Volume 33 - Issue 1

The Rise of Nationalism in Sweden and the 2018 General Election

Michele C. Perles, Staff Member On September 9th 2018, Sweden had one of the most unique elections in its history. In the highest voter turnout since 1985[1], the Swedish people destabilized their own government by not electing a majority party. One of the driving forces of the result was the rise of the Sweden Democrats,…

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A Second Referendum for Britain?

By Gillian Gilbert, Staff Member As Brexit negotiations reach critical mass, the possibility of a second referendum on the Britain’s exit from the European Union has re-emerged. In 2016 British citizens voted, by a narrow majority, to leave the European Union.[1] Both the political and economic challenges of leaving the Union have proved daunting during…

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Project Goldcrest, Amazon’s Elaborate Tax Arrangement

By Charlie Ryu, Staff Member In 2017, Amazon had a great year; it announced the opening of a second headquarters, inviting numerous biddings from many city governments and officials[1], bought Whole Foods for approximately $14 billion[2], and its stock price grew by 56%[3].[4] However, despite having such a successful year, Amazon paid zero in federal…

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Brexit: The Trade-Offs

Tariq Miller, Staff Member The United Kingdom’s (“UK”) 2016 “leave” vote on Brexit was a significant disruption to the status quo. Both the Conservative and Labour parties underwent major leadership changes.[1] Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron resigned[2], and Labour’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, continues to struggle to maintain party control following his unenthusiastic support of the…

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The Indissoluble Unity of the Spanish Nation . . . and the European Union?

By Lara Williams, Staff Member Following an emergency cabinet meeting last week, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy detailed plans to apply Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution in Catalonia, escalating the country’s most serious constitutional crisis since the restoration of democracy in 1977.[1] The article, that has never before been used, enables the central government…

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Labor Reforms Spur Up in France in the Wake of High Unemployment Rates

By Hadley Simonett, Staff Member On August 31, 2017, France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to reform the Code du Travail, France’s contested labor laws.[1] Macron, accompanied by Labour Minister Muriel Pénicaud, and government spokesman Christophe Castaner signed five decrees on September 22, 2017, implementing thirty-six changes to France’s labor law.[2]  By adopting the Ordinances,…

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