Social Policy Intern

Sydney Rehm

Sydney Rehm is a student at the University of Mississippi studying Arabic, International Studies, and Intelligence and Security Studies. Outside of school, she likes to dance, read, play clarinet, listen to international politics podcasts, and play with her cat, Ivy.

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All articles by the author

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Policy Briefs by the author

I Plead the Second: Gun Rights Legislation in the US

Social Policy

October 9, 2022

Since the ratification of the Constitution in 1788, the rights codified in the Bill of Rights have been fiercely protected by the American people. However, interpretations of those rights often differ as people, society, and governmental structure changes. One of the most fraught amendments is the Second Amendment, which preserves the right to bear arms. While the debate over gun rights and restriction is not likely to be resolved in the near future, ongoing efforts to protect the lives of American citizens and limit gun violence may change the way our rights are protected.

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Criminal, Medical, or Recreational? Drug Legalization in the United States

Social Policy

February 27, 2022

The debate over drug legalization has been a contentious issue since the 1970s. With more states taking progressive stances and legalizing marijuana and other drugs for medical and recreational purposes in the past several years, this issue has grown rapidly. Many people would like the United States federal government to take action to legalize marijuana broadly, and begin decriminalizing other narcotics. Most proposed federal policy right now focuses on marijuana legalization, through acts like the MORE act, the CAO act and the HOPE act. All of this policy is highly controversial. However, with legislation from both parties moving toward legalization, many advocates for drug reform are hopeful for progress in the near future.

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Banned Books: Are Schools Erasing History?

Social Policy

January 2, 2023

Starting with movements from religious leaders, the censorship of media has been debated for all of American history. Including discussions of race, gender, sexuality, and obscenity, the banning of books in the U.S. has continued in various school districts and libraries. The First Amendment’s right to free speech has attempted to combat the effects of censorship, specifically with books, but efforts to keep books with various values have prevailed.

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Right to Privacy vs. Right to Life: the Battle Continues

Social Policy

May 1, 2022

Since the founding of America, legislative battles over rights have existed. From voting rights, to the rights of African American citizens, to child labor laws. The most recent arena of this debate is over a woman’s right to an abortion. Over the past few years, states have been passing increasingly restrictive policies. Much of this policy has been blocked by courts in the past, but with the Supreme Court’s current conservative leaning, it is anticipated that state legislatures will increase policy efforts.

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Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free: Mass Incarceration in the United States

Social Policy

February 13, 2022

Mass incarceration has been a part of the United States for decades. However, incarceration increased under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, and has not significantly decreased since then. This requires the government to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to house inmates and creates unsafe conditions in prisons. Various elected officials and advocacy groups have proposed alternatives to mass incarceration, but none of these options have been successfully adopted yet.

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Going Nowhere Fast? Public Transportation in the US

Social Policy

March 13, 2022

Public transport doesn’t grab many headlines, but it is a significant social policy issue. In many places it is underprovided relative to the actual level of demand, which accounts for environmental issues and community needs. Existing public transport often ends up reflecting or reinforcing socio-economic inequalities due to the way it is funded. Privatization is unlikely to be a good solution here, as in this industry markets tend not to yield the desirable outcomes. Governments, both local and federal, could help address the demand for cheap, clean, and high-quality public transport, through a mixture of direct interventions and subsidies or tax incentives.

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Her story: Roe v. Wade and the Future of Privacy Rights

Social Policy

June 12, 2022

In the 50 years since the landmark ruling of Roe v Wade, abortion has been a hotly contested issue.

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A Big Step Backwards

Social Policy

May 1, 2022

The gay rights movement in the US has been gaining traction for the past several decades. From the overturn of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 to allowing trans athletes to compete in athletics, major strides have been made. However, these steps forward do not guarantee the protection of gay rights, as is demonstrated in the anit-queer legislation widely called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This bill has the potential to do significant harm to students, and may not be the most effective way to protect children from damaging content.

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