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Orange Brief Background

The Case for Maintaining U.S. Birthright Citizenship

The German national election held in September of 2017 may have consolidated Angela Merkel’s power, but a larger story was the success of Alternative for Germany, an anti-immigration party that won nearly 13 percent of the vote. A central plank in that party’s platform promises to reverse the German nationality...
Yellow Brief Background

How American Cities Can Promote Urban Agriculture

In his original plan for the city of Philadelphia, William Penn declared that every home should have ample space “for gardens or orchards or fields, that it may be a green country that will never be burnt and always be wholesome.” Before militiamen or throngs of protestors, the Boston Common...
Yellow Brief Background

How Developing Countries Can Address Environmental Concerns in International Investment Agreements

International investment has a substantial impact on the natural environment. In 2016 for instance, the energy sector attracted $1.7 trillion worth of investments, with two-thirds dedicated to fossil fuel power. That kind of power generation is the primary cause of air pollution, and poor air quality is linked to an...
Yellow Brief Background

Hybrid Cars Do Well in Assessments of the Environmental Impact of Urban Vehicles

Transportation uses vast amounts of energy and has a major environmental impact. As a result, rigorous assessments of the sustainability of various modes of moving people and goods are critically important. Alternative fuels and electric vehicles are two major developments that can help transportation planners reduce the detrimental environmental impact...
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Why U.S. Government Agencies Need Comprehensive Policies for Employees with Various Gender Identities

Sex and gender identities are becoming increasingly complex in America, creating new challenges for public administrative agencies. So far, the vast majority of U.S. federal agencies lack comprehensive transgender employee policies – which are currently in place for only nine of approximately 235 federal agencies (including sub-agencies). Yet as the...
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How Environmental Policies Can Promote Economic Growth

The Trump administration is working hard to roll back the nation’s environmental regulations on the grounds that they are an economic burden on business. But evidence from California tells a very different story. For the past half century, California has been the richest U.S. state – even as it has...
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Workable Policies to Fight Climate Change and Bridge the Interests of Developing and Industrialized Countries

Not much progress has been made on climate change since it was first recognized as a danger in the 1970s, and in the years since the signing of the United Nation’s Rio Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 global carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 60%. Why is the...
Yellow Brief Background

What Past Battles Can Teach Today's Activists Fighting Environmental Catastrophes

Antarctica has been in the news lately – for good reason. In July this year, a 5,800 kilometer-square iceberg – about the size of Delaware – broke off what is known as the “Larsen C” ice shelf. Experts fear that the ice shelf will soon collapse entirely, meeting the same...
Orange Brief Background

Why A "Preponderance" Standard Makes Sense for Fair Campus Investigations of Sexual Misconduct Allegations

In September 2017, Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, rescinded previous guidance from the administration of President Barack Obama on how institutions of higher education should address campus sexual misconduct. The Obama guidance issued in 2011 by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights was meant to deal with troubling...
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Corporations, Animals, and Legal Personhood

Critics of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission often declare that “corporations are not people.” There is something clearly correct about this declaration: It is apparent in both moral understanding and legal practice that there is no general requirement to treat corporations like...