Eric Yao

Voting My Conscience on Civil Liberties

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG. As someone
October 26, 2016

People speak and judges listen

The United States Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, 572 U. S. ____ (2014) that invalidated aggregate contribution limits has been denounced by activists across the political spectrum. However, some critics have an unthinking response and might change
April 17, 2014

Dumbing down the SAT

As a former tutor and poor public school student who excelled on the SAT, I hold strong feelings about the College Board’s decision to overhaul the exam’s future structure. In March, College Board President David Coleman publicized some changes: a more generous fee waiver
March 27, 2014

Divided consent builds a slippery slope

The US Supreme Court ruled in Fernandez v. California (2014) that police may search a residence without a warrant if an occupant consents to a search and an objecting occupant is removed for reasonable purposes such as lawful arrest. Justice Alito delivered
March 6, 2014

A critique of the Federal Reserve System

On December 23, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Federal Reserve Act to establish the third central banking system in the US, which facilitates funds transferring between banks, issues paper money, regulates commercial banks, lends as a last resort, and
February 20, 2014

Destroying fundamental American principles

Today governments conduct unprecedented warrantless mass surveillance on citizens at home and abroad. Because defenders of such policies cite reasons of national safety and the greater good of society, opponents are often labeled extreme or insane. Yet the Fourth Amendment to the
February 6, 2014

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