After 43 days, the longest US government shutdown in history ended on November 12, 2025. As of late February 2026, a partial government shutdown remains in effect. Its fiscal and social consequences are well-documented: The disruption of critical fed...
Two years from now, American voters might face a nightmare scenario. When we take our ballots on November 7, 2028, in front of us, it is a very real possibility they will read “Newsom (D)” and “Vance (R).” While neither politician has explici...
Whether it’s because of poor work performance, misconduct, or plain bad luck, getting fired is a near-universal experience. Even officials at the highest levels of the world’s governments and militaries are vulnerable to being axed. But when thos...
While it was an issue that originally flared up some months ago, the controversy surrounding the appointment of Janet Napolitano, ex-Secretary of Homeland Security and Governor of Arizona, as the new president of the public University of California (...
While it was an issue that originally flared up some months ago, the controversy surrounding the appointment of Janet Napolitano, ex-Secretary of Homeland Security and Governor of Arizona, as the new president of the public University of California (...
As Lena has been covering the notable Supreme Court decisions of this past summer, I figured it would be instructive to preview one of this fall’s most significant cases. Next Tuesday, the justices will once again take up campaign finance law when ...
As Lena has been covering the notable Supreme Court decisions of this past summer, I figured it would be instructive to preview one of this fall’s most significant cases. Next Tuesday, the justices will once again take up campaign finance law when ...
Good morning, readers. What should I write about today? Oh, wait—it’s still September! And there is a veritable cornucopia of Supreme Court decisions from June 2013 with far-reaching ramifications, the effects of which the United States will be f...
Good morning, readers. What should I write about today? Oh, wait—it’s still September! And there is a veritable cornucopia of Supreme Court decisions from June 2013 with far-reaching ramifications, the effects of which the United States will be f...
Governor Lincoln Chafee took the political world by surprise last Wednesday, announcing his decision not to seek reelection in the 2014 race for governor. Chafee began his career as a Republican, but in May of this year he formally affiliated with th...
Governor Lincoln Chafee took the political world by surprise last Wednesday, announcing his decision not to seek reelection in the 2014 race for governor. Chafee began his career as a Republican, but in May of this year he formally affiliated with th...
Politicians are in many ways the perfect cultural paradox. We elect them to be our representatives, and this elevation seems to incorporate the expectation that they will be paragons of all we consider virtuous. And yet, at the same time (and indeed,...
Politicians are in many ways the perfect cultural paradox. We elect them to be our representatives, and this elevation seems to incorporate the expectation that they will be paragons of all we consider virtuous. And yet, at the same time (and indeed,...
We have had many discussions on BPR about the affects of gerrymandering on American policy. To sum up: very few members of Congress are in danger of losing their seat to the other party. Instead, they need to protect their far flank from a prim...
We have had many discussions on BPR about the affects of gerrymandering on American policy. To sum up: very few members of Congress are in danger of losing their seat to the other party. Instead, they need to protect their far flank from a prim...
A Special Feature by BPR and BPF On February 20, the Supreme Court heard Shelby County v. Alabama, a challenge to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Four Brown Political Forum participants weigh in on the pending decision. (more…)...
A Special Feature by BPR and BPF On February 20, the Supreme Court heard Shelby County v. Alabama, a challenge to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Four Brown Political Forum participants weigh in on the pending decision. (more…)...
Recent weeks have seen just how ideologically pure we expect our elected representatives to be. On the issue of gun control, Democrats have been shocked to see a few of their own unwilling to vote for a gun control measure. On the other side, it wa...
Recent weeks have seen just how ideologically pure we expect our elected representatives to be. On the issue of gun control, Democrats have been shocked to see a few of their own unwilling to vote for a gun control measure. On the other side, it wa...
Senator Rob Portman, Republican from Ohio, came out last week in support of same-sex marriage. Portman, who had previously opposed gay marriage, reconsidered his position after learning is son his gay. Portman’s op-ed is heartfelt, and reflects sev...
Senator Rob Portman, Republican from Ohio, came out last week in support of same-sex marriage. Portman, who had previously opposed gay marriage, reconsidered his position after learning is son his gay. Portman’s op-ed is heartfelt, and reflects sev...
Hello, readers! I hope that your March experience has started off as well as mine has—Providence is experiencing some unseasonal sun right now and I’m looking forward to March Madness, SCOTUS Style at the end of the month. It’s a little slow a...
Hello, readers! I hope that your March experience has started off as well as mine has—Providence is experiencing some unseasonal sun right now and I’m looking forward to March Madness, SCOTUS Style at the end of the month. It’s a little slow a...
I’d like to take a moment to examine one of the most interesting (to me at least) political figures to appear in awhile: Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (R). This man fascinates me because he seems to have played his hand exactly right at basica...
I’d like to take a moment to examine one of the most interesting (to me at least) political figures to appear in awhile: Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (R). This man fascinates me because he seems to have played his hand exactly right at basica...
In a bitterly divided Washington, there seems to be a real bipartisan push toward substantive immigration reform. Even Republican stalwart Sean Hannity declared himself “evolved” on the issue, and is now in favor of such a pathway. Some House Rep...
In a bitterly divided Washington, there seems to be a real bipartisan push toward substantive immigration reform. Even Republican stalwart Sean Hannity declared himself “evolved” on the issue, and is now in favor of such a pathway. Some House Rep...