American Policy Research Articles

Failure to treat: an American policy perspective.

Throughout its two and a half centuries in existence, US mental health policy has repeatedly failed people living with schizophrenia. The failures are cyclical-the inhumane conditions uncovered in the first 75years of existence were addressed with the construction of state asylums to deliver moral treatment. One hundred years later, the asylums were themselves revealed to be inhumane. Deinstitutionalization, the response to the failure of asylums starting in the 1960s, now drives outcomes such as homelessness, incarceration, and early death for people living with psychotic illnesses. In all cases, well-intentioned policy reform has failed at the level of implementation, largely due to a lack of accountability. The result has been a consistent failure to adequately treat people living with schizophrenia, which is now understood to be a highly treatable condition. As the country passes into a quarter millennium in existence, reform is once again underway. Unlike other points in history, there is good news. Other countries, such as Italy, have successfully leveraged reform to achieve greatly improved outcomes. Understanding US history and the successful implementation of policy change in other countries is imperative and teaches us that accountability in implementation is necessary to break the cycle of policy failure.

Differential Economic Impacts of Chinese and American Trade Policies on Developed Versus Developing Nations

The trade conflict between the United States and China, the two largest economies in the world, has considerable implications for global economic stability and growth. This topic has been selected due to the necessity of understanding how these trade disputes impact other countries, particularly those heavily dependent on exporting goods to these major economies. The analysis aims to investigate the varied effects of the trade war on both industrialized and developing nations. An analysis is conducted to examine the differential effects of the trade war on industrialized and developing nations by studying the changes in GDP growth rates, unemployment rates, and balance of trade trends. This study examines the distinct economic effects of the China-US trade war on Germany, Canada, and Mexico, which serve as representative examples of developed and developing nations. The results emphasize the significance of customized policy measures to tackle the distinct difficulties and prospects encountered by various economies. Developed countries should prioritize efforts to reduce sluggish economic development and address unemployment in specific sectors. On the other hand, developing nations should take advantage of trade diversion benefits and strengthen their economic resilience. This study enhances the awareness of global trade dynamics and offers vital perspectives for policymakers seeking to negotiate the intricacies of international trade wars.

Every country needs a national STEM teacher corps

Every country needs a national STEM teacher corps The US National Science Foundation has initiated the National STEM Teacher Corps program to support STEM teachers. Nancy Butler Songer, Associate Provost of STEM Education, discusses her efforts to assist primary school teachers in guiding young children to create solutions for local environmental issues. In many countries, we are challenged by a shortage of well-trained and well-supported teachers. In a 2021 study, more than half (54%) of American teachers surveyed reported their likelihood of leaving the teaching field was somewhat likely or very likely. While American policy documents such as the Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) propose that students learn science and engineering through investigations and design, many classroom teachers lack professional development, time, supportive environments, and resources to champion students’ problem-solving, leading to solutions to local environmental problems.

The diffusion of American fair housing law and policy

The diffusion of American fair housing law and policy

Simmering Storm in the East China Sea: Shifting Dynamics in the Great Power Rivalries of East Asia

The East China Sea (ECS) is one of the region’s most significant and oft-times under-addressed potential flashpoints. In this article we take a holistic approach and reexamine the recent actions of East Asia’s two most significant powers, China and Japan, in relation to this important body of maritime space, as well as those of the United States (US), as the incumbent regional hegemon. Specifically, we examine the efficacy of each. This highlights a dynamism in Chinese actions, as well as elucidating how the US and Japan have come to adopt policies that are of dubious efficacy as a means of alleviating or nullifying the escalation of unwanted tensions across the ECS. In so doing, we draw upon two key concepts, immobilism and confirmation bias, that help us to understand why the US and Japan are failing to achieve their assumed objectives of regional stability and the maintenance of the status quo. Ultimately, we argue that a combination of immobilism and confirmation bias in American and Japanese foreign policy, in response to the greater dynamism and adaptability of regional great powers such as China, has led to latent changes in the status quo that risk undermining stability across the ECS.

Creating a national breastfeeding and lactation policy for Canadian surgical residents

Background: Despite known benefits of breastfeeding and challenges medical trainees face lactating at work, research specific to Canadian surgical trainees is lacking. Our objectives were to examine existing breastfeeding and lactation policies, query experiences and opinions of surgical trainees and program directors, and propose a comprehensive policy for programs nation-wide. Methods: A multi-disciplinary team developed this two-part study. The scoping review used database and grey literature searches to find North American policies covering surgical residents. The survey study queried lactating Canadian surgical trainees and program directors about experiences and barriers, support provided, and interest in a breastfeeding and lactation policy. Results: Ten policies were found. None comprehensively addressed lactation space and supplies, break times, supports, and resident responsibilities. Among ten PD survey respondents: 60% were female, 70% had lactating trainees during their tenure, 40% discussed lactation accommodations, and all were willing to instate a policy. Among 24 trainees: 45% met breastfeeding goals, 74% stopped breastfeeding prematurely due to work barriers, and 88% had little workplace support. Almost all trainees (96%) wanted a policy. Conclusion: There is opportunity and appetite for a more comprehensive breastfeeding and lactation policy for Canadian surgical residents. Our policy highlights important areas where trainees can be better supported to meet breastfeeding goals.

