Articles — Davis Political Review

The First & Only Nonpartisan Political Commentary Magazine at UC Davis: Covering Campus, State, National, & Global Politics.

“Trump Too Small” and the Right to Publicity

“Trump Too Small” and the Right to Publicity

Donald Trump’s legal team is having quite a time. The former President is facing 91 felony charges in cases across the country, appealing a verdict which ordered him to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million for defaming her, and may have his properties seized if he cannot pay his $454 million debt from a New York fraud case. Ask any legal expert or lay person, and they will tell you that Trump’s chances of winning some of these cases are low. But there is one legal battle, also before the Supreme Court, that is likely to be decided in Donald Trump’s favor, Vidal v. Elster.

NationAbigail LoomisApril 22, 2024abigail loomis, intellectual property, TRUMP, SCOTUSComment

Conflict in the Caucasus: How Century’s Old Policy Still Affects the Region Today

Conflict in the Caucasus: How Century’s Old Policy Still Affects the Region Today

On September 19th, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a swift invasion into the Armenian breakaway Republic of Artsakh, forcing its capitulation the next day. Over one hundred thousand Armenians fled the region in the following days, in what Armenia has claimed to be an effort by the Azerbaijani government to ethnically cleanse the Armenian population in the region. The conflict over the small mountainous region, which had raged for 35 years, ended in just one day.

GlobeEzra RubinApril 18, 2024ezra rubin, artsakh, caucasusComment

Voice of Reason: How Moderates Can Help Save America

Voice of Reason: How Moderates Can Help Save America

Did you know that according to the Pew Research Center in 2022, there are only about twenty-four moderate Democrats or Republicans serving in Congress? Fifty years ago, that number was over six times higher. Despite this decrease in the number of moderate officials, a Gallup poll found that the percentage of moderate voters is relatively high at thirty-seven percent. These polls indicate a significant disparity between the number of moderate government officials currently serving in Congress and the proportion of voters they represent.

NationAlex BarnesApril 15, 2024alex barnes, moderate politics, joe manchin, top two primary, polarizationComment

UC's Opportunity for Some: Campus Doors Close on Undocumented Student Employment

UC's Opportunity for Some: Campus Doors Close on Undocumented Student Employment

On January 26th, 2024, the University of California suspended its plan to allow undocumented students to get campus jobs, halting initiatives to ensure financial equity for this substantial student population.

In May, urged by UCLA law professors and students, the UC regents unanimously pledged to explore a hiring plan for undocumented students in the UC system to earn legal paychecks. This collective effort was championed by the Opportunity For All Campaign, which includes the Undocumented Student-led Network, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, and the UCLA Labor Center.

StateAdhithi NarasimhanApril 10, 2024Adhithi Narasimhan, immigration, undocumented students, UC system, uc regentsComment

Hijacking the Ballot: The Problem with California’s Ballot Initiative System

Hijacking the Ballot: The Problem with California’s Ballot Initiative System

When I went to vote for the first time in the fall of 2022, I received a ballot I wasn’t quite expecting. As I looked forward to, I had the opportunity to vote for my representative, state legislative assemblymember, and local city council members. However, as I kept going down the ballot, I encountered something that surprised me. After voting for federal, state, and local candidates, I was faced with seven ballot initiatives on a wide range of issues.

StateJack JacobsApril 1, 2024Jack Jacobs, voting, ballots, California PoliticsComment

Palestine: the Pro-Israel Right’s Great Hypocrisy in Free Speech Parlance and Policy

Palestine: the Pro-Israel Right’s Great Hypocrisy in Free Speech Parlance and Policy

Pro-Palestinian students, protesters, and organizations have faced an enormous wave of censorship since October 7th. Pro-Palestinian groups have been barred from college campuses, pro-Palestinian students have been blacklisted and had job offers rescinded, and university presidents have lost their jobs for defending pro-Palestinian students’ First Amendment rights. In a radical shift away from their purported belief in freedom of speech — and their fight to expose all Americans, particularly college students, to views that may be deemed controversial, offensive, or outright harmful — many on the American political Right have embarked on an aggressive campaign to silence pro-Palestinian speech.

