Schmitter and Karl (1991) defined modern democracy by explaining how a variety of competitive processes and channels compete for the expression of interests and values. As such, there are many different forms democracy can take. Common features of democracy include majority rule, cooperation in order to compete, and representatives who…

Origins of U.S. Anti-Trafficking Policy: Colonialism, Racism, and Labor Exploitation In recounting the history of farmworkers’ struggle in California during the 19th and 20th centuries, Sam Kushner (1975) provides historical context for the way the colonization of California informed the practice of foreign labor exploitation. Following the genocide of the…

This piece will provide a description of the Community Choice Aggregation program in California’s utility market, beginning with an overview of the history of CCA models and eventual adoption by the state. It will additionally discuss the composition of partnerships within California’s utility market and the role of the California…

Introduction In the spring of 2018, a legislative package containing two bills, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) and the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump. There are three major implications of FOSTA…

Arguably, one of society’s greatest tasks is determining how to organize itself while causing the least possible harm. Questions about how collective decisions are made, who gets to participate in those decisions, the scope of governance, and the rights of individuals all come into play. In Iris Marion Young’s book…

I offer the following thoughts on police and prison abolition to facilitate a larger discussion about these goals. I will not pretend to have the answers. There is much I have left to learn. Regardless, I have chosen not to wait around to reach the optimal level of political education…