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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President Biden’s Proposed SCOTUS Reforms: An Analysis

Social Policy

Emilia Rubalcaba Kates

This brief covers President Biden’s proposals for reforms to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). It will consider the history of this discourse, ongoing developments, the content of the proposals, and opinions and debates surrounding the issue.

Analyzing Sentencing Reform

Criminal Justice

Naomi McKenna

This brief addresses the topic of sentencing reform, examining potential and tried policies that have changed the system.

Paid Parental Leave: Policy, Practice, and Public Opinion

Public Health Policy

Avi Agrawal

Paid Parental Leave programs allow expecting and new parents to take time from work while maintaining a paycheck, with the guarantee/expectation that they can/will return to work after leave expires. Amid the ongoing push for expanded PPL, this brief aims to analyze the past and future outlook for such initiatives.

Evolution of Standardized Testing in the U.S.

Social Policy

Emilia Rubalcaba Kates

Standardized tests, including the ACT and SAT, examine a student's academic performance, most notably for college entrance. With changes made to testing policy due to COVID-19, students decide whether to send their test scores to colleges, or sit for the tests in the first place. This policy brief summarizes the current state of standardized testing in relation to college admissions, highlighting discussion about testing inequalities and how COVID-19 has transformed testing requirements across the U.S.

Streamlining the Asylum Application Process: Addressing Inefficiencies in Pathways

Immigration Policy

Emily Tsai

This brief will analyze various reasons behind current inefficiencies inside the United States’s asylum process. It will also consider the various stakeholders and proposed policies regarding this issue.

New Zealand and the Quest for a Coherent Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy

Sanjay Karthikeyan

New Zealand (NZ), a remote nation of just over five million people, might seem poised for a simple foreign policy. Yet, the reality is anything but simple. This analysis traces the roots of NZ’s foreign policy to understand the challenges it faces today. Despite its geographic isolation, NZ’s structural proclivity for coalition governments, dangerous reliance on China and a complicated relationship with Australia have all tragically tamed the fighting spirit of the country’s once famous and much adored eccentrically progressive foreign policy.