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Alison L. LaCroix

Alison L. LaCroix

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Alison L. LaCroix, a former member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, is Professor of Law and an associate member of the History Department at the University of Chicago and the author of the forthcoming The Interbellum Constitution: Union, Commerce, and Slavery in the Age of Federalisms (Yale University Press, May 2024).

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  1. Alison L. LaCroix on the US Supreme Court, immigration policy, federalism, and more
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    Alison L. LaCroix on the US Supreme Court, immigration policy, federalism, and more

    Apr 30, 2024 Alison L. LaCroix explains why “originalist” methods of constitutional interpretation are deeply ahistorical, describes the zero-sum relationship between state and federal power in modern America, identifies possible historical analogues for the upcoming US presidential election, and more.

  2. Texas and the Perpetual Crisis of American Federalism
    lacroix2_ Michael GonzalezGetty Images_texasUSflags Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images

    Texas and the Perpetual Crisis of American Federalism

    Mar 26, 2024 Alison L. LaCroix highlights the constitutional threat posed by the state's attempt to impose its own immigration policy.

  3. James Madison v. Originalism
    lacroix1_Universal History ArchiveGetty Images_jamesmadison Universal History Archive/Getty Images

    James Madison v. Originalism

    Aug 26, 2022 Alison L. LaCroix shows that the dominant conservative method of constitutional interpretation is utterly ahistorical.

  1. strain27_Philipp von Ditfurthpicture alliance via Getty Images_AIeducation Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images

    What the AI Pessimists Are Missing

    Michael R. Strain points out that the technology will help to address many of the risks it creates.
  2. ito37_Spencer PlattGetty Images_columbiaprotests Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Innocent Bystanders of College Protests

    Takatoshi Ito laments that a radical minority can disrupt the lives of so many in the broader university community.
  3. lacamera1_Wang DongzhenXinhua via Getty Images_COP28 Wang Dongzhen/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Only Public-Private Cooperation Can Accelerate Decarbonization

    Francesco La Camera & Bruce Douglas explain how to translate political commitments into actual wind turbines and solar panels.
  4. haass167_ANATOLII STEPANOVAFP via Getty Images_ukrainesoldiers Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

    Defining Success in Ukraine

    Richard Haass

    Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Adviser, has expressed the view that 2025 could be the time for Ukraine to once again mount a counter-offensive against Russian troops. Given the strategic math, that would be a serious mistake.

    calls for a shift to a defensive posture and efforts to bring about a long-term ceasefire.
  5. aslund75_Pierre CromGetty Images_ukraineconflict Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    A Unified Western Strategy for Ukraine

    Anders Åslund proposes a maximalist approach to military aid to replace the current piecemeal injections of old weapons.
  6. khrushcheva180_ContributorGetty Images_shoiguputin Contributor/Getty Images

    Russia’s Battle of the Ministries

    Nina L. Khrushcheva sees a high-ranking official's recent arrest as a sign of declining confidence in Vladimir Putin's leadership.
  7. ghosh77_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_ajaybanga Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    The “Billions to Trillions” Charade

    Jayati Ghosh

    Multilateral development banks and international financial institutions argue that mobilizing private investment is crucial to meeting developing economies’ needs for climate and development finance. But boosting government revenues is far more likely to generate the trillions of dollars needed to close these financing gaps.

    explains why using development banks' resources to incentivize private-sector finance is unlikely to succeed.
  8. aljasser1_SEYLLOUAFP via Getty Images_dakarairport Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images

    Leveraging Islamic Finance for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure

    Muhammad Al Jasser shows how a hybrid financing model could help fund desperately needed projects in the developing world.
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    Adekeye Adebajo on the Non-Aligned Movement, United Nations peacekeeping, African institution-building, and more

    Adekeye Adebajo argues that Israel’s war in Gaza is accelerating the trend toward global apartheid, highlights the strengths and weaknesses of United Nations peacekeeping missions, criticizes the militarization of US engagement with Africa, and more.

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