In July 2011, the District of Columbia announced Sustainable DC – a plan to make DC the greenest, healthiest, and most livable city in the nation. One of the plan’s major initiatives aims to increase the District’s urban tree canopy, as investing in trees has been...
This literature review examines the cultural frames and perspectives of American exceptionalism used by American presidents, at home and abroad. First, it identifies key definitions and themes associated with historical and modern-day perspectives on American exceptionalism. Next, American presidential speeches and notable addresses are examined for their use of frames associated with this concept. This review then draws on framing theory and its application to the concept of American exceptionalism. Last, major domestic and foreign policy cultural frames are identified in relation to American exceptionalism. In sum, this literature review examines American exceptionalism, its accompanying cultural frames, why it continues to strategically influence foreign and domestic policy decisions by American leaders, and the challenges to its continued relevance in modern political rhetoric.
Climate change has already damaged environments, ecosystems, and communities around the world, and without bold policy responses, these impacts are projected to intensify throughout the twenty-first century. In the United States, climate change disproportionately harms the nation’s most vulnerable communities: low-income Americans and communities of color who lack the resources to respond to the degradation of their environments, health, communities, and economies. As the U.S. considers policies to mitigate climate change, policymakers must craft solutions to alleviate the inequitable distribution of costs from carbon pollution and incentivize the early retirement of carbon-emitting infrastructure.
The Equality Act is a landmark piece of legislation that could pave the way for inclusive policies, and the need to pass it has never been greater.
Following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minnesota on May 25, 2020, protests erupted throughout the country. Protests continued as other Black people were killed at the hands of excessive violence from police officers—Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and far too many others. Protestors demanded justice for all Black people that have died, and continue to die, at the hands of police. In tandem with the calls for justice, protestors called for defunding the police. In this paper, I discuss the calls to defund the police and assess the public safety outcomes in communities most affected by police brutality—ultimately answering the question, is defunding the police a justifiable and sustainable option for creating safer communities? To do this, I review the impacts of criminalization on the Black community, past federal government defunding initiatives, and the municipal budget process. Then, I delve deeper into the general operating funds of three cities, Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA, and Phoenix, AZ, by reviewing the total general fund expenditures and comparing the amount being spent on law enforcement and other selected expenditures.
Guest worker programs should include worker protections and a pathway to legal protection to incentivize labor participation and a more robust workforce.
Policy often plays a negligible role policy plays in elections, with debates and speeches doing little to encourage candidates to detail their proposals.
This report examines the distribution of community foundation grants in the Virginia Beach, Richmond, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in the state of Virginia, by using the Opportunity Atlas Data Tool to map grantees’ locations over income mobility outcomes. The atlas relies on 1970-2010 Census data and tax information to estimate the earning potential of residents based on neighborhood location, race, and gender. The results demonstrate that foundations–specifically the Richmond Foundation, The Northern Virginia Foundation, and the Hampton Road Foundation–did not focus on funding non-profits located in neighborhoods with the worst socioeconomic outcomes. Additionally, the funding disparities often correlated along racial lines, as neighborhoods with a higher fraction of non-white residents were less likely to receive funding. Based on these observations and the larger body of nonprofit and foundation research, funding mechanisms for local non-profits need to be rethought to ensure that funds are being directed to the neighborhoods that need them the most to improve residential outcomes. Potential solutions to reduce philanthropic inequities include foundation lifespan restrictions, changes in tax law to incentivize foundation spending, and boosts to government Community Development Block Grant and Community Service Block Grant programs, as well as further research and analysis of foundation giving.
The occurrence of climate change has empirically documented effects across the DC metro area: higher temperatures than average, increased occurrences of heatstroke, and greater variability in weather conditions. These events also do not exist in isolation. The...