The Indian, Chinese, and Mormon Questions

This article examines how the cultural concept of the American home shaped Reconstruction politics in the American West. In a post-Civil War era in which Republicans sought a national culture and homogenous citizenry, ideas about what made a proper home became a powerful way to measure the potential inclusion of western minority groups. Three “questions”—the Indian, Chinese, and Mormon Questions—became some of the most pressing and passionately debated political controversies of the period. Historians have tended to treat these questions separately, but American congressmen, policy makers, and reformers discussed the three groups in remarkably similar ways. Ultimately, these Americans asked a single question—who had the right to possess homes and, by extension, American citizenship. These commentators, the article argues, saw Native peoples, Chinese immigrants, and Mormons as unfit for U.S. citizenship for three main reasons: their failure to create proper homes, their threat to white homes, and their occupation of land that could otherwise be settled with white homes and families. When examined together, the western questions reveal how the American home, born in an emancipatory moment, became a blunt and violent tool of Reconstruction in the West.

Understanding climate policy uncertainty: Evidence from temporal and spatial domains

This study examines the dynamic propagation process of Climate Policy Uncertainty (CPU) on commodity markets' positive and negative volatility, and compares the role of different climate policy uncertainty. The climate policy uncertainty considered here includes the American Climate Policy Uncertainty (ACPU), Chinese Climate Policy Uncertainty (CCPU), and Global Climate Policy Uncertainty (GCPU). We find that CPU plays an informative role in commodities markets, both for the commodity markets' positive and negative volatility. Notably, we observe a more pronounced spillover effect of CPUs on negative volatility compared to positive volatility, indicating heightened market sensitivity to adverse policy uncertainty shocks. As for the spillover speed, the transmission of CPUs to positive volatility initially outpaces that to negative volatility, but this trend reverses over time as the persistence of negative volatility becomes more dominant. Moreover, a comparative analysis across different CPUs underscores the preeminent role of CCPU, which exhibits the broadest spillover scale and the most rapid transmission velocity relative to its American and global counterparts.

President Rule Article 356 Federalism and Issue of National Security

Federalism is an organisational structure in which authority is shared or split among all of the subordinate governmental institutions rather than being solely vested in the central government. The relationship between the Union and the States is depictedin the Indian system.Because the constitutional division of powers by levels of government can control the potential hazards that security and intelligence authorities represent for individual and collective freedoms, federalism may be preferable to unitary security regimes. Federalism, however, can also be a security problem since it is believed to obstruct effective decision-making about public safety.The legal-institutional framework and constitution of the federal system in India exhibit a unique trend. Studies on national security legislation typically centre on striking a balance between security and liberty, with the vast majority of these studies\ examining this balance along the horizontal axis between federal branches. The vertical axis and the post-9/11 emergence of state and local government in American national security legislation and policy are two additional features that this article adds to question that traditional focus. It promotes a federalist framework that places a strong emphasis on vertical intergovernmental arrangements for the longterm promotion and mediation of a wide variety of policy values. When it comes to national security intelligence and counterterrorism, the federal and local governments collaborate and sometimes clash. This federalism framework clarifies these dynamics and provides insights that can help shape future reforms.

Article: Bidonomics Versus Maganomics: Pick Your Poison

This essay examines the international trade policies of Joseph Biden and Donald Trump, the two presumed candidates for President of the United States in 2024. I first analyse the trade law revolution effected by the Trump presidency, 2017–2021. During these years the Trump administration adopted a protectionist policy rooted in nationalism and populism. As a direct result of Trump administration trade policy there occurred: (1) a significant retreat from globalization; (2) paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO); (3) a revival of US unilateralism in trade policy; and (4) the US-China trade war. When Joseph Biden became president in 2021, he did not reverse the Trump trade policies. Declaring his favour of a ‘worker-oriented’ trade policy, the Biden administration defended Trump’s tariff policies while continuing his hostility to both new free trade agreements and the multilateral trading system. Biden’s distinctive addition to Trump’s trade policy is a protectionist industrial policy featuring subsidies and a ‘buy American’ mandate. Despite these similarities, Trump and Biden propose very different international trade policies for 2025 and beyond. Trump intends to adopt across the board protectionist tariffs of at least 10% on all imports and tariffs of at least 60% on all Chinese imports. The former tariffs will provoke numerous tit-for-tat trade wars; the latter tariffs will economically ‘decouple’ China and the United States. Both policies will raise prices and slow global economic growth. On the other hand, Biden eschews new tariffs. American policy will be rooted in industrial subsidies and ‘buy American’ protectionism. Critics of both Trump and Biden propose a ‘third way’ set of international trade policies that avoid protectionism. This ‘third way’ would feature new free trade agreements with Asian- Pacific, European, and Western Hemisphere nations, a revival of multilateralism and the WTO, and a more constructive trade relationship with China.

