Is the Estonian e-residency program a digital fairytale?

November 5, 2022

Estonia is considered a role model for digital public administration. The Estonian e-residency program is the most recent e-government initiative, which promises entrepreneurs worldwide access to its public administration 24/7. In its current state, the program cannot achieve its ambitious goal due to structural misconceptions that have caused issues around its efficiency and inclusiveness.

Anna Mayer

School Choice in the United States

August 16, 2022

School choice encompasses a variety of programs run by the U.S. government that allows parents to choose a school other than their local publicly funded school. Wealthy parents have been able to afford choices in education for a very long time. Now it is time that we allow poorer citizens to choose an education that best fits the needs of their children. School choice will allow this to happen.

Jaireet Chahal

Inflation During the Pandemic: Is ‘Transitory’ a Myth?

July 19, 2022

Caused by pent-up demand and intense supply disruptions, inflation has risen to its highest level in decades. As the specter of “entrenched inflation” looms, central banks must use monetary policy sensibly without overreacting. Central banks should allow time for overheated demand and supply disruptions to ease, lest the world’s advanced economies face their hardest landing yet.

Joshua Rajendran

U.S. vs. China? Cooperation in Telecommunications in East Africa

May 3, 2022

Some Western political strategists suggest a “Tech Cold War” is playing out in Africa between China and the U.S. Based on case studies from Ethiopia and Kenya, this perspective neglects the actual state of affairs. Instead of searching for “China-free” actors, the West should take the rationale of each project as a yardstick to stay engaged and relevant in the emerging African information and communications technology sector.

Jonas Pauly

The Financing of Water: Putting the Trust in Conservation

May 31, 2020 Energy and Environment

The reliability and quality of freshwater resources depends on a variety of environmental factors. As policymaking often takes place in silos when it comes to financing water security, we need a more holistic approach to the protection and provision of freshwater resources. By encouraging water trust funds that allow for a decentralized and nature-based approach to water governance, countries can better tackle challenges of water security and improve the health of ecosystems. 

Rebecca Sands

Increasing the Legitimacy of Advocative NGOs Through Representation

May 20, 2020 Politics and Society

Advocacy NGOs often face challenges from political actors questioning their legitimacy. A new approach of introducing electorates nationally or regionally to grassroots organizations might protect them against such political attacks, and also serve to increase their legitimacy. The Hungarian Independent Student Parliament provides a potential model that could be replicated in other similar NGOs in and beyond Hungary.

Gáspár Bekes

Restoring Trust and Building Bridges: Addressing Online Radicalization in Africa

May 17, 2020 Peace and Security

Terrorists use the internet and social media to radicalize youth by exploiting general distrust in governments. African governments have responded to this threat by passing politically motivated internet limitation laws, which only exacerbate existing grievances and mistrust. Instead, African governments should build upon existing models of community policing and embrace an inclusive regional community online policing consortium through the leadership of the African Union.

Catheline Bosibori Nyabwengi and Grace Atuhaire

How Germany Can Revive its Start-up Sector

May 9, 2020 Economic Policy

The German start-up landscape currently lacks international competitiveness. Existing legislation makes it difficult for start-ups to attract and retain highly skilled workers without taking on a large financial burden. Revising the regulatory framework for employee stock option plans could help solve this issue.

Maximilian Richter

The Yellow Vest Movement: Lessons Learned from a Flawed Government Response

May 5, 2020 Politics and Society

The French Yellow Vest Movement highlighted two major determinants of success in protest movements: favorable public opinion and high collective morale. It also showed that the French government needs to refocus its protest mitigation strategy more on these two fronts in order to minimize and avoid future protest movements.

Ediz Topcuoğlu

Climate over Justice? Understanding Civil Disobedience Through the Lens of John Rawls

May 2, 2020 Politics and Society

From Mahatma Gandhi to Susan B. Anthony and Extinction Rebellion – civil disobedience has changed policies throughout history. John Rawls developed means to better understand when and in what form civil disobedience is justified. We see that XR isn’t a movement of the disenfranchised and needs to introduce climate councils at all levels to produce more inclusive outcomes.

Mareike Peschau