By Adam DuBard The 2016 presidential election was a shocking upset by all accounts. Apart from a few outliers, most media pundits and political experts predicted a Hillary Clinton win. Only two significant polls predicted a Donald Trump victory, and Nate Silver, the vaunted pollster guru, gave Trump a 28.6 percent chance at victory. Clinton’s... Continue Reading →
Foreign Policy and Voting: Do Presidential Candidates Waltz Before Blind SAISers?
By Zach Wheeler In 1989, John H. Aldrich of Duke University outlined three conditions which must be present to enable an American to weigh considerations of foreign policy while voting: voters must possess a fundamental attitude toward foreign affairs, voters must have an ability to analyze issues in foreign affairs, and candidates must present voters... Continue Reading →
The Election Will Be Televised: Presidential debates in the digital age
By Qianrong Ding With the only two scheduled debates between sitting President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden already behind us, election day is fast approaching. The SAIS student body keeps a close eye on the 2020 election, so it comes as no surprise that so many reportedly watched the presidential debates. According to... Continue Reading →
Election Security: How to make sure your vote counts
By Richard Pedersen Since evidence of Russian intervention in the 2016 election first came to light, election security experts and local officials have repeatedly raised the alarm regarding the vulnerability of the American electoral system. Public statements from such experts have primarily focused on threats of foreign interference. However, in recent weeks President Trump’s claims... Continue Reading →
The legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: pushing boundaries through public service
By Bailey Bischoff and Adam DuBard The venerable Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on Friday, September 18th, resulting in an outpouring of emotion across the United States. The impact of her life’s work and the vacant seat left in her absence is deeply felt by many Americans, especially those in the SAIS... Continue Reading →
Feeling Homesick? Check out these restaurants!
By: Laura Rong February 5th, 2020 BOLOGNA, Italy - Home to the SAIS Europe, Bologna has welcomed students from different parts of the world since the 1960s. Although the local cafeteria on campus, Giulios, offers delicious Italian breakfast and pasta everyday, sometimes one just wants to feel closer to home by going to a restaurant... Continue Reading →
SAIS election poll: Democratic primaries
By Gerhard Ottehenning February 17, 2020 WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a long winnowing phase, the Democratic primaries are finally underway. SAIS Virginia residents will get the chance to vote on March 3 (“Super Tuesday”), followed by Maryland residents on April 28 and D.C. on June 2. A recent poll administered by the SAIS Observer provides... Continue Reading →
Outbidding the competition – Getting into classes is getting harder at SAIS DC
by Yilin Wang February 1, 2020 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Twice a year, SAISers put their economics curriculum to the test; seeking to optimize a bidding strategy with minimized cost. However, it seems that composing such a strategy is proving increasingly difficult. The price inflation on classes have run students dry of opportunity and more classes... Continue Reading →
SAIS Europe reflects on Black History Month
By Fatou Sow BOLOGNA, Italy - Dr. Carter G. Woodson said, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, founded by Dr. Carter... Continue Reading →
COVID-19 Virus: Bologna Edition
By Julia Fonteles February 25, 2020 BOLOGNA, Italy - In the early hours of Sunday, February 23, Lombardy, the northern region of Italy, woke up to a public health crisis. In a span of 72 hours, Italy reported more than 200 cases of COVID-19, marking the biggest outbreak of the epidemic outside Asia. On Monday,... Continue Reading →