NationTobias RussellMarch 28, 2024palestine, israel, israel-palestine conflict, free speech, free expression, student speech, First Amendment, Tobias RussellComment

The Aftermath of the Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Ban

The Aftermath of the Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Ban

The long legal debate over affirmative action has finally come to a close. In June 2023, the Supreme Court banned the use of race-conscious admissions programs within universities. While the debate over the legality of affirmative action has come to an end, a Pandora’s box of political uncertainties has been opened for the college-hopeful class of 2028. Without much guidance from the Supreme Court’s decision, the closing of the legal battle now marks the beginning of a political battle over how to implement and navigate a new college admissions policy.

NationCynthia WeberMarch 25, 2024Supreme Court, affirmative action, Cynthia Weber, college admissionsComment

The Olympics: A Stage for More Than Sports

The Olympics: A Stage for More Than Sports

The rarity of the quadrennial event of the Olympics creates a huge buzz around the world. The best of the best athletes from all corners of the globe compete under bright lights proudly in their nation's colors. It comes with an extreme glitz and glamor for sports taking center stage of media and conversations for these special few weeks. This silencing attention that the games receive, even from those who are not avid sports fans, creates an anomalous ability for athletes to speak to the globe as a whole.

GlobeDanielle JacobsMarch 2, 2024Olympics, Danielle Jacobs, sports, RussiaComment

The Fifty-First Star: American-Libyan Relations Within The War On Terrorism

The Fifty-First Star: American-Libyan Relations Within The War On Terrorism

Since September 11th, 2001, the United States has initiated an international “War On Terror”, with the stated objectives being targeting and eliminating the networks of terrorism responsible for the events of 9/11. Over the previous two decades, 940,000 individuals have perished directly because of the ongoing wars throughout the greater Middle East. Approximately 3.5-3.8 million individuals have died indirectly because of the humanitarian catastrophes that have unfolded since the wars began. Between 38 and 57 million individuals have been displaced, becoming refugees and creating what are considered to be among the worst humanitarian catastrophes that have ever occurred.

GlobeAnthony ZammikielJanuary 15, 2024Libya, america, foreign intervention, foreign policy, Anthony ZammikielComment

Facing a New Wave: How Younger Candidates Could Be The Change America Needs

Facing a New Wave: How Younger Candidates Could Be The Change America Needs

When watching the news, many Americans look on their screen at the elected official representing them and see the same type of politician: someone who is of a much older generation. Even as the country has become increasingly diverse and seen significant changes in ideology and values, Baby Boomer leaders have stood the test of time. Our country has failed to usher new generations into office to lead the way into this new era, especially in the higher positions where long-time incumbents have dominated the polls.

NationAlex BarnesJanuary 11, 2024alex barnes, American Politics, Elections, candidates, voter demographicsComment

Argentina at a Crossroads of History

Argentina at a Crossroads of History

On November 19, 2023, Argentina held a historic general election that will likely redefine its existing center-left to center-right party system. Javier Milei, an economist and deputy in the Argentine Congress won election to the Presidency with 56 percent of the vote. In recent decades, Argentina has reeled from a series of economic crises, including debt defaults, depressions and currency crises; the inflation rate topped 120 percent as of October. These woes have greatly impacted the standard of living of ordinary people, as the depreciation of Argentina’s currency induces unpredictability and effectively erases private savings by forcing up the real cost of goods.

GlobeDhruv ShevgaonkarJanuary 7, 2024Argentina, economics, elections, Dhruv Shevgonkar, ConservatismComment

A Case for Humor: How Girls’ Silliness is Bridging the Confidence Gap

A Case for Humor: How Girls’ Silliness is Bridging the Confidence Gap

As I worked as a camp counselor this summer, I was ready for all of the surprises– from pulling ticks out from between my kid's toes to telling them to stop starting fires, my days were filled with spontaneity and almost nothing phased me. What truly caught me off-guard, however, were the girls in my camp, as they were the funniest group of kids I’ve ever met.

