2024 Summer Fellow

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao has always sought to go beyond the boundaries of society. Those who know him often describe him in two words: relentlessly dynamic. He refuses to be confined by the limitations society imposes; instead, he thinks in an outward form, not only to incorporate his experiences, but also those of his peers who he works with, empowering their ideas for endeavors they face.

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All articles by the author

Why America Can’t Build Anything Anymore

Op-Ed Contest Spring 2026

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao

This op-ed argues that America’s inability to build critical infrastructure, housing, and clean-energy projects is primarily due to a failure of policy, not technological advancements or resources. Using Los Angeles as a case study, this op-ed shows how complex permitting, environmental review, and fragmented local authority delay or kill essential projects, proposing targeted reforms such as strict review timelines, one-stop permitting, housing incentives, and streamlined approvals for low-impact projects in order to restore the nation’s capacity to build.

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Operation Epic Fury, and Who Decides when America Goes to War?

Foreign Policy

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao

This article examines the development of Operation EPIC Fury within the broader context of escalating U.S-Israel tensions in the region. It analyzes the strategic and geopolitical stakes of the ongoing operation while turning to a deeper constitutional question: who has the authority to commit the United States to war. By exploring this live development, the War Powers Resolution, and the separation of powers framework, the piece evaluates whether modern military engagements align with America's constitutional design.

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Urban Innovations for a Sustainable Future: How Copenhagen, Singapore, and Tokyo are leading Urban Futures

Environmental Policy

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao

With rising sea levels, extreme heatwaves, and water scarcity pushing our cities internationally to the brink, our world demands urgent solutions for a more sustainable urban future. This article examines how cities, like Copenhagen, Singapore, and Tokyo, are currently leading the way with innovative strategies: shifting to renewable energy, reclaiming water, building disaster-resistant infrastructure, and redesigning neighborhoods around people instead of the car. Their efforts showcase the possibility of integrating smart planning, green infrastructure, and community spaces into major cities, which is key to urban resilience. By studying and following these models, cities worldwide can transform to meet the environmental and energy demands of our future.

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Los Angeles Zoning Laws: A Future for a More Sustainable and Equitable LA

Housing Policy

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao

Los Angeles, the pioneers of our modern day zoning ordinances stands at a crossroad. As climate change intensifies, the housing crisis increasingly intensifies, and historic inequalities persist throughout Los Angeles, the city’s rigid zoning laws have emerged as both the culprit, and the potential lever for change. This article examines how Los Angeles’s century-old zoning ordinances have fueled urban sprawl, deepened socio-economic inequalities, and worsened environmental outcomes, where it’s urgent to reimagine such regulations to create a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for all Angelenos.

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Wildfires are Getting Worse: Our Policies Need to Catch Up

Environmental Policy

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao

Across the American West, like in the states of California, wildfire seasons aren’t just getting longer — they are becoming deadlier, more destructive, and far more expensive. In the past two decades alone, the United States has seen an escalation in both the size and intensity of wildfires, with the most recent and most devastating wildfire being the Palisades and Hurst fires, displacing thousands of residents and wiping whole communities off the map. The root causes are no mystery — they stem from a century of fire suppression policy, unprecedented fuel accumulation, and the accelerating rate and impact of climate change effects.

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Let Us In: Why America Needs Youth at the Foreign Policy Table

Foreign Policy

Andrew-Lucien Z. Bao

The article argues that young people, individuals who will inherit the long-term consequences of foreign policy decisions, deserve a formal role in shaping them. It highlights successful models of youth inclusion both globally and within U.S. states and elicits how youth input improves legislation and diplomacy. The piece calls for a federally institutionalized Youth Advisory Council to ensure foreign policy reflects the perspectives of future generations.

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Policy Briefs by the author

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