of addiction requires deeper structural reforms rather than relying on warning labels alone.
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The redistricting fight consuming United States politics
Mid-decade redistricting efforts have begun in many states with the intent of creating partisan districts. These tactics create electoral advantages for the major political parties in the upcoming midterm elections. This sets a dangerous precedent for future presidents and governors to follow and threatens American civic culture.
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The case for protecting hate speech
With the rise of social media, speech labeled offensive or hateful has come under increasing scrutiny. While calls to restrict such expression are growing louder, limiting it enables egregious government overreach.
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The Olympics are – and should be – political
As a matter of policy, the Olympic Games are supposedly “politically neutral.” But with the current political climate in the United States and abroad, athletes should use their unique platform to speak out, and the International Olympic Committee should allow it.
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One great masquerade: The Trump administration and religion
Since returning to power in 2024, the Trump administration has disingenuously used Christianity to justify leadership and administrative decision-making. However, their actions severely misrepresent biblical teachings.
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This must end
Our country burns. Our allies are turning away from the falling empire. In the meantime, Americans must take America back.
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A path forward: What the NYC mayoral election teaches us about the future of the Democratic Party
The 2025 New York City Mayoral Election had people from across the nation on the edge of their seats. The election ultimately resulted in a victory for Democratic-Socialist Zohran Mamdani, potentially indicating a new phase for the Democratic Party.
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Trump’s capture of Maduro was never about the drugs
On January 3rd, 2026, the Trump Administration arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, framing the operation as necessary to stop America’s drug epidemic. However, Trump has other motives: Expanding American dominance.
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Saul Goodman, redemption, and the value of radical kindness
The TV crime drama Better Call Saul stress tests what it means to be redeemable, demonstrating how invaluable it is to simply understand one another.
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How far Is PHAR enough?
As developers put profits over people, Charlottesville is undergoing gentrification. Charlottesville’s Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR) is fighting to stop this.
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Women’s rights, wealth, and the limits of state feminism in Tunisia
State feminism can only go so far. In the case of Tunisia, the impact of pinkwashing has been used to cover up the tight authoritarian grip on the nation.
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How to build a third party (and save American democracy?)
In a country as large, diverse, and divided as the United States, it is troubling that only two nationally viable political parties exist. How can a successful third party be built, and what should it look like?
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Salami-slicing in the sea: Should we be worried about China?
Is China undertaking an aggressive maritime strategy known as salami-slicing to secure expansionist gains? Or are the worries over China overblown?