Papua New Guinea’s Great Power Conflict
A domestic struggle between political powers in Papua New Guinea is emerging as a new front in the Pacific power conflict between the United States and China.
On the Newsstand:The Pacific
The Dangers of Direct Democracy
In Federalist No. 63, James Madison wrote that the defining principle of American democracy, as compared to Athenian democracy, “lies in the total exclusion of the people in their collective capacity.” But since Madison wrote those words, several direct-democratic institutions have been introduced into American politics. California became the first state to adopt a ballot-initiative process in 1911, enabling citizens ... Read More
Generational Inadequacy
I just finished watching Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ The Pacific, an HBO miniseries following a group of marines in WWII. And it was truly epic. Melodramatic and overwrought maybe, but the war in the Pacific was no jungle romp. As The Pacific vividly shows, it was unimaginably gruesome, traumatic, and relentless. The marines battled the unyielding and suicidal Japanese on malaria-infested, ... Read More
Justice Stevens Lets Go — Better Hang On!
My Harvard Independent column for this week addresses the retirement of John Paul Stevens and the issue of picking his successor. Read the original here. If they made posters of Supreme Court Justices, I’d put John Paul Stevens on my bedroom wall. The man is a progressive hero — first and foremost, for his longevity. In 2006, the liberal radio ... Read More
From the Editor
When the HPR selected Urban America as the summer covers topic, I immediately cautioned our Covers Editor that the section could not just be a feature on New York. Given that she is from Boston my worries were probably unfounded, but people do love talking about New York, and I can understand why. The Big Apple is home to over ... Read More
