The WPI@LMU blog is a link between Loyola Marymount’s mission to encourage learning, educate the whole person, and promote justice, and the World Policy Institute’s mission to identify critical emerging global issues and give voice to global perspectives and innovative policy solutions. To that end, Left Coast Perspectives serves as an incubator of intellectually sound and socially responsible research designed to influence global thought leadership.
The articles in this series are paid content.
‘Apres Moi, Le Deluge’
Challenged by globalization and rapid technological and social change, the future of liberal democracies is unclear. Michael A. Genovese explains why many Western countries have succumbed to illiberal leadership and how to reverse this trend.
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Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy: The Past Is No Longer Prelude
Donald Trump sees himself as a transformational leader who will not only “make America great again,” but will also bend other nations and the forces of history to his will. From climate policy to North Korea, Michael A. Genovese examines how the president-elect is likely to change U.S. foreign policy.
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Wither Refugee Protection?
In May, the Kenyan government announced the impending closure of the Dadaab refugee complex, home to more than 250,000 displaced Somalis. Kerstin Fisk argues that Western leaders who admonish Kenya must also address their own failure to adequately support refugees.
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America as the Constant Gardener in the Pacific
The task of managing the United States’ relationship with China will fall to the next president. Tom Plate argues that U.S. policy in Asia should focus on more restricted diplomacy rather than attempting to shape the emerging regional order.
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Human Trafficking and the Haunting Legacy of Military Sexual Slavery
Survivors of sexual slavery often struggle for years to get reparations and recognition. Stella Oh examines the damaging legacy of the comfort system implemented by the Japanese army during World War II and urges for shared global responsibility to combat human trafficking.
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Understanding Global Social Justice Issues Crucial for NFL Expansion
The National Football League is seeking to establish a new franchise in London while facing controversy at home in the form of Colin Kaepernick’s protest against U.S. racism. Shaun M. Anderson explains why the NFL must find a way to address social injustices if its global expansion is to succeed.
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How Did This Happen?
With presidential nominees Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton gathering unprecedentedly negative ratings, concern and outrage about the 2016 U.S. election is heard around the world. Michael A. Genovese examines the conditions that led to this controversial election and what the results might mean for global policy.
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Northern Ireland after Brexit
The long-term impact of the U.K. vote to leave the European Union is still uncertain. Jennifer M. Ramos and Victoria Graf examine the negative effects that a loss of EU funding for education initiatives could have on peace in Northern Ireland.
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The Profit/Purpose Corporation Goes Global
With the rising influence of new demographic groups, the expectations for corporations to successfully retain both employees and consumers have shifted. Michael A. Genovese considers how a growing trend toward conscious consumption and investment could transform corporations into more socially responsible entities.
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Shape-Shifting Crime in an Age of Globalization
Globalization has made it possible for international crime syndicates to carry out operations on an unprecedented scale. Michael A. Genovese examines the factors driving the growth of transnational crime and shows what makes it so lucrative.
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Too Few And Too Many: The Looming Population Crisis
While some regions of the world are exhibiting greater population growth than ever before, others are faced with aging societies. Michael A. Genovese explains how current demographic trends could pose a threat to the stability of developed and developing nations alike.
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When Women Govern
Women serving as heads of government still face additional pressure and challenges. Michael A. Genovese examines the records of female leaders around the world, arguing that they are just as effective as their male counterparts in spite of the restraints imposed on them.
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How Troubled is the United Nations?
During his term as U.N. secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon has streamlined bureaucracy and moved women’s issues and climate change to the top of the U.N. agenda. Tom Plate and Jennifer M. Ramos argue that while the organization’s structural flaws are an impediment to progress, the job of the next secretary-general is to work around them.
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Adaptation Starts Here
Even if we are able to mitigate the effects of climate change, we must still adapt to them. The advisory board of the Mediterranean City Climate Change Consortium (MC-4) explains its work in innovating solutions to climate change-related challenges in cities around the world.
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Refugees: Out of the Fire, Into the Frying Pan?
With Europe’s growing refugee population comes the rise of a “culture of threat,” which often overshadows concerns about the security of refugees themselves. Kerstin Fisk argues that, now more than ever, it is crucial for host countries to find comprehensive, long-term solutions to protect refugees.
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The Age of the Imperial Executive
In democracies across the world, executives are gaining power while legislatures lose power. Michael A. Genovese discusses the problems created by the centralization of power and the transition from liberal democracy to illiberal democracy.
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The West’s Growing Democratic Distemper
Across Western democracies, a sense of resentment and fear has gripped the middle class. Michael Genovese meditates on the causes and implications of this phenomenon, and offers possible solutions.
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Putin the Peacenik?
Russia’s expanded role in Syria is often interpreted as clashing with U.S. positions regarding the Islamic State and President Bashar al-Assad’s place in a political transition. Seth Thompson argues, however, that the Russian intervention may in fact increase the odds of a peaceful end to the conflict.
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Dispatches From a Fading Empire
The Conservative Party, which won control of the British government in May, has promised a referendum on Great Britain’s membership in the European Union by 2017. Michael A. Genovese explores the implications of such a policy decision on the country’s status as a global superpower.
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Going Beyond the Strike
Many debates about drone strikes center around whether or not they are effective as weapons of war. Kerstin Fisk and Jennifer M. Ramos propose a definition of effectiveness that takes into account the repercussions for civilians in the long term, arguing that terrorist attacks in Pakistan increase significantly in surrounding areas following drone strikes.
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The Latino Politics of the Cuba Deal
This year Barack Obama achieved major foreign policy victories regarding both Iran and Cuba. David R. Ayón describes the administration’s ability to make diplomatic progress despite congressional hesitation every step of the way.
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Great Britain Closes Door on Constitutional Reform
On the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, MP Graham Allen’s proposal for codifying the U.K.’s presently unwritten constitution was greeted with both enthusiastic support and staunch opposition. Michael A. Genovese weighs the advantages and disadvantages of states with fused executive and legislative bodies.
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