Tag: Binghamton University

Deportations for Tariffs: How the Trump Administration is Using Foreign Policy to Achieve Domestic Goals

Donald Trump promised supporters that the United States would make a show of strength by forcibly removing foreign nationals from the country by any means necessary and by putting an end to “unfair” trade deals that benefited foreign countries more than the US. Prior to entering office, experts anticipated that Trump’s foreign policy would be based on a reciprocal approach to diplomacy, viewing relationships as “transactional” (Cha 2024). Both policies, mass deportations and protectionist trade policies, have become intertwined tools in a larger strategy of coercive diplomacy.

Cooperation and Contention: The Dynamic Relationship Between the United States and China

The United States and China have one of the world’s most complex relationships. The two countries have experienced periods of tension and cooperation over a range of issues. Key areas of conflict between the two include trade and economic practices. While the US and China have a critical trade relationship, they are also major competitors.

Turning Back The Planet’s Clock

Climate Change is an extremely complicated problem. The Earth is an extremely delicate system—it has many layers and each of them interact with the others in ways we are still not completely sure about. This means that, when there is an imbalance, even a small one, it creates a huge change in the planet’s weather, temperature, and biological systems.

What’s at Stake: Binghamton Mayoral Race

In New York City, the mayoral race has taken a dramatic turn, with former governor Andrew Cuomo attempting to close the gap against Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani. Despite being a newcomer to politics, Mamdani’s sudden rise has rocked the New York City political landscape, as voters ponder the possibility of a Democratic Socialist for New York City Mayor. 

The History and Modern Rise of Pronatalism

The Trump administration has made it clear: it wants Gen Z to catch baby fever. At an anti-abortion rally in January, VP J.D. Vance said that he wanted “more babies” in America (The Columbus Dispatch 2025). In March, Trump dubbed himself the “fertilization president” and suggested a “national medal of motherhood” for women with six or more children (Stechyson 2025).

Implications of U.S. Recognition of Somaliland

In recent years, there has been increased buzz over the United States becoming the first UN member state to recognize the independence of the self-declared state of Somaliland. In March 2022, Somalilander leaders met with members of Congress and the Biden administration to lobby for American recognition of their aspirational state. Citing growing Chinese influence in the Horn of Africa and the success of Somaliland’s democracy as opposed to Somalia’s failed state, Somalilander has made the case for recognition on the grounds of guaranteeing stability and US influence in the region

Politics Across Europe: Looking back at the Draghi Report after a year

The European Union (EU) is turning to new strategies to boost its global competitiveness, which has declined in recent years. The European economy has been hit hard by rising public debts following the pandemic and rising energy costs due to sanctions imposed on Russia following the Russia-Ukraine war. However, when you look at the big picture, the crisis Europe was experiencing was not due to these two events but rather to structural problems.

World Leaders on Trial: When Presidents Incite Violence Against Their Own Country

Bolsonaro’s attempted coup has striking parallels to the January 6th insurrection in the U.S. with the stark discrepancy being the fact that Bolsonaro faced criminal prosecution, and Trump’s case was dismissed. Within the last decade, several leaders worldwide have attempted to unlawfully seize power when losing their reelection bids or facing impeachment, but many of them faced judicial pressure and long sentences of imprisonment.

Zohran Mamdani: What a Democratic Socialist Mayor could mean for NYC

The 2025 Democratic mayoral primary stunned New York City when former Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded to Zohran Mamdani. Cuomo was a political veteran strongly favored by Democratic leaders, despite having a sexual harassment scandal in 2021. The odds had been stacked against the 33-year-old Assemblyman, a newcomer to citywide politics.  Yet Mamdani made history.

Randy Caparoso, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Tariff, Tariffs, Tariffs: Who Really Pays?

We’ve all heard the word surface again and again in the news recently, from Trump’s policy agenda to numerous countries responding with reciprocal tariffs. Their effects span from countries, rates, and goods. The question is, just how impactful is this oft-wielded economic policy, and what kind of impact will it wield on us, the American consumers?

What Has the Recent Rise in Campaign Spending Meant for Policy?

The influence of moneyed interest in elections has become increasingly relevant in American politics over the past twenty years. This influence has reached new levels of concern in the second Trump Administration; over thirty different wealthy campaign donors, who collectively contributed hundreds of millions to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election campaign, have been appointed to key positions in his Cabinet.

The One Big Beautiful Bill: Outcomes for Noncitizen Healthcare and New York’s Response

On July 4th, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA). At the end of June, as the bill ricocheted between the House and the Senate, our timelines were barraged by political pundits analyzing its far-reaching effects. However, the subject that garnered the most bipartisan attention was changes in federally funded health insurance programs.

Follow the Money: Campaign Financing in the NYC Mayoral Election 

Voters in New York City are set to go to the polls on November 4th to elect a new mayor. In the months leading up to the election, the race has been jam packed. Currently, the four main candidates in the race are Zohran Mamdani (Democrat), Eric Adams (Independent), Andrew Cuomo (Independent), and Curtis Sliwa (Republican).

Flatten the Hierarchy, Flatten the Emissions – A Horizontal Approach to Climate Change

Climate change is a pretty simple problem, at its core. 

We cut down all the trees, drained all the swamps, dammed all the rivers, and then started burning oil. We cut out the earth’s lungs and got addicted to smoking.

Since the problem is seen as quite complicated, it should first be discussed why the problem is simple.

Green Colonialism and Environmental Racism: A Case Study in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Nothing in this world is free. The effort toward global decarbonization that has become a critical priority for much of the international community comes with its immediately obvious hurdles. The large-scale rollout of renewable energy production, the mass electrification of oil- and gas-powered sectors, and the scaling down of animal agriculture are all wide-scale and far from easy.

The Science of Spying: A Quick Glance into a Changing Field

Many of us conjure up a similar image of a stereotypical spy when we think of espionage. Disguises, black sunglasses, a jack of all trades, a guy who builds their gadgets, hacking on a black screen with green code; the list goes on. Having such stereotypes has made the world of spies and espionage seem like a fantastical one—one that is far removed from our real world.

Hochul vs. Trump: Congestion Pricing

Gridlock is a term that was coined in New York City, referring to the traffic congestion preventing the efficient functioning of the city’s network of intersections, particularly in Manhattan. The term has existed since the emergence of America’s car culture in the 1900s when New York officials believed that a toll system would be the best solution to the traffic problem in Manhattan. However, New York officials have recently developed an ambitious experiment to resolve traffic control: congestion tolling.

“Oh Snap” Elections: A Guide to Canada’s Electoral Procedure and Party System

Canadians, originally not due for new elections until October 20 of this year, will go to the polls on April 28, 2025, in a snap election called for by new Canadian Prime Minister (PM) and Liberal Party leader Mark Carney. Carney will face Conservative Party leader and member of parliament (MP) Pierre Poilievre, who, until recently, had successfully campaigned against the incumbent Liberal government to achieve a significant lead in the polls.

Who let the DOGE out? Will the Courts be able to muzzle Musk?

Vandalized Teslas, hundreds of protests, stormed dealerships, and scared owners—what’s going on here? The target is Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, and appointed “head” of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The motive? A widespread belief that Musk has used his wealth to meddle in politics to the detriment of our democracy.