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

Social Policy

Elizabeth Miller

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.

Genetic Engineering: An Ethical Dilemma

Public Health Policy

Stephanie Wang

The recent rise of the genetic engineering field has brought about vigorous debate among Americans. The benefits of this field are apparent, especially for agriculture—both crops and animals—but the public worries about the safety of genetically modified food and its long term health effects. Similarly, the public is divided on the topic of human genome editing, where genetic engineering is used to alter the genes in order to prevent genetic disease or “enhance” desirable features. This has obviously been a point of contention within the American public and has been addressed by many different stakeholders.

Raising Them Right: Public Early Education in America

Social Policy

Elizabeth Miller

Ever since Johnson’s presidency, early childhood education has been a relevant policy issue in the U.S. government. Despite the ongoing conversation, no policy option has achieved the support necessary to be implemented. As the cost of private childcare and early education continues to rise, the need for public funding grows. The Biden administration is attempting to solve the problem through a $400bn provision in the Build Back Better bill, but has faced significant resistance from both other legislators and states themselves.

The Military Takeover of Sudan

Foreign Policy

Sarika Rahman

Violence breaks out in Sudan as a result of military makeover of the regional Sudanese government. This brief details the motives of the coup, including the long history of political instability that preceded it. Finally, it analyzes the future of Sudan following the coup, as well as possible actions to take to ensure the immediate safety of the Sudenese people and to provide measures to enable civilian rule.

Monetary Solutions for Inflation after COVID-19

Economic Policy

Kyan Howe

Given that the recent increase in inflation has impacted the U.S. economy in unprecedented ways, the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) response has become increasingly imperative. Namely, the contractionary monetary prescription—which the Fed has supplemented with quantitative tapering—is of critical importance in regards to the future of the U.S. economy. As such, this brief will address imperative issues with the Fed’s actions in regards to tapering, and recommend certain policies that can aid the Fed to reduce the supply of the circulating medium.

Climate Change: Where are we now?

Public Health Policy

Stephanie Wang

Since the turn of the century, climate change has become an increasingly important issue in American politics. Two-thirds of U.S. adults believe that the government is doing too little to mitigate the “climate crisis”—but there remains a significant partisan divide on the issue. In this brief, we will discuss the causes and effects of climate change, as well as the policies and initiatives aimed at slowing it down.