Ideology and War in American Policy: In Memory of G.A. Trofimenko

Ideology and War in American Policy: In Memory of G.A. Trofimenko

The Transatlantic Relationship and the Russia-Ukraine War

Abstract The Russia-Ukraine war triggered a new burst of solidarity across the Atlantic. The reactivation of the battered NATO alliance came easily under the pressure of an external shock. Yet, pulling together to react to Russia's belligerence is not sufficient to announce a new era of transatlantic partnership. The reason lies in the different interests that underpin American and European policies such as reliance on economic sanctions, the promotion of democracy, NATO strategy towards Russia, and economic coordination. Loosely sharing common values is not enough to reinforce the transatlantic relationship. Neither is a decision to stop the atrocities that Russia is committing against Ukrainians. Western leadership requires a coherent vision of Western interests. In the new world order, such coherence cannot be taken for granted.

Joining forces for healthier futures: a call to action for South American child health policies

Joining forces for healthier futures: a call to action for South American child health policies

Bridging the Divide: Strategic Measures to Enhance US-Cuba Relations in 21st Century

The US-Cuban relations have been historically bitter due to various factors, including the US's reluctance to engage with Cuba and its communist ideology. During the Cold War, the US faced difficulties due to Cuba's inclination towards the USSR, leading to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The US has always had concerns about Cuba and its ideology, which have been reflected in policies and statements. The Obama administration attempted to take positive steps towards Cuba, but the Trade Embargo imposed by the USA in the 1960s still heavily affected the relations. By the 21st century, these issues must be resolved to eradicate security and economic concerns from the region for its prosperity. The Reagan administration reversed direction and focused on controlling Cuban immigration to the US, granting up to 20,000 immigrant visas annually. Cuba has always impacted the security of the United States, as the country has been a significant threat since 1959 when the US and USSR faced nuclear war. The US has attempted to influence many countries in the region, but Cuba has been difficult to crack. Despite imposing embargoes, the US has failed to bring democratic norms to Cuba. As Cubans have a major stake in US politics, the US capitalizes on their influence. The worsening law and order situation in Cuba has led to mass migration to the USA, with the US trying to compensate Cuban immigrants to undermine their government policies. The 21st-century fluctuations in American policy for Cuba continue to pose Cuba as a security threat to the US. This article aims at highlighting issues like Migration, Cuban Ideology, US Embargo, and Terrorism which remain to be at core of the US-Cuban relations. These issues must be addressed in order to put US-Cuban relations back on track.

Indonesia, an offshore balancer in Southeast Asia?

AbstractObservers generally characterize Indonesia's foreign policy as non‐aligned, hedging between the great powers. Indeed, Indonesian noncommittal behavior and seeming disinterest in regional power politics appear at odds for a country of that size. To explain that puzzle, I apply the concept of offshore balancer, traditionally used to describe British and US foreign policy. An offshore balancer is a state separated from continental politics by a body of water. Theory predicts that an offshore balancer will generally avoid continental commitments when the balance of power is stable. However, it will join the power competition fray if a threatening potential hegemon arises. Offshore balancers turn aggressive only if continental states are so weak that crossing the sea and expanding onshore becomes easy. First, I present the concept and its importance and justify its generalizability through a short overview of American, British, and Japanese foreign policies. Second, I review Indonesian history to check whether its behavior corresponds to that of an offshore balancer. Finally, I lay out what offshore balancing implies for understanding Indonesian foreign policy and its future.

