Reflecting on Citizenship Research: What the Trump Administration Means for Immigration Scholarship
This reflection connects research on second-class citizenship and legal consciousness to recent immigration policy shifts under the Trump administration, examining how executive actions reshape both formal legal status and everyday lived experience. It argues that these policies intensify insecurity for mixed-status families by reinforcing uncertainty around rights, belonging, and legal protection. At the same time, the piece highlights how this instability complicates immigration scholarship, as citizenship increasingly functions as a fluid and contingent condition rather than a stable legal category in the United States.
Anna HullUWJPS Editor '25 - '26
Bridging the Divide: The Power of Student Lobbying
The piece examines student lobbying as an effective response to political polarization, emphasizing its capacity to promote civic engagement, dialogue, and constructive policy change. Through historical examples such as Title IX and contemporary initiatives like Huskies on the Hill, it demonstrates how student advocacy brings together individuals across disciplines and political perspectives. In doing so, the piece argues that student-led lobbying not only influences legislation but also strengthens democratic participation by fostering compromise, communication, and mutual understanding between citizens and lawmakers.
Kaitlyn O'Connor
UWJPS Editor '25 - '26
Reflection on the Regulation of Giants: What Should We Expect with Antitrust and Trump 2.0?
This piece examines the uncertain future of antitrust enforcement under a second Trump administration, contrasting Trump’s prior selective approach to Big Tech with the more aggressive antitrust agenda pursued during the Biden administration. It explores how shifts at the DOJ and FTC, a business-friendly stance on AI regulation, and the involvement of figures like Elon Musk may signal a rollback of robust enforcement, raising broader questions about whether antitrust policy will be driven by market principles or political considerations.
Isaac GreyUWJPS Director of Public Relations '25 - '26
Cultural Implications of Grant's Pass V. Johnson
This piece argues that Grants Pass v. Johnson enables the criminalization of homelessness by dismantling prior Eighth Amendment protections that limited punitive camping bans when no shelter was available. It contends that the Court’s reasoning obscures how such ordinances effectively punish the status of being unhoused, rather than discrete conduct. More broadly, the decision is framed as reflecting a cultural and political willingness to marginalize unhoused individuals by removing them from public view instead of addressing the structural causes of homelessness.
Dylan Bianchi
A Relativist's Approach to Disability in Global and Comparative Perspectives
This reflection on a disability studies course examines how disability is understood across cultures in the Global South, emphasizing relativist and intersectional approaches to rights-based advocacy. Through case studies of organizations such as CREA and VIHEMA, it argues that effective international disability work must be community-driven, culturally responsive, and led by disabled individuals themselves. The piece concludes that meaningful progress depends on resisting Western universalism and respecting local social models of disability.
Julia Blount
Assistant Editor '25 - '26