NationEmogene KarasJanuary 3, 2024Emogene Karas, feminism, Confidence, pink tax, Women's rights, EqualityComment

The Private School Myth

The Private School Myth

Virtually every child in America goes to school. Approximately 9% of these children attend a private school. These are schools that are not bound by state regulations and are privately funded, usually by charging tuition. They are generally considered better than their public counterparts: a Gallup poll found that in 2017, 71% of its respondents felt that independent private schools and 63% felt that parochial schools (basically religious private schools) do an excellent or good job educating children, compared with 44% for public schools.

NationBenjamin ShihDecember 30, 2023benjamin shih, Schools, School Funding, Education, private educationComment

If Republicans and Democrats Can Agree on One Thing, It’s the Dehumanization of Migrants

If Republicans and Democrats Can Agree on One Thing, It’s the Dehumanization of Migrants

Beginning on April 13, 2022, exploited migrants have been sent on buses to sanctuary cities throughout the country. Migrant busing refers to when political officials transport migrants seeking refuge in the United States by bus to different parts of the country. The busing program that Texas Governor Greg Abbott created has inspired many Republican governors to do the same to their migrant populations, effectively creating a displacement crisis across the United States.

NationBreeAnna VirruetaDecember 26, 2023Immigration, Republican, abbott, Immigration Reform, exploitation, breeanna virruetaComment

Golden Record: Jimmy Carter and the Road Not Taken in American Politics

Golden Record: Jimmy Carter and the Road Not Taken in American Politics

In late summer of 1977, the United States launched the Voyager 1 and 2 probes, each of which carried a copy of a 12-inch gold-plated record that contained a time capsule from the planet Earth—sounds, images, and a message from then-President Jimmy Carter. In 2012, Voyager 1 became the first manmade object to reach interstellar space. The record it carries is the first message that humanity sent off into the universe in search of extraterrestrial life. Scientists estimate that the Golden Records may survive for over five billion years—likely far longer than the human species itself. That means that when humanity is long extinct, all that remains of our legacy may be the words of an oft-overlooked one-term president.

NationRJ PrakerDecember 22, 2023rj praker, Jimmy Carter, American Politics, environmentalism, environmental policy, politics, presidencyComment

How To Get Away With Murder: Jaahnavi Kandula and the Devaluation of Women of Color

How To Get Away With Murder: Jaahnavi Kandula and the Devaluation of Women of Color

On Jan. 23 2023, Jaahnavi Kandula, a graduate student at Northeastern University in Seattle, was struck and killed by a police officer going 74 mph in a 25 mph zone. Jaahnavi’s family mourned for months, aggrieved by the loss of her happy presence and the fact that she was so close to achieving her dreams, only months away from graduation. Then, shocking new footage emerged. In the video, taken the day after the accident, Officer Daniel Auderer, the vice president of the police union, is seen driving around while chatting on the phone with Mike Solan, the union’s president. They’re talking about the case, and Auderer is nauseatingly flippant about the situation.

NationAdithi SumitranNovember 14, 2023Adithi Sumitran, Police brutality, police violence, racismComment

The Invisible Graveyard

The Invisible Graveyard

American law has long recognized the role of negligence in criminal proceedings. Determining guilt in the case of malicious action is straightforward enough—if a person acted with intent to do harm, they ought to be held responsible. But the justice system accepts that cases of inaction can be just as fatal. A person does not need to hold the knife to be held liable; the simple failure to act when there is known risk that apathy will lead to harm—take, for example, failure to feed a child—is enough to establish guilt. In the eyes of the law, death that can be easily prevented—yet is not—is just as immoral.

NationDimitri ZlatevNovember 5, 2023Dimitri Zlatev, FDA, government regulation, tort law, medicine, HEALTH, regulationComment

The California Republican Party is Obsessed with Losing (Or So It Seems)

The California Republican Party is Obsessed with Losing (Or So It Seems)

In the current political landscape in the United States, California is considered one of the bluest of blue states you can get. Every statewide office is held by a Democrat, the state legislature boasts a Democratic supermajority, and Democratic candidates in nationwide elections usually enjoy a 15-20% advantage. Republicans in the state struggle to even have a chance of winning statewide offices. For example, in the 2024 race for the US Senate seat in California, it seems that the two candidates running against each other in the general election will be two Democrats.

StateJack JacobsNovember 1, 2023Jack Jacobs, Republican, Republican Party, California Politics, California GOP, StateComment