EUROPE’S CONTESTATION OF THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM THE JCPOA: UNVEILING EUROPEAN SUBJECTIVITY

The article investigates the response of European nations to the U.S. withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, the implementation of a «maximum pressure» strategy, and the reinstatement of sanctions on Iran. European actions included open dissent towards American policies, active engagement in lobbying efforts, and the establishment of temporary political-diplomatic coalitions with like-minded partners. The examination is framed within the context of the theory of contestation, elucidating how European allies endeavored to contest the dominant partner despite disparities in resources, European business reliance on the American financial system, and potential risks to transatlantic relations. Through challenging U.S. decisions, European countries aimed to reaffirm their autonomy and sovereignty within the transatlantic partnership and broader global political landscape. This response was not solely influenced by divergent perspectives on international security and approaches to global challenges but also by Washington’s reduced influence on partners expectations regarding the repercussions of disloyalty. The U.S. exhibited a strong belief in its ability to address the issue independently, viewing European opposition as futile, thus showing little interest in substantive negotiating with partners or persuading them to align. Consequently, European allies, anticipating minimal negative effects on their relations with the U.S., felt emboldened to assertively defend their perspectives, thus bolstering their political subjectivity.

일상 속으로: 로버트 펠릭스(Robert H. Felix)와 정신보건법의 기원

This study traces the origins of the transition from an institution-based mental health structure to a community-based policy by examining the early career and contributions of Dr. Robert H. Felix, a major figure who helped pass the National Mental Health Act of 1946 and was the first director of the National Institute of Mental Health. Felix began his career in the U.S. Public Health (USPHS) in the 1930s and was stationed at various PHS-affiliated institutes in the early 1940s. Post-World War II (WWII), he leveraged his professional experiences with federal-level institutions, by laying the groundwork for overarching national mental health policy plans. Based on lessons learned from total war, his prospective plan mainly focused on the prevention of mental illness, whether chronic or acute. In this regard, this paper demonstrates how American mental health policies use centralized federal funds to help community-based prevention of early-stage illness.

Are Democrats or Republicans better for the Iraqi Kurds?

AbstractThis piece offers an introduction to US foreign policy toward the Iraqi Kurds since the First World War by dividing that policy into seven discernible stages—from Wilson's Fourteen Points to the actions of the Trump administration. In doing so, I query whether the existence of US foreign policy toward the Kurds has been more active and supportive during Democratic Party administrations or Republican Party administrations. Are there any clear indications as to which party has been better for the Iraqi Kurds? Or is US foreign policy toward the Iraqi Kurds unequivocally dependent on regional dynamics and US interests, not on which political party is governing or the values they espouse? The central argument is that American policy toward the Iraqi Kurds has mostly been dependent on changing regional dynamics, particularly on the changing nature of the United States relationships with Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria, and this does not seem to be affected strongly by which US party holds the presidency. Perhaps counter‐intuitively, there is no evidence to suggest the Democrats have been better for the Iraqi Kurds than the Republicans. While some of the most significant setbacks for the Kurds occurred during Republican administrations, their two most essential political achievements were also during Republican administrations.

«Зворотній курс» у політиці США щодо Японії 1947-1952 рр.

The purpose of the research is to analyze the evolution of the foreign policy course of the USA in relation to post-war Japan and to show the economic, political, and strategic achievements of the "Reverse Course". The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, comprehensiveness and multi-vectority, objectivity and systematicity. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that Ukrainian historiography on the issue of the history of post-war Japan is extremely small and has a number of white spots, in particular, on the issue of cooperation between the Japanese government and the American military administration. Conclusions. American policy in Japan proves that yesterday's enemy can become a potential partner and, even more so, an ally in the future. Having paid a bloody price for the victory, the USA began radical reforms in Japan, which were aimed, at least in the first period of occupation, at the demilitarization and deindustrialization of yesterday's enemy. However, practice has shown that building a strong and structural economy, liberalizing and democratizing political processes work much more effectively. After the end of the Korean War, Japan's economy started to grow steadily and very soon led to the famous "economic miracle." Modern Japan is a successful democratic state that ranks among the top five in terms of GDP and other economic indicators and is a pioneer in the latest technologies and science. The example of Japan, in our opinion, is indicative and proves that a country that has survived a devastating war with terrible losses can recover if deep and comprehensive reforms are carried out in all social, political, cultural, and economic spheres.

THE AMERICAN ROLE IN IRAQ AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

American roles and policies in Iraq and the Middle East region differed according to historical stages. But the constants remain the same according to American foreign policy strategies in the Middle East region in general and Iraq in particular, as the United States of America looks at the Middle East region according to three main goals: 1- Maintaining the continuity of political systems and moderate and allied governments that preserve American interests in the region. 2- Ensuring the access of oil to it 3- Ensuring the security and survival of Israel. Accordingly, the American president has the right to exercise his role within these frameworks, even if his methods and tools differ from those of other presidents. Since every new American president adapts to the goals he seeks to achieve during his presidency, the American role after the administration of President Trump in Iraq has changed from that role and policy followed by US President Joe Biden after winning the 2020 elections. In order to learn about the most prominent features of the American role in Iraq after the administration of President Donald Trump, the topic of the study was chosen, which dealt