Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Is Gerrymandering Good For Democracy?, Jacob Rubel

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Does gerrymandering deserve the awful reputation it has received? Through a revaluation in light of Founding principles, gerrymandering’s hidden virtues are uncovered.

Author information: Jacob Rubel is a rising sophomore at Tufts University majoring in political science, with an emphasis in political theory. He currently works at the Commissioner’s Office in the NYC Administration for Children’s Services.

Consent Of The Governed: Thomas Jefferson’S Relationship With Sally Hemings, Carley Johansson

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Many are familiar with Thomas Jefferson’s concubinage of his slave, Sally Hemings. What few realize, however, is the consequence this holds for Jefferson’s reputation and the credibility of his vision of the perfect Union.

Author information: Carley Johansson is a 2018 graduate from the University of Missouri – Columbia, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Women’s and Gender Studies, two minors in Biological Sciences and American Constitutional Democracy, and a Multicultural Certificate.

St. Augustine And Said Nursi On Introspection As A Vehicle For Change, Aysenur Guc

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

St. Augustine, a fourth century philosopher and scholar (354-430), illustrates the significance of undergoing a process of introspection through his Confessions. Readers are taken by the hand and led through his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood all the while being immersed in his reflective thoughts. While Augustine does not make explicit mentions of how political affairs should be directed in Confessions in contrast to his later work, City of God, he sets up the model that one should follow if desiring social change; namely, focusing on inner change first. Particularly, Augustine makes mention of many instances of implicit and …

“High Crimes And Misdemeanors”: A Constitutional Critique Of The Commander-In-Chief, Emma Pugh

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

The Impeachment Clause of the U.S. Constitution has been subject to competing interpretations. Whether impeachment is understood as a legal or a political process will have a great impact on future impeachment proceedings in the United States.

Author information: Emma Pugh is a senior at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. She is studying English and Political Science and is interested in how the two disciplines intersect. She completed this paper prior to the 2019 impeachment inquiry.

The Bracero Program: The Bi-National Migrant Labor Agreement 1942-1964, Sandra Puebla

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

This article explores the complex and fragile agreement between Mexico and the United States on migrant farm workers in the middle of the twentieth century.

Author information: Sandra Puebla is an undergraduate student at Northern Illinois University.

Restoring The Republic: A Conservative Manifesto For America’S Future, Cameron Khansarinia

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

In response to liberal attempts to diverge from many American values and ways, some contemporary conservatives have responded by looking backward to what we used to be. Instead, the conservative project should be to transform us into the nation that we were always supposed to be, a project for which Tocqueville can provide guidance.

Author information: Cameron Khansarinia is a graduate of Harvard College. He studied political theory in the Department of Government and wrote his honors thesis on Alexis de Tocqueville’s contemporary relevance under the advisement of Professor Harvey C. Mansfield.