Policy Briefs

YIP's policy briefs provide clear, nonpartisan summaries of key national issues and policies. Designed for accessibility, they distill complex topics into concise, understandable analyses, bridging the gap between intricate policy debates and a broad audience. These briefs embody our commitment to informed, unbiased discourse, crucial for fostering a well-informed public and encouraging active engagement in policy discussions.

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Briefs harmonize diverse political perspectives in policy teams of 4-6 for insightful policy solutions.

Recent Policy Briefs

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Northern Venezuela’s Double Earthquake

Rapid Response

Aram Jung

The following brief examines the catastrophic impacts of the devastating doublet in Northern Venezuela, analyzing how the disaster has intensified Venezuela's existing economic crisis and political instability. The earthquakes have resulted in tremendous loss of life and bodily harm, amounting to more than 3,500 deaths and over 16,700 injuries. Disillusioned Venezuelans point severe criticism at the national government and interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez for slow relief responses as opposition leader, María Corina Machado, seeks a political comeback, pointing to heightening the risk of prolonged political instability. The brief also reviews previous, failed attempts at preventing damages by instituting the COVENIN codes, and recommends policy to mitigate the effects of the natural disaster through humanitarian aid alongside military and technological assistance.

The Supreme Court’s Recent Ruling on Birthright Citizenship

Rapid Response

Aram Jung

On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. Barbara, reaffirming the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship to all individuals born on U.S soil. This ruling struck down President Trump’s January 2025 executive order seeking to deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil whose parents are unlawfully present in the country. This brief examines the constitutional history of the Fourteenth Amendment, the constitutional and policy implications of the ruling, and the legislative options now available to Congress.

Wrongful Juvenile Conviction

Criminal Justice

Aditi Karthikeyan

This policy brief analyzes the history of wrongful juvenile convictions and evaluates possible policy options to reduce these risks, including youth interrogation protections, access to qualified defense counsel, and stricter evidence screening requirements.

June Periodical

Rapid Response

Assata Foday

This periodical examines three developments that shaped June across Europe and the transatlantic policy landscape. We open with the record-breaking heatwaves that swept Europe from late May to late June, and the adaptation and air-conditioning debate they reignited. We then turn to the U.S. House's passage of a major Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions package, and what its uncertain path through the Senate reveals about the current foreign-policy divide. We close with the resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the leadership contest now reshaping UK politics.

The UK Prime Minister’s Resignation: Leadership Change in Westminster

Rapid Response

Assata Foday

This brief examines the governance implications of Keri Starmer’s resignation as UK Prime Minister, focusing less on the sequence of events than on their structural significance. It analyzes how Labour’s internal succession process, rather than a general election, will determine the next PM, and what this means for democratic accountability. The brief also assesses the practical risks an extended caretaker period poses to policy continuity in security, economics, and foreign affairs, alongside the deeper political forces, chiefly Reform UK’s rise, driving the UK’s broader pattern of leadership instability. It concludes by considering what the succession outcome signals for Labour’s direction ahead of the next general election.

The Role of NATO in Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy

Kate Chu

This brief focuses on the critical role that NATO plays within foreign policy, laying out the organization’s history, structure, and beliefs and analyzing potential solutions to the current challenges it faces today.