New Blog Posts

  • The Texas “Heartbeat Ban”: What it Means for the Future of Roe v. Wade

    The Texas “Heartbeat Ban”: What it Means for the Future of Roe v. Wade

    Emma Weiss is a staff writer for Brief Policy Perspectives and a first-year MPP student. On September 1, 2021, a Texas state law, inaccurately referred to as a “heartbeat ban,” prohibiting abortion once fetal “cardiac motion” is detected, went into effect. Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), originally signed into law in May, does not allow…

  • The Past and Future of Medicaid Work Requirements

    The Past and Future of Medicaid Work Requirements

    Andres De La Torre is a staff writer for Brief Policy Perspectives and a first-year MPP student. Since the inception of the Medicaid program in the 1960s, there have been numerous attempts to limit its scope. The joint federal-state program aimed at extending health insurance coverage to low-income individuals and families imposes strict eligibility requirements…

  • Recent Wave of Bills Affirms the Need to Create School Environments that are Inclusive of LGBT+ Youth

    Recent Wave of Bills Affirms the Need to Create School Environments that are Inclusive of LGBT+ Youth

    Evan Linett is a staff writer for Brief Policy Perspectives and a first-year MPP student.   Introduction On March 28, Florida lawmakers signed into law a bill that will restrict the discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in primary schools across the state. The bill has gained a high amount of media attention, but it is just the…

  • The Ongoing Fight for the Right to an Abortion in Latin America

    The Ongoing Fight for the Right to an Abortion in Latin America

    Leisha Goel is a staff writer for Brief Policy Perspectives and a first-year MPP student. On February 21st, 2022, Colombia became the fourth Latin American country to decriminalize abortion as its Constitutional Court voted to legalize abortion procedures up to the 24th week of pregnancy. Advocates for reproductive rights are thrilled with the outcome and…

  • The History and Future of Affirmative Action

    The History and Future of Affirmative Action

    Emma Weiss is a staff writer for Brief Policy Perspectives and a first-year MPP student. Where did “affirmative action” come from? Coined by President John Kennedy in 1961, affirmative action refers to policies aiming to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants and remedy prior discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, or nationalilty. While Kennedy…