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What happens when entire countries can no longer pay their debts in the 21st century? Is the international economy strong enough to handle dozens of insolvent countries—especially in the middle of a global pandemic? This article explores how countries became indebted before and during COVID-19 and whether the current strategy of sovereign debt reduction is an effective way to stabilize countries in the midst of a public health crisis.Continue Reading

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Who owns the Arctic and what exactly is so important about it? As climate change leads to the further melting of Arctic ice, countries are scrambling to stake their economic claim in the region. We examine these claims, explore what is driving the claims in the first place, and give some considerations in regards to the future of the earth’s “last frontier.”Continue Reading

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Millions of Americans lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but one key demographic may remain home even after the quarantine ends: women. Since the start of the pandemic, women have been leaving at a rate 4 times greater than their male counterparts. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 617,000 women left the workforce in September 2020, compared to 78,000 men. This great disparity isn’t just a consequence of gender inequality in the workplace. It’s a result of the forced division of labor between men and women in nuclear families, pressuring women with children and other family obligations to prioritize the needs of others over their own professional fulfillment.Continue Reading

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Higher education is a lucrative industry. Millions of students funnel billions of dollars into universities to not only attain an undergraduate degree but to also live the so-called “college experience.” But just like every other industry, it has been hit hard by the coronavirus, and students are rethinking whether the virtual, online college experience is worth the high price tag.Continue Reading