FALL 2015
Vanderbilt
The
Political Review
Staff
Letter from the Editor
PRESIDENT AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Michael Zoorob
It is with great pleasure that I introduce the Vanderbilt Political Review’s inaugural issue of 2015-2016. The Vanderbilt Political Review, founded in 2008, aspires to be a political forum for
free expression and exchange of ideas. This issue forms part of
our mission to further political dialogue on Vanderbilt’s campus.
PRINT DIRECTOR
Caylyn Perry
ONLINE DIRECTOR
Poulumi Banerjee
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Emily Stewart
LAYOUT DIRECTOR
Allia Calkins
SENIOR EDITORS
Sydney Bub ǁ Allie Doten
Chris St. Clair ǁ Christian Talley
EDITORIAL BOARD
Greg Bernstein ǁ Alyssa Blanchard
Brooks Cain ǁ Pawel Durakiewicz
Harrison Ebeling ǁ Caroline Fleischhauer
Abigail Fournier ǁ Jeff Greenburg ǁ Lindsay Grizzard
Danielle Kitchen ǁ Emmett McKinney
Avi Mediratta ǁ Alak Mehta ǁ Charlotte Mellgard
Lauren Pak ǁ Harsha Ramesh
Hamzah Raza ǁ Mo Se Kim ǁ Simon Silverberg
Alexander Slawson ǁ Noah Van Mierlo
Lindsey Waller ǁ Lindsay Williams
Kevin Zhang ǁ Hanna Ziffer
FACULTY ADVISOR
Dr. Joshua Clinton
The articles that follow engage with a diverse cross-section of the political landscape. Jeffrey Greenburg (‘17) writes about a particular person – Mr. Bernie Sanders, the self-described socialist Senator from Vermont who has challenged Hillary Clinton’s presumed inevitability. Some
articles focus on a particular issue, such as Allie Doten’s (‘18) exposition of gay conversion therapy in the United States and Poulumi Banjeree’s (‘17) exploration of public opinion on the Affordable Care Act.
Some articles emphasize a particular place: Christian Talley (‘16) and
Sydney Bub (‘18) both explore the fiscal crisis emanating from Greece
and its regional implications. Our cover article, written by Alak Mehta (‘16), looks at a particular institution – the United States Supreme
Court – and calls the Court’s supposed insulation from public opinion into question, using this summer’s gay marriage case as an example of how the Court’s decisions echo changes in America’s attitudes.
Other articles take a more comparative focus. Harrison Eberling (‘16) looks
at the opportunities and anxieties coming out of the recent nuclear agreement between several Western nations and Iran. Lauren Pak’s (‘17) article
“Rape: A Global Epidemic” compares the common threads connecting
rape culture in postwar Bosnia and on college campuses – and also explores
shared paths to healing. This issue’s feature captures experiences closer to
home. Several members of our editorial staff collected information from
six Professors of Political Science and surveyed 25 political science majors, sketching a portrait of the study of politics on Vanderbilt’s campus.
To the extent that a common theme emerges from these articles, it
is this: politics is a story of both hardship and progress. It embodies the
struggles of people attempting to realize their vision of the good society.
A publication like ours plays a role in this story. Democratic politics is a social activity, requiring informed citizens who are
both willing and able to govern themselves. It takes lively discourse to fuel the democratic way of life. Bearing this in mind, I
hope this issue brings not only enjoyment, but also lively debate.
Here’s to a great year.
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Michael Zoorob
PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF