Dome:
Law, Legislation & Policy

Housed at Boston University School of Law, Dome is a valuable resource for news, analysis, and opinion on legislation and public policy. Dome is staffed by students of BU Law’s various legislation clinics. Dome features work contributed by staff members, scholars, practitioners, and law students interested in legislation and public policy.

Automatic Vote Registration is a Necessary Step in the Right Direction to Increase Voter Turnout

By Ashley Zink
February 7th, 2019 in Analysis, State Legislation.

In 2016, Donald Trump won the electoral vote, and therefore the presidency, because of fewer than 80,000 people spread over 3 states; about the same population as Scranton, Pennsylvania. While there are many ways to analyze this narrow margin, the most important may be that elections can be decided by... More

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Of Migration and Refugees: The Failure of Republican Deterrence Policy

By Daniel Ordorica
February 7th, 2019 in Federal Legislation, Legislative Oversight.

Despite two years of the Trump administration’s get-tough-on-refugees policy, the latest statistics continue to show record numbers of migrants crossing the U.S. border, with “16,658 family members in September, the highest one-month total on record and an 80 percent increase from July.” This is just the latest in the periodic... More

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Can Single-Payer Really Happen?

By Sarah Zahakos
February 7th, 2019 in Analysis, State Legislation.

Healthcare is on the frontlines of legislative debates— the U.S. has the most expensive care and reports the poorest outcomes of all rich democracies (RDs). Several states have proposed legislation to innovate healthcare access and to safeguard against the destruction of the ACA. One “old idea” that recently  gained momentum... More

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Examining the ERA’s Comeback: the Legal Debate Over a 38th Ratification

By Chloe Aubuchon
February 5th, 2019 in Analysis, Federal Legislation, State Legislation.

At a time when the issues of gender and sexual harassment have come to a head, some activists are looking to a decades-old proposed constitutional amendment to secure gender equality. The Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”), originally proposed by suffragist Alice Paul in 1923, would affirmatively state that no person’s rights... More

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Who Will Save the Africa Parliamentary Knowledge Network? by Elizabeth Bakibinga-Gaswaga

By Sean J Kealy
December 13th, 2018 in Africa, Conference, Legal Education, Legislative Operations.

The bright promise that was the Africa Parliamentary Knowledge Network (APKN) is seemingly fading away. This important project, where African parliamentarians and their staff committed to help each other build capacity and share information was making a real difference in the governance of Africa. Sadly, when the United Nation's Department... More

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