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Continue reading →: Energy Policy During the HolidaysEven just 15 minutes outside of central D.C., proposals in Congress can feel abstract, even though everyone will feel the effects on household utility bills this holiday season. Policy debates happen in hearing rooms and in press releases, yet their consequences affect people far beyond that. This winter season, temperatures…
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Continue reading →: Travel as Soft DiplomacyThis past week I flew back to my home in Saudi Arabia for Thanksgiving break. The long and boring overnight and early morning flights made me realize something: travel is one of the most important tools of public diplomacy. I used to believe strong international relations can only be shaped…
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Continue reading →: Who Gets to Build the Blueprint?Public policy planning begins with a promise to serve everyone; however, often the blueprints of policy that impact communities of people are created in rooms where not everyone is represented. The language of “public good” can sound inclusive, but in practice it isn’t often executed for everyone. While researching offices…
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Continue reading →: Cracks in the Shutdown StalemateSix weeks into the government shutdown and one week after my congressional internship has ended, eight Democrats broke from their party to advance a funding deal that they say is the only realistic path to reopening federal services and the government. They argue that the shutdown is doing real harm…
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Continue reading →: Trump’s Tariffs on TrialToday I went to Capitol Hill, and walking around the steps of the Supreme Court this morning, I could feel the tension in the air as the Supreme Court heard a major case challenging President Donald Trump’s global tariffs. There were police at every corner, metal barricades surrounding the Capitol,…
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Continue reading →: Public Transportation as a Human RightWhen continuing to explore my independent research topic of the importance of investing in the Northeast Corridor, I came across an interview of a congressman saying, “Americans, we should have the freedom to travel at 250 miles per hour.” That one word, freedom, stood out to me. It’s used regularly…
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Continue reading →: High Schoolers Fighting for a SeatMy internship on Capitol Hill, already disrupted by the government shutdown, comes to an end next week. I have spent hours searching for similar congressional positions for a few weeks during the summer; however, nearly every website I visit says the same thing: applicants should be undergraduate students or graduate…
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Continue reading →: When the Government Stops, Everyone Feels ItAs the government shutdown stretches into its 29th day, the same message is being portrayed through every Senate Committee room on Capitol Hill: the consequences of this government shutdown are no longer political, but have become extremely personal to many Americans. With offices closed to new staff and schedules being…
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Continue reading →: Who Cares for the Caregivers?Last week I sat in on the Education, Healthcare, and Pension Committee on Capitol Hill. One of the panelists, Ms. Turner, an ICU nurse with over 30 years of experience and serves as the president of National Nurses United rose before Congress to deliver an important message that demanded immediate…
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Continue reading →: Can Infrastructure Public Policy Serve Both People and Politics?Today I sat down with a transportation policy advisor on Capitol Hill to dig deeper into my independent research topic of congestion and outdated infrastructure along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. But after the interview ended, one question stayed in my mind from the discussion: can infrastructure policy truly serve people when…
Hello,
I’m Madison
Welcome to The People’s Blueprint, a space dedicated to examining how public policy shapes every day life. Through stories, interviews, and analysis of current legislation and emerging policy ideas, this space explores how decisions made in the government translate to real-world impacts.
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